Metatarsal Joint Pain

The metatarsals are long bones that extend across the middle of the foot and connect to the toes at joints located in the ball of the foot. The metatarsals and ball of the foot may experience pain if the bones and joints are subjected to too much stress from walking, running or other weight-bearing activities.

    Metatarsalgia

    • Metatarsalgia is a term which encompasses all types of pain in the ball of the foot. While you are walking, running or jumping, the body weight stresses the metatarsals as the foot pushes off with the toes. Metatarsalgia usually develops as a result of repetitive stress placed upon the feet through pushing off the ground with excessive force or coming down too hard on the ball of the foot. Metatarsalgia may be exacerbated by certain risk factors such as high arched feet or wearing ill-fitting shoes. People with high levels of physical activity, such as runners, are more likely to develop pain in the ball of the foot.

    Turf Toe

    • Turf toe is a common foot injury where the big toe is bent upward toward the shin, causing the ligaments on the underside of the foot to stretch and possibly tear. This can result in severe pain around the bottom of the big toe joint, where the first metatarsal meets the toe. Turf toe is sometimes written off as a mild injury but it can be just as debilitating as an ankle sprain. Turf toe is common in sports where athletes change direction often and tends to occur more frequently on harder surfaces, like artificial turf, than on grass.

    Sesamoiditis

    • Sesamoiditis is an inflammation of the tissue around the sesamoid bones near the head of the first metatarsal, which can cause pain in the ball of the foot underneath the big toe. The location of pain involved with sesamoiditis is similar to turf toe; the main distinction is that turf toe typically is caused by an acute incident of trauma followed by severe pain, while sesamoiditis pain usually onsets gradually hours or even a day or two after a repetitive stress is placed upon the foot.

    Risk Factors

    • There are a few key risk factors which increase the changes of experience pain around the metatarsal joints. One risk factor is body weight; the more one weights, the more stress is placed upon the feet while walking, which can result in over-stressing the metatarsals even if activity levels are not especially high. Another risk factor is having problems in other parts of the feet or legs. If you have knee pain, for instance, you might alter the way you walk to alleviate the pain which can increase the stress on different parts of the feet. A final risk factor is wearing footwear that doesn't properly support the feet or wearing shoes meant for a different foot type.

    Treatment

    • Treatment for pain around the metatarsal joints will depend on the exact cause of pain, but generally the feet should be rested and activity levels should be reduced until pain subsides. Finding properly fitting footwear or replacing worn-out shoes can help eliminate foot pain, as can using cushioning shoe inserts and orthotics. Lowering body weight through aerobic activity and healthy eating can also help eliminate foot pain, since it will reduce the amount of stress placed on the feet.