Pains in the feet (metatarsalgia) is a cumulative notion, which could be due to several different diseases.

Morton’s disease

This disease affects mostly women. Pains in the feet appear after prolonged wear or standing upright in tight shoes. They appear with a sudden sharp pain, which is the strongest along the back of the foot, and ends just as suddenly after the shoe is removed. Sometimes, in such patients, neurinomes or neurofibromas of the plantar nerve in the space between III and IV, or IV and V metatarsal bone (the bones on the back of the feet) are found. Treatment consists in the surgical removal of such benign tumors.

Dislocation in transverse direction of the anterior section of the metatarsal arch

The dislocation of the foot arch can arise in two different varieties:

• Lateral pressing the arch with overlapping of the heads of the metatarsal bones and lowering of the head of the IV bone. It can also be developed if very tight shoes are worn
• The expansion of the arch due to the elongation of the transverse tendon link and the abductor thumb muscle. This occurs in case of a halux valgus, the II toe takes the shape of a hammer, a large blister on the head of the II and III metatarsal bone.

Dudley – Morton’s disease

The condition is also called – Neanderthal food or metatarsus primus brevis and is a display of an atavism. In this inborn condition, the first bone on the back of the foot is short, and the second one is thickened. The foot is round, the support falls onto the head of the second bone, hence the stretching of the ligaments and pressing of the internal plantar nerve. This is the reason for the strong pains in the foot of such patients. The treatment includes resting, correction of the foot position with orthopedic shoes and insoles.

The use of orthopedic shoes by Dr. Orthopedic guarantees convenience and comfort when they are used appropriately.