Can custom orthotics treat ball of foot pain?

Do you have pain in the ball of your foot? Have you tried gel insoles with little or no success? Orthotics known as customised insoles may be the solution for you. Read on to find out more.

There are a lot of reasons why you can have pain in the ball of your foot. Maybe you wore high heels for a wedding or did a longer walk/run than normal. The treatment for ball of foot pain varies, depending on the diagnosis and the cause of the pain. Below we discuss some of the main conditions that can cause pain in the balls of the feet, and how custom orthotics can help to treat these conditions.

Metatarsalgia

Metatarsalgia is where the bones in the ball of the foot become painful and inflamed. It can flare up if high heels are worn for an extended period time, or simply by walking barefoot on hard floors like tiles. Having very flat feet can also lead to metatarsalgia.

Metatarsalgia can be tender for a few days and may go away on its own. However, if it is long term, orthotics with a dome pad and cushioning in the ball of the foot may be prescribed to help with any pain and distribute pressure more evenly throughout the foot.

Morton’s Neuroma

Morton’s neuroma is a condition which can also flare up due to footwear. Footwear such as high heels or shoes with a thin, overly flexible sole put a lot of pressure on the ball of the foot. Narrow tapered shoes squeeze the bones in the ball of the foot together, which may cause Morton’s neuroma. A neuroma is a thickening of the tissue around a nerve. It occurs between the metatarsals (long bones) in the foot, specifically around third and fourth toes. It can cause tingling, numbness, burning sensations and a feeling of walking on a hot pebble.

An orthotic insole with a metatarsal dome (a tear drop shaped pad) placed behind the bones in the ball of the foot can disperse pressure more evenly and is very effective at treating Morton’s neuroma conservatively. Surgical excision is another treatment option, but most people prefer wearing orthotics, to avoid surgery.

Ball Of Foot Cushioning

As we get older, the fat pad in the ball of the foot gets thinner and wears away – this is called fat pad atrophy. Some people may even develop arthritis in the feet as they age.

Orthotics with extra padding across the ball of the foot can help put some meat back on the bones and provide cushioning. Orthotics are a better option than gel pads for the ball of the foot from a pharmacy as these can move around in the shoes. If these gel pads have adhesive, they can’t be transferred between footwear, which is easily done with an orthotic. Gel insoles absorb shock but are a uniform thickness from the heel to toe area. A customised orthotic has an arch elevation which is made by scanning, casting or taking an impression of the feet and therefore it is made solely for you – pardon the pun!

Bunions

Bunions are another reason why there may be ball of foot pain. A bunion is a bony prominence at the base of the big toe. A podiatrist can check the movement of this joint. Reduced movement is called hallux limitus, and an orthotic with a cut out or a hollow in the bunion area can try to encourage movement, to prevent it becoming stiff. Hallux rigidus is as the name suggests, a rigid big toe joint. A podiatrist can prescribe an orthotic with a carbon fibre plate for the big toe. If the big toe is painful to bend, then this addition stops the movement completely, providing pain relief.

High Arches

A pes cavus foot type otherwise known as “high arches” puts more pressure on the balls of the feet. An orthotic supports the feet as it fills up the space in the arches by meeting the contours of the foot, dispersing the pressure move evenly.

Corns & Calluses

Corns and calluses are another common reason for ball of foot pain. Callus is hard skin, while corns are small circular areas of hard skin that become deeper over time and form due to pressure points.

Corns and calluses can be very painful, depending on how deep they are and if they are left untreated. A podiatrist can remove callus and corns using a scalpel and can offload these areas using orthotics by using padding with a cut out at the location of the painful corn. This will help to take pressure off the area and aims to prevent the corns coming back.

What Can A Podiatrist Do For Me?

A podiatrist can do a foot assessment, take a detailed history, and assess footwear to form an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. As you can see from this article, there are several conditions that affect the ball of the foot, but these are just the most common. A podiatrist is trained to know the symptoms and perform a biomechanical assessment and provide effective treatment options. They can observe your gait (the way you walk) and prescribe custom orthotics to address the foot pain.

There isn’t an orthotic that fits all and every condition, as every person is individual; a customised pair of orthotics and a tailored treatment plan may be recommended to help solve your ball of foot pain. If it sounds like custom orthotics may help you, click here to book a consultation with a Spectrum Health podiatrist who can make the right recommendations for you.