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Metatarsalgia The Pain In The Forefoot Bones

By Allan Tan

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 23Feb2008
Word count: 430
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It is unlikely that you realize how big a deal the ball of your foot really is. It is a major player in most of physical activities that we undergo daily. Running, walking, leaping and even sitting down involves the balls of your feet. But when pain starts to be felt everytime you put pressure on your feet, if there is a great deal of stress felt when you land from a leap or a continuous strain when you run, you might have to think about whether or not you have metatarsalgia.

Metatarsalgia simply means "achy metatarsal" and the condition is simply a sore bone or bones in the forefoot. Pain and inflammation in the balls of your feet are the usual symptoms of metatarsalgia. This condition is frequent among athletes and those who do high-contact sports. Activities like basketball, gymnastics and many other sports put high pressure on the feet and, without proper care and rest, inflammation and pain may occur leading to the said disorder. Excessive running and jumping can stress the metatarsal, which is the name for the long bones found in the front part of your feet just a little bit below your toes.

Although metatarsalgia is not highly risky and has little or no long-term drastic effect, it can definitely hamper you. If you are in a physical career and your mobility and use of your feet are vital to your work, metatarsalgia may pose a major problem. This disorder is highlighted by sharp pain that continuously gets worse after prolonged periods of activity. This is followed by numbness or tingling in the toes that eventually worsens even when you rest and relax your feet.

The immediate remedy for this disorder is rest. Prevent pressure from being applied to your feet. Soaking the feet in ice and cold water may help soothe the pressure and eventually dampen the pain. Wearing proper footwear and shock-absorbent shoes also helps prevent the progression of metatarsalgia. Since this is more a strain than a disease, metatarsalgia is very simple to avoid and treat. More often than not, this disorder is simply a byproduct of bad maintenance and improper foot care.

Learn to be responsible in taking care of your feet. Like a well-oiled and maintained care, your feet can go a long way without any further complications. Exercise and a balanced diet are important to athletes and to you as well, but take time to consider the little things like the balls of your feet, and take that much deserved vacation to relax when needed.

Allan Tan is the creator of Foot-Care.org. He provides more helpful information on bunions, metatarsalgia, foot orthotics, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis and ankle sprains that you can read up in the comfort of your home on his website. He and his partner setup this informative site to help people understand more about their foot health and problems.

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