The pain in the ball of the foot is common and tolerated – by almost everyone – for far too long. That burning, nagging, steely pressure that you feel on the top of your foot beneath your toes can make every step a burden – whether you’re trudging to your vehicle, humping it in your job, or powering through a light workout. Metatarsal pads to treat pain in the top of the foot are one of the simplest, most inexpensive, and truly effective modalities to combat this issue.
They’re unassuming, they’re uncomplicated, and when positioned correctly they can be a life-saver. In this article we discuss what these pads actually do, how to determine the best one for your needs, how to position it, and when to see a specialist instead.
What Metatarsal Pads Are and How They Relieve Pain
It is a small, soft pillow used inside your shoe that will help to increase the load distance from the metatarsal heads. The metatarsal heads are the small bones that form the buttresses of your toes and carry most of your body weight, metatarsal padding redistributes this weight away from the metatarsal heads to reduce excess strain. 2. Metatarsal pad will elevate the metatarsal arch a little and redistribute your weight to the whole metatarsal region rather than just under the heads.
Foot Problems Metatarsal Pads May Help
Multiple conditions benefit from such focused help. Forefoot pain and inflammation, otherwise known as metatarsalgia, is arguably the leading issue for which individuals grab a set of these. The classic sharp or burning pain along the ball of the foot associated with Morton’s neuroma – a thickening of tissue around one of the nerves leading to the toes – may be alleviated in time by metatarsal pads by reducing the amount of nerve-related compression and damage.
Calluses generated by repeated pressure at a single site can also gradually lessen when the weight is shifted to a different area.
When Pads May Not Be Appropriate
If the pain persists despite all your home remedies, you should see a doctor. There are new swelling, numbness, deformity, or pain when you’ve had an injury – these are not things to start your healing with a metatarsal pad. A metatarsal pad is not a panacea; it might help, but for your pain to persist; it could also be stress fractures, nerve, or joint problems, and an underlying cause needs to be diagnosed.
How to Choose the Right Metatarsal Pad
Interestingly, there’s quite a selection of pads available in the market, and selecting the wrong ones can be worse for your heels. Different materials have different qualities: Felt pads are dense, firm, give the support, but wear out relatively quickly. Gel and silicone are softer and more flexible, and offer great comfort.
Foam is more like foam; not as supportive as felt but provides more cushioning than gel and silicone pads. Some adhesives can be attached directly to the inner sole, while the removable pads can be moved from shoe to shoe.
Choosing Pad Size, Shape, and Thickness
Your feet shape and shoe space should guide your thickness and sizing choices. If you fit your shoe snugly, a thick pad actually will increase the amount of pressure – so a thinner pad in a tight-fitting dress or athletic shoe is wiser. The shape of the gel pad can be important, too: teardrop or oval pads work for most, but if you have a wide forefoot, there are wider options.
The placement of the pain is also a clue: if your pain is concentrated under the second and third metatarsal heads, an alternate positioning pad is ideal, while broader pain across the entire forefoot is better for a regular strip.
Matching Pads to Shoes and Activities
The best shoes to work with are athletic shoes with removable insoles, because you can lay the pad right on top of the insole and try it on. Most work boots and casual shoes generally have quite a bit of space inside to fit a pad of even moderate thickness. High heels are quite difficult because they push the weight very far forward, but you might be able to fit a very thin adhesive pad just behind the ball of the foot; it won’t remove the mechanical disadvantage of heel height though.
Very low-volume shoes like ballet flats might have no room for a pad at all.
How to Position and Apply a Metatarsal Pad Correctly
The no 1 error we see is people don’t place the pad in the correct position. Ideally, it should sit behind the metatarsal heads, not underneath them. You should be able to find the metatarsal heads on the ball of your foot by pressing into them, and the pad should sit behind the ridge, actually coming underneath it.
In the video you’ll see that I work the pad behind the heads to lift them from below.
A Simple Placement Test
Begin by temporarily positioning the pad on your insole with minimal glue or with a tiny piece of removable tape. Wearing your shoe, try walking around a little, and noting whether the sensation of pressure changes. If you experience a decrease in burning or ache, that’s where you want the pad to be.
If it gets worse or becomes uncomfortable in a new location, you want to shift the pad around a bit. It takes about ten minutes of trial and error, which will save you hours later.
Common Placement Mistakes
Most importantly, sticking a pad too far forward-under the toes-wreaks havoc on your foot and your shoe. Gluing a pad to your skin instead of the insole may seem smarter, but it can lead to chafing and heat, which is the last thing you want if you’ve got the shoe on for hours on end. A too-thick pad that compresses your toes into the shoe’s upper, and new sensations of pain that occur after the pad is inserted, are both red flags.
How to Start Wearing Metatarsal Pads Safely
Ease into the pad. Wear it just an hour or two at a time, then increase the time over the course of a few days as your foot adapts. Use the pad with good shoes that fit well – a pad in a tired or poorly designed shoe won’t work so well.
Signs the Pad Is Working
Less pressure on the forefoot when walking, less fatigue while standing and fewer episodes of burning and aching are positive symptoms. Most will feel better within days of proper placement.
Signs to Reposition or Stop Using It
Signs of the pad not fitting properly: increased pain, redness of the skin, numbness and a burning sensation you did not have before. Take it off and reposition. Consider trying a different size or material.
Other Treatments and When to See a Clinician
Metatarsal pads can be effective as part of a comprehensive plan. Rest, avoidance or modification of high-impact activity, stretching the calf (which influences forefoot load), and icing after long periods of standing will help the healing process. More targeted correction is available through custom orthotics provided by your podiatrist.
Symptoms Requiring Medical Advice
Any type of foot symptoms and all of the following in a person with diabetes: intense pain, inability to put weight on the foot, swelling and/or bruising This article alone is not enough to treat foot pain. When to see a doctor – the limits of self-treatment.