Capsulitis
Ligaments surround joints, including the toe joints, and help form joint capsules. Joint capsules help protect the joints and allow them to function properly.... Read more
Educational Articles
Ball of Foot Pain: Conventional vs. Natural Approaches
In this video, Dr. Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist at Northwest Foot and Ankle and the inventor of Correct Toes, discusses the underlying causes of ball of foot pain and gives special attention to the condition called capsulitis—an inflammation or irritation of the fibrous capsules surrounding the metatarsophalangeal joints. This educational video also demonstrates how to treat capsulitis using natural, non-invasive methods and discusses some of the most common conventional approaches.
Watch the above video to learn more about ball of foot pain, capsulitis, and natural strategies you can use to treat or prevent this conventional shoe-induced problem.
Disclaimer:
The above content is for educational or informational purposes only and is not intended to replace or augment professional medical instruction, diagnosis, or treatment. Read full disclaimer here.About the Author
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Irritation, imbalance, or fracture of two small bones—sesamoids—near the big toe is a forefoot problem that may cause pain in some individuals. These two sesamoid bones, located... Read more
WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR FOOT HEALTH?
Let the team at Natural Footgear help you! Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest offers and helpful info, and sign up for our FREE email courses on various topics and foot health conditions.
Essential Footgear:
$65.00
$10.00
$13.00
$25.00
$55.00
Wow, this video came out just at the right moment. I have just recently “acquired” this injury. Mine came about not from wearing incorrect shoes ( I think), but from my running form. I have been running in fivefinger shoes, for the last 3 years, without issue. This year though, I think I got back into it, (after along winter of not running), too soon, too quickly. I should’ve started easy but did not. Seeing your video, I must be placing my foot incorrectly when landing. I am assuming I am running on the ball of my foot and I must be curling my toes up to avoid them hitting the ground. I have been in pain, my right foot, for a good month now. And the pain is exactly where you show, middle toe, under and above. I will try what you recommend. Thank you for this video.
Thank you for your comment, Addie! I’m glad you found the video helpful (and timely!). Best wishes to you for fast and effective resolution of your problem.
Best,
Marty Hughes, DC
Thank you for all the information on your website. I have been following you for about a year now and have bought 4 pairs of Lems and they are now the only shoes I wear. I wear them with a metatarsal pad and toe correctors and have been doing the excercises you suggest for capsulitis. My problem is that I have a full tear of the second metatarsal plantar plate which I have had for about 1 year. I enjoyed long walks (e.g., in the Pyrenees in France) and can no longer do these as the capsule becomes inflamed. In the summer I am a surf lifesaver (I live in Perth, Western Australia) and am on the sand in bare feet for hours at a time. After a day on the beach the capsule is inflamed; even a walk of 30 minutes causes pain. I am considering prolotherapy and wondered if you think this might help. What else would you suggest?
Hi, Helen,
Thank you for your message. And thank you for your continued support!
In our experience, we’ve seen plantar plate injuries and tears improve following Correct Toes use (due to the plantarflexing nature of the device at the level of the metatarsal heads). Another helpful product for many people with this foot problem is a metatarsal pad (www.naturalfootgear.com/products/pedag-metatarsal-pads). The Toe Extensor Stretch (www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/education/17915036-toe-extensor-stretch) can, for many folks, also be helpful. We’ve seen a lot of folks benefit from prolotherapy for different conditions, though we can’t speak to its potential benefits for your specific concern. My recommendation is to contact a few foot care experts in your area to get a better sense of what to expect from prolotherapy for your particular issue.
Kind regards,
Marty Hughes, DC
I am preparing to convert all my footwear to Lems for general health and to alleviate ball of foot pain brought on by hiking in poor shoes. However, I also have to wear medical grade compression stockings due to an underlying edema/swelling problem, which at its minimum puffs the skin at the base of my 2nd & 3rd toes on my left foot.
What devices would you recommend to keep my foot spread but also enable the compression where I need it most? Toe spacers and Strutz foot pads? When not on my feet, the compression stocking can reduce circulation too much already. Would keeping the ball of the foot from scrunching also prevent poor circulation?
