Your ego used to be the only thing that got bruised during pickup basketball games. But lately, the jump's gone out of your jump shot — you can still leap, but landing is pure torture. What's more, running and even walking cause the same burning pain on the bottoms of your feet. If this sounds familiar, you may have metatarsalgia — a condition marked by pain and inflammation in the ball of your foot.
Metatarsalgia frequently affects runners and other athletes who participate in high-impact sports. That's because excessive amounts of running or jumping put extra stress on the metatarsals — the long bones located in the front part of your feet just below your toes. People with certain foot shapes that create more stress on the metatarsal bones also may have these problems.
Although generally not serious, metatarsalgia can sideline you, whether you're an Olympic contender or a weekend warrior. Fortunately, conservative treatments such as ice, rest and physical therapy can often relieve symptoms. And proper footwear, along with special arch supports (orthotics) or non-prescription shoe inserts, may be all you need to prevent or minimize future problems.
