Pain in the front of the foot could be caused by a range of conditions. The most common conditions affecting this area are: Bunions, Morton's Neuroma, Sesamoiditis and Metatarsal Stress Fractures. At The Podiatry Room we successfully treat all of these conditions.
Bunions are best described as a bony lump at the base of the big toe. Bunions are often caused by hereditary but can also develop because of over pronation, incorrect footwear, neuromuscular dysfunction or ligament dysfunction. Your podiatrist will treat bunions via orthotics and, in some instances surgery.
Mortons Neuroma is the swelling or thickening of nerves in the foot. The patient usually reports a clicking feeling in the front of the foot often followed by a sharp pain or tingling in the ends of the toes. The pain arises from the compression of nerves. This condition is diagnosed through questioning about the patient’s activities and a biomedical analysis of the foot to determine whether abnormal function of the feet has caused the problem. Once the most likely cause has been determined a treatment will be matched.
Sesamoiditis is inflammation of the tendons which are attached to the sesamoid bones. These are small bones located under the joint of the big toe and the tendons that become inflamed in this condition essentially control the movement of the big toe. This inflammation can be caused by activities such as sprinting or dancing which involve repetitive weight bearing on the ball of the foot. Treatments will vary from rest to orthotics to surgery.
A Metatarsal Stress Fracture is a breakage in one (or more) of the metatarsal bones in the ball of the foot. These fractures can be caused by a one-off accident / injury or by repeated stresses to the bone. Patients with this condition report considerable pain, especially when they put weight on the injured foot. There is usually noticeable swelling and/or bruising as well. Depending upon the nature and severity of the fracture your podiatrist will discuss the best treatment options with you. These could include rest, ice, elevation or even surgery in serious cases.
If you would like to find out more about preventing or treating these issues, make an appointment with one of our podiatrists. All these conditions are treatable, the sooner we start, the better!