Foot pain in the "ball of your foot", that area between your arch and the toes, is generally called metatarsalgia. The pain
usually centers on one or more of the five bones (metatarsals) in this midporton of the foot.
What causes this?
Sometimes,
the foot pain is causes by a callus that forms on the bottom of the foot. A callus is a build-up of skin that forms in
response to excessive pressure over the bone. Normally, a callus is not painful, but the build-up of skin increases the
pressure and eventually makes walking difficult.
What is the treatment of Metatarsalgia?
Most of the time, practical measures
can help ease foot pain
Your doctor may recommend that you use a shoe insert (orthotics) as a kind of shock
absorber or that you wear a different kind of shoe
Soaking your feet to soften calluses, then removing some
of the dead skin with a pumis stone of callus file will ease pressure
Occasionally, surgery may be necessary to remove
a bony prominence or correct a deformity
