Metatarsaliga

Metatarsalgia is irritation of the head(s) of the long bones in your foot (metatarsal bones) that make up the ball of your foot. Symptoms include a sharp, aching or burning pain in the ball of your foot. Your toes may feel numbness or tingling. Often the feeling is like having a pebble in your shoe.

Symptoms can develop suddenly, especially with high-impact activity, but the underlying condition usually develops over time. It is caused by excessive loading on the ball of your foot. Certain foot shapes increase the risk of developing metatarsalgia. People with a high foot arch tend to put extra pressure on their metatarsals. Having a second toe longer than the big toe places more weight on the second metatarsal head. Foot deformities such as hammer toe can result in metatarsalgia.

Metatasalagia may precede metatarsal stress fractures and Morton’s neuroma.