Saturday, February 23, 2008

Metatarsalgia The Pain In The Forefoot Bones

Metatarsalgia The Pain In The Forefoot Bones
It is unlikely that you realize how big a deal the ball of
your foot really is. It is a major player in most of
physical activities that we undergo daily. Running,
walking, leaping and even sitting down involves the balls
of your feet. But when pain starts to be felt everytime you
put pressure on your feet, if there is a great deal of
stress felt when you land from a leap or a continuous
strain when you run, you might have to think about whether
or not you have metatarsalgia.

Metatarsalgia simply means "achy metatarsal" and the
condition is simply a sore bone or bones in the forefoot.
Pain and inflammation in the balls of your feet are the
usual symptoms of metatarsalgia. This condition is
frequent among athletes and those who do high-contact
sports. Activities like basketball, gymnastics and many
other sports put high pressure on the feet and, without
proper care and rest, inflammation and pain may occur
leading to the said disorder. Excessive running and jumping
can stress the metatarsal, which is the name for the long
bones found in the front part of your feet just a little
bit below your toes.

Although metatarsalgia is not highly risky and has little
or no long-term drastic effect, it can definitely hamper
you. If you are in a physical career and your mobility and
use of your feet are vital to your work, metatarsalgia may
pose a major problem. This disorder is highlighted by
sharp pain that continuously gets worse after prolonged
periods of activity. This is followed by numbness or
tingling in the toes that eventually worsens even when you
rest and relax your feet.

The immediate remedy for this disorder is rest. Prevent
pressure from being applied to your feet. Soaking the feet
in ice and cold water may help soothe the pressure and
eventually dampen the pain. Wearing proper footwear and
shock-absorbent shoes also helps prevent the progression of
metatarsalgia. Since this is more a strain than a disease,
metatarsalgia is very simple to avoid and treat. More often
than not, this disorder is simply a byproduct of bad
maintenance and improper foot care.

Learn to be responsible in taking care of your feet. Like a
well-oiled and maintained care, your feet can go a long way
without any further complications. Exercise and a balanced
diet are important to athletes and to you as well, but take
time to consider the little things like the balls of your
feet, and take that much deserved vacation to relax when
needed.


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Allan Tan is the creator of http://www.foot-care.org/ . He
provides more helpful information on bunions, bunion
treatment, foot orthotics, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis
and ankle sprains that you can read up in the comfort of
your home on his website. He and his partner setup this
informative site to help people understand more about their
foot health and problems.

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