Sports are a great way to get exercise and have fun. It’s no surprise though that sports and high impact activities take a toll on our bodies. Maybe you have experienced pain in the ball of your foot after running or landing incorrectly on your feet. That pain can often last and show up as a bruise on your foot commonly referred to as a stone bruise. Stone bruises are known more formally as Metatarsalgia, which is a painful condition affecting the balls of your feet, can be avoided.
You take a step, and you feel that pain in your feet, right behind your toes. Metatarsalgia can be caused in a number of ways. The metatarsals are the bones that connect your toes to your ankle. When your foot takes an impact, the end of one metatarsal bone can connect with another. This squishes the nerves and blood vessels between them and causes Metatarsalgia. That inflammation from the impact is then worsened by walking, each step goes to exaggerating the inflammation.
What causes this inflammation? There are, unsurprisingly, many factors that can lead to painful Metatarsalgia. The shoes you wear are a big factor. Incorrect support for your feet when you run or play high impact sports is a surefire way to experience Metatarsalgia. Another common cause has to do with your weight and age. The older you get, your foot pad weakens and can lead to pain. Your weight is all being supported by your feet, so the more weight they have to hold up, the more force they experience when you run or jump. Some factors are out of your control like the shape of your foot or your foots arch. Higher arches tend to be more at risk for Metatarsalgia due to the way they absorb impacts.
Well, you jogged a mile too far and now your foot is hurting. What can you do to ease the pain and take care of the Metatarsalgia you caused? Staying off your foot is paramount in resolving the problem. Your foot can’t heal when your constantly aggravating the inflammation and not letting it heal. Next is icing your foot, but not like a cake. Applying ice to the inflamed area can go a long way to reducing the pain and inflammation. If you are safe to do so, taking over the counter anti-inflammatory medicine like ibuprofen is also advised to reduce the pain and heal your aching foot. If the pain persists, call in and schedule an appointment with one of the doctors here at Pueblo Ankle and Foot Care. They will be better able to diagnose and treat your painful feet and resolve the problem. In severe or chronic cases, surgery may be an option.
