Symptoms of Metatarsalgia

Metatarsalgia is an inflammatory condition that affects the ball of the foot. Repetitive stress is one of the main reasons for the development of this marked inflammation, but you may also experience a swelling within the metatarsal joints due to weight, heredity, growth or even poorly fitted shoes. When metatarsalgia develops, you'll more than likely suffer from some telltale symptoms, most of which involve some level of pain or discomfort within this small area.

Pain

• Of all the symptoms, pain is the most common. For most people, pain is felt running along the ball of the foot. And depending on the severity of the inflammation, it can range in intensity form a dull, subtle ache to a sharp, burning pain. While this symptom can come and go, it's often made worse after prolonged periods of standing, walking or running. However, as with most symptoms of pain due to inflammation, it usually subsides after rest.

Neighboring Pain

• While many people with metatarsalgia suffer from pain in the ball of the foot, it's also quite common to experience neighboring pain. When this symptom is present, you may experience some level of discomfort in or along the toes of your foot. This is usually a sharper, more jabbing type of ache than what is felt in the ball of the foot. But just like other forms of pain, it can also become much more pronounced after periods of physical exertion.

Numbness

• It's also quite possible to experience some level of numbness. This lack of sensation is typically isolated to your toes, but you may discover it diffusing out into the ball of the affected foot. And depending on the severity of inflammation, this numbness can be subtle to severe. Yet for some people, there is actually an absence of pain, finding instead a tingling or prickling sensation within the toes.

Discomfort

• Sometimes, the pain and/or numbness of metatarsalgia is accompanied by a sense of discomfort along the underside of the foot. This symptom is often described as the "feeling that a pebble has somehow become lodged in the shoe" or that you're walking on something that isn't there. But much like the other symptoms of the condition, this discomfort usually lessens after periods of rest.

Immobility

• Though not as common as the other symptoms, some people will suffer from some level of immobility within the foot. As the inflammation worsens, you can begin to experience a limited range of motion within the toes and ball of the foot, making it difficult to walk, run or even stand, especially for long periods of time.