Acute ball-of-foot pain symptoms can indicate the presence of Metatarsalgia, a medical condition which involves inflammation to the nerves attached to the metatarsal bones. Metatarsalgia is a common occurrence among runners, basketball players, tennis players, and other athletes involved in high-impact sports. It is also frequent among women who wear high-heel shoes for long periods at a time.

Common Symptoms of Metatarsalgia
People afflicted by ball of foot pain often feel intense pain in one or both of the balls of their feet, the area right behind the toes The footache can be acute, burning, or dull, and is most often felt near the big toe, though it can also occur under the middle toes. These are the most common symptoms accompanying metatarsalgia pain:

• The pain gets worse when flexing the feet.
• The ache gets worse when you run, walk, or stand, and gets better after resting.
• The pain intensifies when walking barefoot, especially on hard surfaces.
• Lack of sensation or tingling of the toes
• Sharp pain in the toes
• You feel like you’re walking on rocks

Metatarsalgia: Typical Causes
When we run or jump, the metatarsal bones absorb the full impact of the equivalent of several times our body weight. Among the frequent causes of metatarsalgia pain are extreme sports training, irregular foot anatomy, excess weight, improper footwear, and everyday wear of high-heel shoes.

Likely Complications
If the symptoms of metatarsalgia pain are not treated in a timely manner, this condition has the potential to deteriorate to more severe ailments such as loss of range of motion, injury to foot ligaments, toe problems, and chronic stiffness. In extreme cases, necrosis can develop and collapse the entire bone structure.

Metatarsal Foot Pain Treatment Approach
Treating metatarsalgia pain normally does not require extreme measures. The most recommended treatments for metatarsalgia pain are:

Get rest - Avoid stressing your feet by getting some rest. In short time you may get involved in low-impact activities such as swimming, rowing, or cycling.

Apply Ice - Use ice packs on the area of pain for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, several times a day.

Wear properly-fitting shoes - Shoes need to fit properly and be of the suitable for the type of activity that you plan to get involved in.

Wear arch support inserts - The use of suitable orthotic shoe insoles can provide the needed sustainment to reduce stress on the metatarsals.

The use of arch support inserts is a vital component of of most treatments for metatarsalgia pain. The use of metatarsal pads can also help to relieve the stress around the metatarsal area.

In most cases involving metatarsalgia pain do not require medical care. It is not uncommon for our feet to be sore after a long day of standing or playing sports. Consult a physician if the pain or burning sensation if the metatarsalgia pain does not improve after altering your activities and wearing arch support inserts.

Having metatarsal foot pain can be an unpleasant experience, but by taking the proper care of your feet with the treatment options recommended above you can return to your normal activities in a short amount of time.