Ball of Foot Pain
Pain in the ball of your foot deserves a visit to Oregon Institute of Foot Care. Ball of foot pain can interfere with your ability to do the activities you love, making simple tasks such as standing or walking uncomfortable or impossible.
At Oregon Institute of Foot Care, Dr. Manson can evaluate your ball of foot pain and give you relief! You don’t need to live with your ball of foot pain; in most cases, ball of foot pain can be treated with conservative treatments.
A visit to Oregon Institute of Foot Care can help you resolve your ball of foot pain before it becomes chronic and debilitating.
Causes and Treatments of Ball of Foot Pain
Neuroma
A neuroma, also called a Morton’s Neuroma is one of the leading causes of ball of foot pain. It is an enlargement of a nerve as it passes between two bones in the ball of your foot. When the nerve is enlarged, it gets pinched between the bones and can cause pain, tingling, numbness as well as many other sensations. Many people say it feels like they are walking on a rock or marble, others say it feels swollen. Physical exam, X-rays and diagnostic ultrasound are often used to diagnose a neuroma. Conservative treatment involves specific padding in shoes, steroid injections, and custom orthotics. Rarely, surgical removal of the neuroma is required.
Metatarsalgia
Metatarsalgia is a general term for ball of foot pain and is often used interchangeably.
Capsulitis
Capsulitis or inflammation of the joint capsule at the toe joints can be a common cause of ball of foot pain. Conservative treatment involves specific padding in shoes, rest, immobilization, steroid injections, and custom orthotics.
Calluses
Calluses are very common causes of ball of foot pain. They occur at areas of pressure on the bottom of your feet. They can be caused by a lack of fat pad, hammertoes, long or short metatarsal bones, or metatarsal bones that are angled too far towards the ground. Dr. Manson can usually relieve your pain immediately with a quick and painless shave of the callus, however, if the cause of the callus is not addressed, it will likely return. If you don’t want to come in every couple months to have the callus shaved down, it is worth treating the cause of the callus. Treating the cause of the callus involves a thorough physical exam and often X-rays. Once the cause is determined, Dr. Manson will develop a treatment plan to reduce the pressure that is causing the callus so it will go away. This may involve custom orthotics to take pressure off of a specific area, correcting a hammertoe, or Leneva® for corns and calluses.
Sesamoiditis
Sesamoiditis is another cause of ball of foot pain and usually occurs under the big toe joint. Special X-ray views are taken to visualize the sesamoid bones. Conservative treatment will usually heal sesamoiditis and involves rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medications, reducing pressure to the area with special padding and shoes, and sometimes steroid injections.
Related Procedures
Hallux Rigidus Surgery
Toes and Nails
Plantar Fasciitis Surgery
Heel Pain
About
At Oregon Institute of Foot Care, we care about healthy, happy, beautiful feet. We strive to provide personalized foot care and achieve the outcomes, both functionally and cosmetically, that our patients desire. What sets OIFC apart is our dedication to providing the highest quality care available, utilizing the latest medical techniques and technologies, educating patients to make well-informed health care decisions, and restoring foot and ankle function as quickly and beautifully as possible. Our mission is to give you healthy, happy, beautiful feet.
About