Thanks in advance. I look forward to getting your dress shoes (I’m a barber) and some Lems Primal 2 shoes for Tai Chi practice.
Hi, Amanda,
Thank you for your comment and questions!
Everyone is different in terms of their foot health needs, and it’s impossible to comment on your specific case without the benefit of a full health history and physical examination.
In our experience, though, we’ve found the following products to be helpful in spreading the foot/toes or in providing compression in the lower leg (but not in the ball of the foot or around the toes):
Correct Toes:
www.naturalfootgear.com/products/correct-toes
Strutz Foot Pads:
www.naturalfootgear.com/collections/strutz-foot-pads
Pedag Metatarsal Pads:
www.naturalfootgear.com/products/pedag-metatarsal-pads
Injinji Compression Socks:
www.naturalfootgear.com/products/injinji-otc-compression-black
Foot-Healthy Footwear:
www.naturalfootgear.com/collections/womens-shoes
If you are thinking about using any of these products to improve your foot health and lower extremity circulation, my best recommendation is to visit a healthcare provider in your area to see if these products are a good match for you and your personal health considerations.
Here are a few resources on our site about circulation and foot health that you might appreciate:
Foot Circulation Tips:
www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/education/17882504-foot-circulation-tips
Circulation & Your Feet:
www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/education/17861216-circulation-your-feet
Correct Toes & Circulation:
www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/education/36183429-correct-toes-circulation
I hope this information helps! If you have any additional questions, please do let us know.
Kind regards,
Marty Hughes, DC
I am extremely excited about your site! I wish I could find someone as passionate as you where I live near Frisco, TX, to treat my foot pain. I have SLE (lupus). Which products would offer me the best support for neuromas, fallen arches, plantar fasciitis, mild bunions, and Achilles tendonitis? Thank you.
Greetings, Marilyn,
We’re glad you found us! You might consider using the questions we’ve listed in the following article to help you source a good foot care provider in your city or region:
www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/popular-q-a/what-questions-should-i-be-asking-a-prospective-foot-care-provider
In terms of helpful products and approaches for the various foot health issues you mentioned, I recommend that you check out the following article from our site to learn more about the top tools and tips for achieving optimal foot health:
www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/educational-articles/10-best-natural-foot-health-tools-tips
Please let us know if you have any other questions we can help you with!
All the best,
Marty Hughes, DC
What would be a good tennis shoe for capsulitis?
Hi, Doug,
Thank you for your question. A good tennis shoe for capsulitis (and for most ball of foot problems) should, in our opinion, incorporate a perfectly level sole to minimize the amount of pressure on the forefoot, and a wide toe box (i.e., a toe box that is widest at the ends of the toes, not just wide at the ball of the foot) to help encourage proper toe alignment and distribute bodyweight across the entire forefoot area. Of course, there are a number of additional things you can do, besides adopting foot-healthy athletic footwear, to help address capsulitis, all of which are discussed here:
www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/educational-articles/capsulitis
Please let us know if you have any further questions! And in the meantime, feel free to peruse the men’s footwear options we feature on our site to see if any of the athletic shoe models appeal:
www.naturalfootgear.com/collections/mens-shoes
Kind regards,
Marty Hughes, DC
I found your website when searching for a shoe that would help relieve my foot pain. I would like to try your products for capsulitis, a bunion, and a toe that is becoming deformed. I had the bunion surgically corrected and a neuroma removed. The doc said the capsulitis was best treated with an insert. My pain continues to worsen. I’m not sure which products to use and how often? Should I use pads and toe spacers together?
Hi, Celeste,
Thank you for your comment. I’m really sorry to hear about the various foot problems you’re dealing with. In our experience, we’ve found that the tools and approaches discussed in the following article tend to work best for addressing the issues you mentioned:
www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/educational-articles/10-best-natural-foot-health-tools-tips
You can also find more in-depth info about bunions and crooked toes (among other foot health topics) via our free e-courses, which you can access here:
www.naturalfootgear.com/pages/newsletter-courses
And you can find more info about capsulitis here:
www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/educational-articles/capsulitis
I hope this info helps! Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
Kind regards,
Marty Hughes, DC