Dr. Irina Tsyganova

Dr. Irina Tsyganova
Another Day at the Office

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Ball of Foot Pain


It seems to be this time of year that I see a lot of patients with complaints of pain to the ball of their feet. I’m not sure if it is the transition from summer sandals to boots, but I would like to take this blog to discuss different conditions and how they present themselves as ball of foot pain.

What are the Most Common things seen in the ball of the foot?

Metatarsalgia, which is a common term used to describe pain to the ball of the foot is all encompassing of many different conditions causing pain to the ball of the foot. Morton’s neuroma, stress fractures, capsulitis and plantar plate ruptures are just a few examples of things that can cause ball of foot pain.

Morton’s Neuroma
Morton’s neuromas is an enlarged nerve that tends to find itself between the 3rd and 4th metatarsal bone. It causes nerve pain, such as burning, tingling and possibly numbness to the ball of the foot. Most of the times it is more severe with tight shoes. Treatment including wider shoes, padding, injections and possibly surgery. It can be diagnosed with an ultrasound and/or MRI and of course with clinical exam.

Stress Fractures

Stress fractures are tiny microscopic fractures in the bone that over time present itself with pain to the metatarsal area. The 2nd metatarsal is the most common bone that develops stress fractures, and that has to do with the biomechanics of the foot. It may be hard to diagnose because a fracture isn’t always visible in a plain x-ray until at least 10-14 days after the onset of symptoms. Many times patients are treated for a stress fracture until a future x-ray can proof otherwise. Treatment includes immobilization is a walking boot or cast.

Capsulitis/Plantar Plate Rupture

Capsulitis is defined as inflammation in the joints between the metatarsal bones and the toes. There are many causes of capsulitis, including faulty biomechanics, overuse, and injury just to name a few. Many times a plantar plate rupture, which is a rupture of the ligaments on the bottom of the joint, are what causes the pain. Usually when a patient presents with this it is a condition, it has been going on for a while and they are in a lot of pain. This condition may take a while to treat, since most of the time it takes a while to present itself. Usually orthotics, padding in the shoes, anti-inflammatory medication, injections and possibly surgery can fix this condition.
In conclusion, there are many conditions that can cause pain in the ball of the foot. It is important to get a proper diagnosis before beginning treatment. If you wait to see help it may take that much longer to get treated and be healed.

For more information, please visit our website at http://www.footnj.com/nj-podiatrist-our-services