Two Reasons for Ball of Foot Pain

“Why do I have this pain in the ball of my foot?” This is a question that we hear frequently from our Manhattan patients at Goldsmith Podiatry. If you’re someone who is wondering this very thing, than it’s a good idea to make an appointment at our Upper West Side office by calling 212-877-1002 so that one of our podiatrists, Dr. Howard Goldsmith, Dr. Rosanna Troia or Dr. Kristina Ruff, can take a look. Below are two of the more common sources of this type of podiatric discomfort.

Morton’s Neuroma—patients with this condition say at first it feels like their sock is bunched up under their foot and eventually the feeling turns into a burning sensation. You may also experience pain or numbness in the ball of your foot.

A neuroma is an enlargement of the nerve that occurs when there is irritation or compression of the nerve. Some causes of this include:

  • Wearing shoes that have a narrow toe box that squeezes the front of the foot or wearing high heels that put pressure on the ball of the foot by forcing the foot forward.

  • A biomechanical defect that leads to a deformity such as a bunion, hammertoe, or flat feet

  • Trauma or injury to the foot

  • Activities that involve repetitive pounding and pressure on the forefoot such as running and court sports

Sesamoiditis—the tendons in the ball of your foot right at the base of the big contain two small bones known as sesamoids. Ongoing stress on these tiny bones can cause them to become inflamed and cause symptoms such as:

  • Pain

  • Swelling

  • Redness

  • Difficulty bending the big toe or bearing weight on the foot.

Similarly, to neuromas, sesamoids become inflamed from activities that put pressure on the forefoot and from poor footwear choices. This condition is also more common in patients that suffer with gout and those that overpronate (roll their foot inward) when they walk.

Diagnosis and treatment for ball of foot pain will usually consist of an examination of your foot and the specific area where you are experiencing painful symptoms. The podiatrist may also order an x-ray or other imaging study to get a clearer picture of what’s going on internally. There are several conservative treatments that range from anti-inflammatory medication and padding to custom orthotics and physical therapy to treat ball of foot conditions. Don’t suffer needlessly. If you have pain in the ball of your foot, contact us today.

Blog, Ball of Foot, Foot PainGoldsmith Podiatry