First of all what is the ball of the foot exactly? When someone is referring to the ball of the foot they are usually referring to the location of the metatarsal heads.  The long bones of the foot are called metatarsals.  The metatarsal heads are the knobby ends of the metatarsals that form a joint with the toes. Thus the ball of the foot is the area where the toes form a joint with the long bones of the foot, the metatarsals.

Although the cause of pain in the ball of the foot is varied, the initial treatment, is the usually the same.  We try to reduce the amount of weight put on the metatarsal heads.  A metatarsal pad placed on an arch support fits just behind the metatarsal heads.  This allows more of the weight to be taken up by the long shafts of the metatarsals and less on the metatarsal heads. The metatarsal pads can be added to a custom arch support.  They can also be purchased over-the-counter from a pharmacy or specialty shoe store.  The correct placement of the metatarsal pad is critical so follow directions or ask your physician or podiatrist for help.

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