What Are the Causes of Metatarsalgia?

Metatarsalgia is a foot injury linked to overuse. The pain is felt in the ball of the foot where the metatarsal joints are located. Metatarsalgia can be caused by pinched nerves, disease, bone abnormalities or arthritis. In some cases, pain in the ball of the foot is a symptom of another medical problem.

Morton's Neuroma

• Morton's neuroma, also called Morton's metatarsalgia, affects the nerves that lie between the bones in the foot known as the metatarsal bones. The nerves, called plantar digital nerves, become thickened by noncancerous growth of the tissue, causing pain, burning and a feeling of stepping on something. Wearing shoes that don't fit or constrict the feet such as high heels can lead to this condition.

Overuse

• Runners and athletes typically suffer from metatarsalgia caused by participating in strenuous physical activity. Over time the stress to the metatarsal joints causes inflammation in the area resulting in pain when walking.

Hammertoes

• A hammertoe is a deformity of the bones in the three joints of the toe. The bottom joint and middle toe joints are bent downward while the top joint bends upward, causing the toe to look like a hammer. Conditions that can cause hammertoe include bunions, rheumatoid arthritis, shoes which do not fit properly or injury to one or more toes. This type of toe deformity can run in families. The cause of metatarsalgia with hammertoes is that fat tissue that has supplied some cushioning for the ball of the foot is pushed forward under the toes, leaving the ball uncushioned.

Sesamoiditis

• A cause of metatarsalgia is sesamoiditis, a condition characterized by pain occurring around the sesamoid bone, a small bone that sits below the metatarsal that joins to the big toe. Sesamoiditis is often caused by overuse or by a fracture in the bone. The surrounding tissues and ligaments become swollen. Dancers, people with high arches, joggers and women who wear high heels are most commonly affected by this condition.

Freiberg's Disease

• Injury to the bone can sometimes lead to tissue death in parts of the bones located in the metatarsals. This typically occurs in the toe next to the big toe called the second metatarsal head. People who are most affected by this condition are teenage girls who are growing fast and those people whose bone connected to the big toe is too short. Repeated stress to this area brings on the metatarsalgia.