Randomly intermittent pain in ball of foot

I have a pain in the ball of my right foot and from doing a bit of research the closest thing to it that I can find is metatarsalgia, but it doesn't quite seem to fit. It's a sharp localised pain that I get when I walk or run, but it seems to be the movement that causes the pain and not the weight-bearing. Putting pressure or weight on it doesn't seem to cause any pain, and I can't find any sore spots by prodding around it with my fingers. When I'm walking or running, the pain seems to occur when the weight is on my toes. Also when I do the drill in the vid below the pain occurs when my knee is closest to the wall and I release the tension and start to bring it back. Any pain goes away as soon as I stop movement. I don't know if this makes any sense but I'd say the pain feels like something is pulling at the joint from somewhere around my ankle/achilles.

The strange thing about it is that when I'm walking and running it seems to randomly come and go. It might be agony one minute but then a minute later it will have completely gone and no matter what I do with my foot and where I put weight on it, I can't feel a thing. Then a minute later it'll come back.



My basic attempts at remedying the situation are to do ankle mobility exercises and to perform SMR on my calves and around my ankles. I guess this can't hurt, but I'm not sure whether it's actually going to solve anything.

Hello there, I read your problem and understood it.

You should go for a Blood examination - To rule out Gout ( which affect great toe joint first and pains while walking).

Also, I would suggest to go for X-ray examination to rule out any joint condition.

I don't think it can be gout as the symptoms don't seem to match. There is no swelling or redness at all, the joint is not tender to touch, and the time of day does not seem to make any difference whereas with gout it is usually worse in the morning.

If it persists I will go and see a doctor or physio, but I just wanted to see if there was anything I could try myself to remedy the situation before it got to that point.

I've just done 2.5hr on the bike and then a 20 minute run, and there was no pain at all. However when I stopped running and started walking at the end, the pain appeared and was really sharp, but subsided after about 10 seconds and has not come back.

Sharp movement with pain , that is while jogging or brisk walking. Indicates sometimes Ligament grade 1 sprain or tensile force on long/short flexor tendons (repetitive stress inflames or instables the area) located behind your great toes. I would suggest to apply ice pack for 10 mins with proper covering precaution every 4 hours or as convenient. Strengthen your Intrinsic Muscles of foot. You can find exercises online.

If it were a ligament sprain could you explain why you think the pain may randomly come and go over very short periods of time (eg there one minute, gone the next, there again the next)? I would have thought that a ligament or tendon sprain would mean pretty much constant pain that may subside after rest but come back as soon as activity is resumed, and likely get worse with prolonged activity.

Fwiw I've had this pain for about 2 weeks or so. On the day I posted this thread I started doing SMR on my calves and around my ankle, and doing ankle mobility drills. I have not reduced my sporting activity at all, yet the pain seems to have started to disappear. To me this would suggest that something in either calf or around my ankle is tight or stiff resulting in excessive tension through the plantar fascia and causing pain at the area where the pf connects to the metatarsal joint. Would this make sense?

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Originally Posted by Ron247

If it were a ligament sprain could you explain why you think the pain may randomly come and go over very short periods of time (eg there one minute, gone the next, there again the next)? I would have thought that a ligament or tendon sprain would mean pretty much constant pain that may subside after rest but come back as soon as activity is resumed, and likely get worse with prolonged activity.

Fwiw I've had this pain for about 2 weeks or so. On the day I posted this thread I started doing SMR on my calves and around my ankle, and doing ankle mobility drills. I have not reduced my sporting activity at all, yet the pain seems to have started to disappear. To me this would suggest that something in either calf or around my ankle is tight or stiff resulting in excessive tension through the plantar fascia and causing pain at the area where the pf connects to the metatarsal joint. Would this make sense?

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There is a muscle/tendon-flexor hallux longus run from your calf to your big toe, it sounds like what you described.
Might check your big toe extension range, and your ankle biomechanics, see if can find the cause of it.

Hi Ron, Usually with ligament sprain grade 1 pain occurs with running activities. I think your muscle tightness words make sense. If stretching you calf muscles is helping you, you should continue that. As far plantar fasciitis is concerned. first symptom is heel pain in early morning and after sitting for longer time. I would suggest to use ice at pain site and stretches for calf muscles. Gastrocnemius and soleus stretches which you could find it online.

It doesn't sound like ligament sprain or plantar fascilitis, it doesn't fit the S&S. I would go with that the tendon goes through the sesamoid bones under the big toe might be caught, stuck or sth during activities. I would assess the big toe and ankle biomechanics during activities to see the attributing factor. see this video: Natural Foot Wisdom with Podiatrist Dr. Ray McClanahan - YouTube might give some insight

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Originally Posted by chen7389

It doesn't sound like ligament sprain or plantar fascilitis, it doesn't fit the S&S. I would go with that the tendon goes through the sesamoid bones under the big toe might be caught, stuck or sth during activities. I would assess the big toe and ankle biomechanics during activities to see the attributing factor. see this video: Natural Foot Wisdom with Podiatrist Dr. Ray McClanahan - YouTube might give some insight

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Thanks for your input. I agree that it doesn't sound like a sprain or PF. Since you last posted I've been doing SMR around my calves, working around the extensor/flexor hallucis longus areas as you suggested, as well as doing some deep massage in the sole of my foot. I found some tender areas in both my calf and foot that coincide with trigger points that are reportedly related to pain in the area I am getting it. Since I've been doing all of this work the pain has become less severe and is occuring less frequently so hopefully this will solve it.