Ball of the Foot Pain
Common Foot and Toe Ailments [Causes, Symptoms & Best Treatment]
The most common foot and toe ailments occur in the forefoot and the heel. The following list shows which are the most common and what to do about them!
Table of Contents
Ball of the Foot Pain Pictures & Photo Gallery:
Look:
- Metatarsalgia: which means generalized foot pain without a specific cause.
- Second toe capsulitis: this is the inflammation of the second toe joint capsule.
- Capsulitis is related to hammertoe formation, and can lead to a plantar plate tear. There is some overlap between these three disorders. As they get worse tearing and ligament damage can occur.
- Morton’s neuroma: this is the damage and inflammation to the nerves between and underneath the metatarsal joints.
- Fat pad atrophy of the ball of the foot: this is the loss of cushioning in the ball the foot.
- Plantar Plate Tear: A plantar plate tear is ripping of the ligaments holding the toe together.
So, click on the photo gallery to see the specific causes of your ball of the foot pain!
Click on the photo gallery to see the specific causes of your ball of the foot pain!
The Big Toe Ailments
This is the most famous of all big toe problems, it occurs when the big toe forms a large bump that can be both painful and “not pretty” during open toe shoe season.
This pain appears for one or two days and presents with extremely painful throbbing pain that is impossible to stand for a little while! This is officially the most common “arthritis” in the body, although it is very quickly and easily treated.
This is basically just a very stiff and painful big toe. It is still very straight, but it feels like it is jamming against the front of your shoe and has difficulty bending when you move your foot.
Ball of the Foot Ailments
This is basically just the inflammation of the toe joints at the base of your toe. It becomes painful to put any pressure on your toes or bend them at all.
This is a wastebasket term that basically means sore feet. If you are standing for a long time, wearing tight shoes or just moving around a good deal, this treatment guide will show you how to take care of that!
This feels like a pebble in your shoe. It shows sharp, shooting and numbness throughout the 3rd and 4th toes.
Back of the Foot Ailments
This is perhaps the most common cause of foot pain. This results from the ligaments across the bottom of your foot being stretched out and causing heel and arch pain. Follow the complete four stage treatment guide to get rid of this pain!
This is very similar to plantar fasciits, but over time when the plantar fascia pulls on the heel bone- it eventually develops a spur!
References for Common Foot and Toe Ailments:
Ball of the Foot Pain Treatment Infographic:
Ball of the Foot Home Treatment:
- Consider taping, orthotics, and great shoes as a combination to fix your foot problem.
- Products are not always necessary to fix your problem.
- The key is correcting the biomechanical problems that are leading to forefoot overload.
- Foot overload means too much pressure in the ball of the foot.
- Generally, something called ankle joint equinus can lead to too much pressure in the ball of your foot. This means your ankle is not flexible enough to move up and down.
- Ball of the foot pain treatment consists of two phases, first is control inflammation, next is to control bio-mechanics.
Remove Control Inflammation:
Massage & Ice Products:
- The metal ball is one of my personal favorites.
- This works great for your arch, less for the ball of the foot.
- These can help relax the arch or heel ligaments, leading to less pressure in the ball of the foot.
- Pills, creams, and ice will never completely fix your problem alone. What they will do is reduce the pressure on the area.






Menthol Based Gels:
- Biofreeze is one of our favorites.
- These gels have been studied to work 2x as long as ice.
- This works great for the ball of the foot.
- Consider using these as options when resting on the couch or going to sleep at night.








Massage Sticks:
- These can work great for loosening your muscles.
- This is means for your hamstring and calf muscles. This can loosen the ankle tightness, putting pressure on the ball of your foot.
- This allows less tightness and pressure on the ball of your foot.






Ball of the Foot Stress Relief.
- The key is to prevent future pain.
- If you can get rid of the pain and swelling, this will let you start walking normally.
- If you can walk normally, the vast majority of your pain should gradually start to go away.
- This means proper cushion, proper stability, and pressure relief from the front of your foot.
- This will relieve pressure from your big toe, your 2nd toe, your Morton’s neuroma, your plantar plate, hammertoes and joint capsules.
Best Metatarsalgia Shoes:
- Getting a great supportive pair of shoes will make sure that there is pressure removed from the ball of your foot.
- This is especially important if you have metatarsalgia, Morton’s neuroma, 2nd metatarsal overload syndrome, and capsulitis!
- Consider shoes combined with a good supportive orthotic for the best pain relief!
- The following link will show you what our favorites are.
Best Ball of the Foot Insoles:
- These are our recommended orthotics & insoles.
- There are different types of different shoes.
- Women’s shoes usually need a less bulky orthotic but allow for less correction.
- A full-length orthotic requires a running shoe, boot, or comfortable walking/dress shoe.
Best Full-Length Orthotics:
- Full-length orthotics are the most recommended type for the ball of the foot pain.
- Be aware that if they are too uncomfortable, it might be worth starting with a less corrective pair.
- Eventually, you can then work your way up to these.








Best Dress Shoe Orthotics:
- These are a stronger option for shoes with tight dress shoes.
- Just be aware that less corrective orthotics & tight shoes are usually not a good combination.

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

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
Best 3/4 Length Orthotics:
- These may be a good option for the ball of the foot if the full-length orthotics are too tight or too uncomfortable.
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Get A Great Dynamic Stretch:
- It is possible to stretch on your own, but these products can also really help!
- Personally, I have the stationary block set up in my kitchen to stretch every day multiple times while getting my coffee!
- This will take pressure off of the ball of your foot.








Ball of the Foot Pain