Mostly women suffer from ball of foot pain.

What is ball of foot pain called by doctors and other professionals?

Metatarsalgia, big word for ball of foot pain, is the technical name for any kind of pain that occurs in the metatarsal region of the feet, which includes the ball-of-the-foot. It is accompanied by inflammation or swelling, although it is sometimes difficult to see the swelling in that area. You may notice warmth or redness, if an injury has occurred.

What is ball of foot pain called in some “acute” cases?

When metatarsalgia is caused by an acute or identifiable injury, it is sometimes referred to as a stone bruise. If you think back to when you are a child and you ran around barefoot, you may have actually stepped down hard on a rock or stone. You limped around for a little bit, but basically, you were okay. As we get older, it may take a little longer to heal, but the causes are similar.

What is ball of foot pain caused by?

As mentioned above, landing hard on a rock can cause a bruise in the area, but landing hard on any surface, while wearing poorly equipped shoes is the most common cause among amateur athletes and very active people.

Wearing high heeled shoes for excessive periods of time is a common cause among non-athletic types, although regular runners could be wearing heels, too. So, both activities can contribute to a kind of chronic pain in the area.

People with high arches tend to have chronic pain in the area, as well. A high arch puts extra pressure on the metatarsals, which are the five large bones and their joints that make up the toes and connect them to the back of the foot.

Many people have a second toe that is longer than the “big” or first toe. This causes additional weight and stress to be shifted from the toes to the metatarsals, which can cause inflammation. Properly fitting shoes are important for this situation, as well.

A deformity known as hammertoe can cause aching of the metatarsal area, as the heads are constantly depressed when the toe turns inward and down. A bunion will also put extra stress on the area and weaken the big toe, which adds further stress.

What is ball of foot pain treated with?

Rest and ice are the treatments of choice when there has been an injury. Wearing appropriate shoes that fit properly is a long-term solution that can help prevent further injury.

And also,

Give your body help and defeat Ball of Foot Pain with regular exercise.

Fitness training for a boomer is not the same as fitness training for a younger person. In 2003, the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey reported that the second reason next to the common cold for visits to the doctor by baby boomer was due to sports related injuries. In fact, medical professionals often address it as “Boomeritis”, a term coined by Nicholas DiNubile, an orthopedic surgeon and author of “Framework: Your 7-Step Program for Healthy Muscles, Bones and Joints”.

The maxim, “Fail to plan, plan to fail”, rings loud and clear for boomers fitness programs. Most fitness programs are planned with weight loss in mind and are usually designed around a time-frame. You’ve seen the ads, “Lose 12 Pounds in 3 Weeks!”, “Get a Six Pack in 16 Weeks”, and the like. These programs are fine for a person in their 20s, 30s and even for those in their early 40s. But friend, for you, as boomer, like I am, these programs don’t work! Why? Because of mileage!

That’s right! Wear and Tear! This is inescapable! Add to this the fact that our hormones are not what they were during our younger days. Our metabolism is not as high as it used to be and our muscle mass has decreased. And the sooner we accept it and plan our fitness protocol and nutritional program around it, the sooner we’ll accomplish our goal to arrive to an excellent level of fitness congruent to our age and genetic potential!

Boomers need a well thought out fitness program that focuses on overall general fitness, with weight loss as a side effect or byproduct of proper training, and not as the primary goal. Unfortunately, the media’s emphasis on aesthetics, the fad diets, and the misplaced focus on weight loss, distracts from the real purpose of exercise, and has created a sense of urgency that drives boomers into “killer workouts” programs which, as most boomers will tell you, ends in injury and often with irreversible consequences.

If done right, you will suffer less and less from Ball of Foot Pain.

Good Luck!