Treatment/Prevention

The first step in treating metatarsalgia is to determine the cause of the pain. If improperly fitting footwear is the cause of the pain, the footwear must be changed. Footwear with a high, wide toe area and a rocker sole is ideal for treating metatarsalgia. The high, wide toe area allows the foot to spread out while the rocker reduces stress on the ball-of-the-foot.

There are a number of footcare products or orthotics which are designed to relieve the pain, such as metatarsal pads. These are made to be placed under the ball-of-the-foot to relieve pressure and re-distribute weight from the painful area.

So in summary the cause of metatarsalgia can be minimized by:

• Not being overweight.
• Wearing correct and properly fitting shoes.
• Not allowing the ankle to become stiff, especially after a strain or other injury.
• Obtaining treatment for other conditions such as gout, diabetes or arthritis.

However, many causes of metatarsalgia just happen and cannot be prevented.