Ball Of My Foot Hurts

[simon43]

For several weeks now, I'm finding it a little painful to walk because there is a pain in the ball of my right foot when I stand or walk. (By 'ball' I mean the flat part of my foot near to my heel).

Someone suggested that it could be due to a build-up of hard skin, and I got a masseuse to give me a good scrape(!). That certainly made my feet look more sexy but did not alleviate the pain. It's not excrutiatingly painful and I can put this pain out of my mind when I walk. But it doesn't seem to be improving. The pain feels like it is actually inside my foot, as opposed to being painful on the skin surface. Squeezing my foot/heel doesn't hurt. I usually wear soft shoes or go barefoot.

Any ideas? Should I try walking using only one foot??

Simon

[Wrong Turn]

For several weeks now, I'm finding it a little painful to walk because there is a pain in the ball of my right foot when I stand or walk. (By 'ball' I mean the flat part of my foot near to my heel).

Someone suggested that it could be due to a build-up of hard skin, and I got a masseuse to give me a good scrape(!). That certainly made my feet look more sexy but did not alleviate the pain. It's not excrutiatingly painful and I can put this pain out of my mind when I walk. But it doesn't seem to be improving. The pain feels like it is actually inside my foot, as opposed to being painful on the skin surface. Squeezing my foot/heel doesn't hurt. I usually wear soft shoes or go barefoot.

Any ideas? Should I try walking using only one foot??

Simon

For several weeks? I'd see a doctor about this.

[bangsaenguy]

I believe that you need to get your uric acid levels checked. Sounds like gout. Colchicine will give you temporary relief. This is the voice of experience talking, not professional.

[julie_f]

I had a similar pain before but that was after a night out. So it could have been caused by the high heeled shoes I was wearing!

It took about a week to get better and I had to wear trainers and a pad underneath the ball, which eased the pain a bit.

If you've had it for a few weeks you should get it checked. Most injuries should have healed by now.

[cathyy]

The ball of your foot is the flat part just behind the toes.

You said your pain is by the heel of your foot. Is it at the place where the heel begins to go up to the arch? Does it hurt the most in the morning and ease up as the day goes on? If so, it may be plantar fasciitis, and left untreated will only get worse. If not, a bit more detail would be helpful.

[Crushdepth]

Hi Simon

Could be plantar fasciitus, I'm having some problems with this bloody thing myself at the moment.

[Mobi]

If you do mean your heel, then it sounds like Plantar fasciitis to me.

I've had it for years, and untreated it can be so painful you can hardly walk.

You can get instant relief by having an injection in the heel, but after a while it will come back again.

The long term treatment is special stretching exercises that stretch your achilles heels, and wearing good footwear, (decent supportive walking trainers - not flip flops).

Google Plantar fasciitis and you will find out all about it and the treatment. It is quite common with heavy-ish middle aged men who have done a fair bit of walking and their gait is not 100% OK.

Beat Bobbies in England use to be common sufferers.

[ijwelch]

I see the OP doesn't mention wearing flip flops but this is interesting for those of us that do:

http://www.livescience.com/health/080624-bad-flip-flops.html

Edited June 25, 2008 by ijwelch

[simon43]

OK, thanks for this advice. Plantar fasciitis definitely sounds like the problem. Also, my shoes are not so good/supportive and I do a lot of walking (Mobi - I'm a police volunteer so I understand your comment).

Julie_f, I will be honest and say that I have not been wearing high heels recently

I will get some medical advice and invest in some decent shoes....

Simon

[Mobi]

The best exercise I was told about years ago is to stand on a staircase (in shoes) with your toes stretching upwards to the next step and then you stretch you achilles. You can feel them straining and the results are almost instantaneous. You can also do this standing on a road with you shoes pointing upwards to the curb and then take the strain, or anywhere where you have a lower and higher "step".

If you do this every day the pain will go away.

If know I'm going to do a fair bit of walking, (e.g. going shopping) I always wear proper shoes

Good luck.