Metatarsalgia is a general term for pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot — specifically at the metatarsal heads, the bony ends of the long bones behind your toes. It's not a diagnosis in itself; it's a description that could point to several underlying issues.
Common causes
- Overload from high-impact activity (running, jumping sports)
- Poorly fitting shoes — especially high heels or tight toe boxes
- Foot mechanics — flat feet, high arches, bunions, or hammertoes
- Increased body weight
- Aging — the natural fat pad under the metatarsal heads thins with age
What it feels like
- Sharp, aching, or burning pain in the ball of the foot
- Worse with weight-bearing, especially barefoot on hard floors
- Feeling of walking on a pebble or having a bunched sock
- Sometimes tingling if a nerve is compressed
How to tell it apart from Morton's neuroma
Metatarsalgia hurts on the bones. Morton's neuroma hurts between the bones (usually 3rd and 4th toes) and often burns or tingles into the toes.
Treatment
Footwear. Wide toe box, cushioned sole, no elevated heel. Often the single biggest fix.
Custom orthotics or metatarsal pads. Offload the painful metatarsal heads by transferring weight behind them.
Load management. Reduce high-impact activity while the tissue calms down. Substitute cycling or swimming.
Manual therapy. Joint mobilization of the metatarsals and midfoot, plus soft tissue work on the plantar fascia and intrinsic foot muscles.
Strengthening. Intrinsic foot exercises, calf raises, and short-foot drills rebuild the arch support your foot needs.
When to get it assessed
If pain has lasted more than a few weeks despite footwear changes, or if you're getting numbness/tingling, come in. There are several conditions that mimic metatarsalgia and each has slightly different treatment.