Relief For That Pain In The Ball Of Your Foot

At the end of a long work day or a night out on the town, it feels great to kick off your shoes. Ah, relief! That is, unless you’ve been walking in heels or dancing in tight shoes; that’s when you feel the pain in the ball of your foot as it lands flat on the floor.

What you are experiencing is probably the result of strain put on the muscles, ligaments, and joints where the arch of your foot meets your toes. The technical term is metatarsalgia, simply meaning an inflammation of the joints and tissues at the ball of your foot. It’s usually caused by prolonged or repeated pressure due to sports, or dancing, or shoes that hold your foot in an unnatural pose. It’s all well and good for Barbie – but then, her feet are made of rubber, yours are flesh and bone.

Sometimes just getting out of your shoes will make it feel better. But when it doesn’t, you are going to need a strategy for relief.

Using R.I.C.E.

When the pain in the ball of your foot is caused by inflammation, it’s usually very effective to follow the tried and true R.I.C.E. plan of action, as you would for other muscle strains and sprains.

Rest: Taking the weight off your feet for a while and freeing them from offending shoes will sometimes work wonders.

Ice: Applying cold to inflamed tissue reduces the burning sensation and the spread of inflammation. Applying ice for 10 – 15 minutes will constrict the blood vessels temporarily, stopping the swelling. When the feet are then allowed to return to normal temperature, the blood flow will resume, moving the inflammatory agents out of the tissue and bringing relief.

Compression: While shoes that fit too tightly can cause foot pain, a properly fitting shoe that your foot doesn’t slide around in can help to relieve it; we are using the term ‘compression’ loosely here when it comes to treating pain in the ball of your foot. Compression in the more traditional form of a tensor bandage wrapped around the foot can also be helpful for some forms of foot pain as it reduces swelling and supports the strained tendons and ligaments.

Elevation: Sitting with your feet elevated will help to reduce swelling and improve circulation, which in turn will relieve mild foot pain.

Massage Can Help

Massaging tired feet can often bring instant relief from pain in the ball of your foot, but it can be awkward to do for yourself. A tennis ball works great for this purpose.

1. Sit comfortably in a chair with your feet on the floor.
2. Place a tennis ball under your foot. (You can buy spiky balls made just for this purpose, but you might want to try it first with whatever you have on hand to see if it’s right for you before spending the money.)
3. Roll the ball around under your foot until you feel a sensitive spot (pressure point).
4. Hold for 3 to 5 minutes. Don’t keep rolling the ball around, you need to rest on the pressure point for the specified time. This technique works for many types of foot pain, not just pain at the ball of your foot.

But when you just want to sit back and pamper yourself and your aching feet, you need a massage therapist you can trust. The highly trained professionals at Easy Cozy Wellness in Abbotsford, BC specialize in foot massage. Using acupressure points and techniques, they can bring relief to every inch of your tired feet. Call Easy Cozy Wellness today and see just how good your feet can feel.

For a broad overview of many different types of foot pain, read our new article, Finding Foot Pain Relief.

References

1. Mayo Clinic “Metatarsalgia”
2. Healthline “3 Massages for Pressure Points on Feet”

Attribution

Feature Image used under license from Freestock.com