Pain near ball of foot and arch

Table of Contents Show

Pain in my arch
Common causes of arch pain
Plantar fasciitis
Abnormal pronation
Getting relief for arch pain
Painful Problems
Flat Feet (Overpronation)
Metatarsalgia
Plantar Fibromas
Sesamoiditis
Can Plantar fasciitis cause pain in ball of foot?
How do you relieve pain in the ball of your foot?
How do you fix metatarsalgia?
What are the signs symptoms of a metatarsal arch strain?

The components in your foot, which include muscles, bones, joints, and connective tissue, give it the flexibility you need to walk, run, and jump. Your arch runs along the bottom of your foot from your heel to the ball of your foot and helps bear some of the weight of your body. It also acts as a shock absorber for every step you take.

Whether it’s due to an injury or a structural problem within your foot, arch pain is common and can make walking, running, jumping, and many other activities that require fancy footwork unpleasant. At Washington Foot & Ankle Sports Medicine, we want you to know what may be causing your arch pain so you can take the necessary steps to get relief from your discomfort.

Pain in my arch

High-impact activities and overuse are common causes of arch pain, which is why runners and athletes are at risk. However, aging and weight gain can also affect the mechanics of your foot, resulting in pain.

The type of pain you experience may depend on the underlying cause and may be felt in the heel or ball of your foot. Your arch pain may also travel to the top of your foot or your ankle, as well as your knees, hips, and back.

Common causes of arch pain

Any injury or alteration in the structure of your foot can lead to arch pain. Some of the most common causes include:

Plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the plantar fascia, causes a stinging pain in the arch or heel of your foot that’s usually worse when you first wake up in the morning or after sitting for a long period of time. Your plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs from the back of your heel to the ball of your foot. Too much stress on the tissue, often caused by running, leads to inflammation and swelling of the tissue that causes arch pain.

Flat feet

If the arch of your foot touches against the floor when you’re standing up, then it’s possible that you have flat feet. This condition can occur in childhood if your arch never fully developed. However, it’s also possible for your arches to fall as an adult due to injury, overuse, or excess body weight.

Flat feet don’t always cause pain, but you can experience aching in the heel or ball of your feet, especially after activity.

Abnormal pronation

Pronation refers to the natural movement of your foot as you walk or run. Normally, when you take a step your foot rolls slightly inward, which improves shock absorption, as well as proper alignment of your ankles and knees. If your foot rolls inward too far (overpronation) or outward (underpronation) when you walk, it throws off the biomechanics within your foot and may be responsible for your arch pain.

Sprains, strains, and fractures can also cause arch pain. Due to the many possible causes, if you’re experiencing arch pain, you should have it evaluated so you get the right treatment.

Getting relief for arch pain

Getting relief for your arch pain may depend on the underlying cause. Our podiatric experts conduct comprehensive examinations so we can identify the cause and provide the most effective treatment, which may include:

Anti-inflammatory medication
Physical therapy
Custom-made orthotics

For issues related to pronation, we offer gait analysis, which breaks down each element of your gait to assess how the biomechanics within your foot may be contributing to your arch pain.

No matter the cause, arch pain isn’t something you simply have to live with. In fact, not taking care of the underlying cause of your pain may lead to more foot problems. For comprehensive podiatric care, call our office in Kirkland, Washington, at 425-243-4957.

Every part of your foot is necessary for normal movement. All of the structures work together to distribute your body weight and balance it so you stay upright. They also work in unison for you to be able to push off the ground whenever you take a step. Two of those all-important areas for pushing off the ground are the arch and the ball of the foot. When you have pain in the middle or front of your feet, these are the structures that are affected.

Painful Problems

Your arch, made up of your tarsals and metatarsals, bridges the area between your heel and the ball of the foot. The ball of the foot is formed where the metatarsals meet your toes. It creates the base area that you use to support your weight whenever you lift your heels off the ground, whether you’re walking, running, jumping, or just rising up on your toes. Conditions of these structures can make it very uncomfortable to walk. Some of the most common problems can be found below.

Capsulitis

Your joints are held together by ligaments and tendons forming a sort of capsule around the ends of the bones that are coming together. Several of these exist in the ball of the foot. Under stress and pressure, a capsule can become painfully inflamed and swollen, making use of that joint uncomfortable.

Flat Feet (Overpronation)

When your foot’s natural arch is lower than normal, it’s called flat foot. Sometimes this causes the arch to roll inward, or overpronate. Over time this can stress the foot structures and lead to arch pain and increased pressure on other areas of the feet.

Metatarsalgia

This is a common overuse injury. Excessive pressure on the balls of the feet over an extended period of time, or repeated hard impacts, cause the painful inflammation of one or more metatarsal heads. Typically the problem comes on gradually, over a period of several months. It can make pushing off the ground very uncomfortable.

Plantar Fibromas

This is a thick nodule that develops in the plantar fascia, which is the tendon that runs along the sole from the heel to the front of the foot. Repeated pressure on the sole pushes the lump against other soft tissues, which can hurt and irritate the problem. The condition does not get better without treatment.

Sesamoiditis

You have two tiny bones under the ball of your foot, embedded in the tendon that attaches the first metatarsal to the big toe bone. These bones help your joint move smoothly and handle heavy pressure. However, with overuse and sudden increases of activity, the tendon around those bones becomes irritated. This makes it very uncomfortable to use the ball of the foot. Generally the problem only gets worse without treatment.

The good news is that most of these conditions can be treated very successfully using conservative measures. Dr. Sanjay Patel is an experienced specialist for evaluating and treating a wide variety of problems in the feet and ankles, including these. If you’re struggling with pain in the middle or front of your foot, don’t ignore the problem and allow it to get worse. Instead, contact Family Foot Care & Surgery, L.L.C. for an appointment or more information. Call either of our two offices—203-876-7736 for the Milford location, or 203-288-4055 for the Hamden office—or fill out our contact form to reach us.

Can Plantar fasciitis cause pain in ball of foot?

(Plantar Fasciitis) Plantar fasciosis is pain originating from the dense band of tissue called the plantar fascia that extends from the bottom of the heel bone to the base of the toes (ball of the foot). The connective tissue between the heel and ball of the foot may become damaged and painful.