How The Palmer Flip Flop Helps With Ball Of Foot Pain
Posted on Dec 07, 2016

Let’s Talk About Ball Of Foot Pain


What is ball of foot pain, exactly? What does it feel like?

Ball of foot pain is the common phrase used to describe metatarsal pain, or metatarsalgia. This describes pain associated with the metatarsal region of your foot, and not any one condition in particular.

The metatarsal region of your foot is the padded area directly beneath the area that starts the toes. If you experience any of the following symptoms, you’ll likely notice them when you’re active, because this is where we tend to put a lot of pressure when moving.

  • Aching or burning pain in metatarsal joints
  • Shooting pain
  • Numbness or tingling sensation
  • Feeling like there’s a small pebble in your shoe
  • Inflammation of the foot

This pain may be more present when you’re flexing your toes as well (like when walking). Many people feel the most pain in high heels or when they are actively pushing off during the gait cycle.  


What Causes Metatarsalgia?


Metatarsal pain is typically caused by a mechanical overload of that particular area of the foot, but it can also be caused by shoes that are too small, metatarsal joint pain (inside the capsule itself), high arches, a tight achilles tendon and more.

Certain risk factors also contribute to a higher likelihood of developing metatarsalgia. These include:

  • Being highly active / playing sports
  • Having high arches
  • Presence of other foot conditions like hammertoe, bunions or Morton’s neuroma
  • Being overweight
  • Ill-fitting shoes
  • A lot of time on your feet
  • Tight heel cords (Achilles tendons)
  • Lack of core strength of the foot
  • Tight plantar fascia tissues

The Palmer May Be The Right Fit


While metatarsalgia can be painful, there are a number of ways to reduce that pain naturally. One of them is with The Healing Sole Palmer.

The Palmer has all the same pain-relieving features as our Original flip-flop, excluding the Cluffy elevated toe ramp.

How The Palmer Flip Flop Helps With Ball Of Foot Pain - Right Fit

Which means, it’s best suited for those who have conditions that impact their big toe or metatarsal region. The Palmer, along with our other styles, also includes a low-profile metatarsal bar, which supports the transverse arch of the foot and offloads the ball of the foot. Because this is combined with a rocker bottom and structural design, the forefoot (ball of the foot) should feel considerably less discomfort.

So, the metatarsal bar, in combination with the rocker bottom sole, provides a gentle stretch while other features offload pressure to your most sensitive areas of the foot.

With our 30-day guarantee, you can feel the results yourself!