What is Metatarsal Foot Pain ?

It is unlikely that you realize how big a deal the ball of your foot really is. It is a major player in most of physical activities that we undergo daily. Running, walking, leaping and even sitting down involves the balls of your feet. But when pain starts to be felt every time you put pressure on your feet, if there is a great deal of stress felt when you land from a leap or a continuous strain when you run, you might have to think about whether or not you have metatarsalgia.

Metatarsalgia simply means "achy metatarsal" and the condition is simply a sore bone or bones in the forefoot. Pain and inflammation in the balls of your feet are the usual symptoms of metatarsalgia. This condition is frequent among athletes and those who do high-contact sports. Sports activities like tennis, soccer and gymnastics for instance put lots of pressure onto the ball of your foot, and gradually without constant care and rest, inflammation may sets in, leading to metatarsal pain. Excessive running and jumping can stress the metatarsal, which is the name for the long bones found in the front part of your feet just a little bit below your toes.

Even though metatarsal foot pain is not particularly critical and has any life-long harmful effect, it can certainly weaken your ability. If you are in a physical career and your mobility and use of your feet are vital to your work, metatarsalgia may pose a major problem. Metatarsalgia is often highlighted by tremendous pain that are persistent and worsen after long period of physical activities. This is followed by numbness or tingling in the toes that eventually worsens even when you rest and relax your feet.

The immediate remedy for this disorder is rest. Prevent pressure from being applied to your feet. Soaking your feet in ice cold water probably will help reduce the pain and revitalize your feet. Hence wearing proper shoes and impact absorbing footwear will greatly help stop metatarsalgia from happening. Since this is more a strain than a disease, metatarsalgia is very simple to avoid and treat. More often than not, this disorder is simply a byproduct of bad maintenance and improper foot care. We need to learn to be more pro-active in looking after our own feet. Like a well-oiled and maintained care, your feet can go a long way without any further complications. Exercise and a balanced diet are important to athletes and to you as well, but take time to consider the little things like the balls of your feet, and take that much deserved vacation to relax when needed.