Almost all metatarsal pain is merely another “expression” of plantar fasciitis. It occurs when the torsional pull from the plantar aponeurosis is at the metatarsal end of the foot (the toe-end) rather than the heel/arch areas. Pain to the metatarsal area may be caused by a diagnosis such as: dropped metatarsal heads, Morton’s neuromas, loss of fatty paddings and misalignment problems.

Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammatory condition of the plantar fascia; the tendon / ligament hybrid that runs along the bottom of your foot. Patients describe the pain as “burning”, “stabbing” and “aching”. Sound familiar? You may have heard the condition called “heel spur” or “policeman’s heel”. An estimated 20% of the population suffer with it.

Its causes are varied and very individual. We successfully treat one of the most common causes; biomechanics. This is the faulty positioning and functioning of your feet exacerbated by wearing shoes that don’t fit or don’t offer adequate support for your plantar fascia ligament. If the arch of your foot is too low, too high, or tilts inward or outward, it causes your plantar aponeurosis (the support under your arch which connects the heel to the metatarsals) to solidify.

This, in turn, pulls at your heel and arch area which causes painful micro-tearing throughout your arch and heel. This pulling force may also cause additional metatarsal symptoms (pain in the balls of your feet).

The majority of sufferers seem to have experienced pain weeks, months or even years before. This often disappears by itself, or may have been treated with cortisone injections or physical treatments to provide a short-term solution. As the cause remains untreated, the pain returns more aggressively and permanently. Any case of plantar fasciitis should have the root cause treated as early as possible, so it’s never too soon for us to help you.