My exercise of choice for decades has been long-distance walking and hiking, as my joints always acted up if I lapsed into jogging the same distances. By “long-distance” I mean 5-7 miles a day at a fast pace, usually with walking poles, on pavement. If hiking, I wear a loaded day-pack and mostly choose unimproved trails. So my question is, now that I appear to have a chronic pain in the ball of my left foot (the right one is still pain-free) that my doc called “metatarsalgia” from overuse, why in just one foot? He just shrugged and said follow the RICE approach and take pain meds.
Ball-of-foot pain or forefoot pain is a foot disorder generally associated with a painful condition in the ball-of-foot or metatarsal region, which results from several biomechanical factors or other diseases. This general foot pain may be treated as a symptom of metatarsalgia or sometimes may be equated with that condition. But metatarsalgia is a condition that involves decreased density of bones due to age, and gradual loss of the protective pad of fat covering the metatarsal heads probably due to abnormal gait arising from uneven distribution of weight on the forefoot. Metatarsal bones bear the whole weight of the body or during its motion.
But we did not stop there. Pain in balls of foot is usually caused by a too-narrow toebox. KURU offers a wide toe box to allow your toes to splay out naturally with every step so you have less pressure on your metataral region, which means less pain. Without pain in balls of feet, you can do more and go longer while enjoying your regular active lifestyle. KURU shoes can help you live a better quality of life, and reach a new level of happiness. Are your hamstrings weak or tight? Take note of the muscle stability around the hip joint and address any apparent weak point and/or tightness.
Nearly 2,000 U.S. troops have lost a leg, arm, foot or hand in Iraq or Afghanistan, and their sacrifices have led to advances in the immediate and long-term care of survivors, as well as in the quality of prosthetics that are now so good that surgeons often choose them over trying to save a badly mangled leg. Tourniquets, shunned during the Vietnam War, made a comeback in Iraq as medical personnel learned to use them properly and studies proved that they saved lives. In Boston, as on the battlefield, they did just that by preventing people from bleeding to death.
The right shoes, as well as shock absorbing insoles can provide nearly instant ball of foot pain relief. Shock-absorbing insoles are available for order online and in many stores. They are composes of cork, rubber or plastic. The most comfortable are made of a gelatin-like plastic that conforms to the foot Metatarsal pads are also available from some of the better footwear supply websites. The extra padding is placed in the shoes, just ahead of the metatarsal bone, which is the area right behind and between the first and second toes. That should be where the majority of your pain is located.
Plantar fasciitis is characterized by severe pain in the heel of the foot, especially when standing up after resting. The condition is due to an overuse injury of the sole surface (plantar) of the foot and results in inflammation of the fascia, a tough, fibrous band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the base of the toes. Plantar fasciitis is more common in women, people who are overweight, people with occupations that require a lot of walking or standing on hard surfaces, people with flat feet, and people with high arches. Walking or running, especially with tight calf muscles, may also cause the condition.
When people complain or suffer from pain of the ball of the foot, they are most likely suffering from a condition known as Metatarsalgia. Any pain in the region just under the toes to the arch area is known as ball of foot pain. It is a very common condition affecting millions of people. There are many products available in drugstores claiming to ease foot pain and if you choose the wrong approach you may risk further injury. There is no substitute for a true custom foot orthotic or arch support and your podiatrist can prescribe or recommend how you might benefit from orthoses.
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