What’s this pain in the ball of my foot?

Symptoms:

You’ve noticed increasing pain in the ball of one of your feet when you walk. It’s worse in one particular spot. You’ve noticed an aching sensation in the ball of your foot that’s worse when you walk a lot (and if you wear high heels). The area is tender to the touch.

Pain in the ball of your foot that feels as though you’re standing on a pebble. The pain is worse when you’re walking and at night in bed when your foot gets hot. Occasionally you feel tingling, burning and shooting pains.

It could be:

A corn or a callus (they’re the same thing) – hard spots of dead skin caused by rubbing and pressure. Metatarsalgia, where the bones in your feet are injured, inflamed or abnormal, causing an imbalance in the way your foot bears weight and moves during walking.

Morton’s neuroma which, simply put, is a swollen area in one of the nerves at the base of your toes, most commonly between the third and fourth toes.

Stop it:

Examine your shoes. Make sure the inner sole is smooth and not uneven. See a chiropodist to have the callus or corn pared down. Take NSAIDS for the pain. See your doctor and have an X-ray to exclude a bone abnormality or a high arch and flat feet. Referral to a rheumatologist may be necessary.

The neuroma can be totally removed, so first see your doctor then get a referral to a neurologist who can assess and treat it.