What Is Metatarsalgia?
Metatarsalgia is a condition affecting the foot, especially the ball part. It can be very painful, but still, it is common and can be treated. If you are a person who actively participates in sports activities especially jogging, running, and jumping, you may be affected by metatarsalgia. It can exist as a separate disease by itself or can co-exist with a syndrome.
What Are the Causes?
A single factor can lead to metatarsalgia, or it can be multifactorial too. The causes are:
1. Excessive Physical Activity: Athletes and marathon runners are highly prone to excessive physical activity. They might experience many muscle twitches. Runners are at risk of metatarsalgia because they tend to use the front portion of the foot more. The front of the foot absorbs a significant amount of force when a person is running. But everyone who participates in a high-impact activity is at risk. This gets worse, especially if your footwear fitting is poor or worn out.
2. The Shape of the Foot: High arched foot can put additional pressure on the metatarsals. So, having a second toe that is lengthier than the big toe causes more weight load than normal. This causes a high impact of force to be shifted to the second metatarsal head.
3. Foot Deformities: You should be very careful in choosing your footwear. Inappropriate size might cause all the ill effects. Wearing too-small shoes and high heels can cause your foot to lose its balance and shape.
4. Hammertoe: A downward curling of the toe is known as hammertoe. It may be painful.
5. Bunions: When some of the bones move out of their place, causing a bump, it is known as a bunion. This is most commonly seen in the big toe. It can occur in both males and females. Sometimes, conditions like rheumatoid arthritis can cause bunions. There might be bone deformity and stiffness.
6. Obesity: When a person is obese, most of your body weight is transferred to the forefoot. When you move from one place to another, extra pounds might add more pressure to your metatarsals. Losing weight might greatly reduce or eliminate symptoms.
7. Poorly Fitting Shoes: When you wear high heels, it will transfer extra weight to the front portion of your foot. This is the common cause of metatarsalgia in women. Shoes with improper and narrow toe boxes or athletic shoes might lack support to the foot.
8. Padding: The padding of toes is done for the prevention of corn and others. It can also contribute to this problem.
9. Stress Fractures: Any small breaks in the metatarsals or toe bones can be painful and change the way you put weight on your foot.
10. Morton's Neuroma: It is a noncancerous growth. It consists of fibrous tissue surrounding a nerve. It usually occurs between the third and fourth metatarsal heads of the foot. It causes symptoms that are very similar to metatarsalgia. It can contribute to metatarsal stress and thereby causing metatarsalgia.
What Are the Risk Factors?
The high-risk factors are:
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Participation in high-impact sports activities that involve running and jumping.
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Wearing high heels, shoes that do not fit properly, or shoes with spikes.
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People who are having high BMI and obesity.
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Have other foot-related problems, including hammertoe and calluses on the bottom of your feet
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Have any inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and gout.
If left untreated, metatarsalgia might lead to pain in some other parts of the same foot or opposite foot and ache in other parts of the body. This might include such as low back pain and hip pain. There will be alterations in the body’s gait due to foot pain.
What Is the Diagnosis?
Diagnosis is achieved by clinical examination of the toes. Your doctor will examine the toes and will identify the location of the problem. Your doctor will advise you for an x-ray so that any fractures due to stress can be identified. X-rays serve as an excellent tool for diagnosing metatarsalgia.
What Are the Treatment Options?
Conservative Method: Once you start developing mild symptoms, you might need to follow conservative methods. This might involve resting, changing the shoes that you are currently using. Changing the metatarsal pad might be necessary. When conservative measures do not relieve the pain, it might signify that your metatarsalgia is complicated by other foot conditions such as hammertoe. In such cases, surgical options might be necessary to realign the metatarsal.
Home Remedies: To help ease your metatarsalgia pain, try these tips at home:
Rest: Protect your foot from any other injury. This should not be stressing your foot. Keep the foot in an elevated position for some time after standing or walking. You might need to avoid your favorite sport for a short duration of time. This might provide time for you to stay fit by performing low-impact exercises. This might include swimming and cycling.
Apply Ice to the Affected Area: Applying ice packs to the affected area for a minimum of about twenty minutes should be given. Perform mild circular motions while applying. This should be done many times a day. If your skin feels too cold, it might be necessary to protect your skin. Wrap the ice packs using stress.
Take an Over-The-Counter Pain Reliever: Try Ibuprofen, Naproxen sodium, and Aspirin to reduce pain and inflammation. Wear proper and ideal shoes. Avoid too-tight and too-loose shoes. Do not wear high heels. Wear shoes that are appropriate for the play. Use metatarsal pads for protection. These off-the-shelf pads are placed in your shoes just ahead of the metatarsal bone. It helps to deflect stress away from the painful area. Consider your arch supports. If insoles do not help, your doctor might recommend arch supports that can minimize stress on the metatarsal bones and joints and improve foot function. The arch supports can be purchased over-the-counter. They can also be custom-fitted.
