What Is Metetarsalgia?
Its a common overuse injury that describes pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot also known as stone bruise. It often occurs in the metatarsal heads where the three middle toes meet the ball of the foot. It is a common problem which can affect the bones and joints of the metatarsals.
Causes of Metetarsalgia
There are small toe nerves between the metatarsal bones and when one metatarsal bone is pressed against another, a small nerve is caught between them and starts to become inflamed, thus causing metetarsalgia. As weight is put on the foot the condition could worsen. However, the pain can be brought by anything that puts stress on the ball of the foot.
Symptoms of Metetarsalgia
- A burning pain
- Sharp aching
- Pain in the ball of the foot, this is the metatarsal region, which is just behind the toes
- Pain that can occur near the toes
- Pain that increases when walking in bare feet, and even more so when walking on a hard surface
- Pain that worsens when standing or moving around but decreases when the weight is taken off the feet.
- Shooting pain in the toes
- Tingling sensation in the toes