Elliptical machines offer an effective low-impact form of aerobic exercise. For this reason, they are popular among athletes for cross training, and with the elderly and individuals recovering from injuries. The bad news is that they place a great deal of stress on the balls of your feet. Overtime, the balls of your feet can become irritated, inflamed and painful -- a condition known as metatarsalgia. The good news is that most cases of metatarsalgia improve with conservative therapies at home, along with avoidance of the triggering activity.
Potential Causes
When excessive stress is placed on the ball of the foot, it can induce changes in the foot that lead to pain. The source of this pain can originate from either the bones of the foot itself or from the nerves that run through the foot. Some of the more common medical conditions associated with metatarsalgia include stress fractures, bunions, arthritis, Morton's neuroma, hammertoes, gout and sesamoiditis.
Risk Factors
Although you can't always avoid metatarsalgia, you can control some risk factors to reduce your risk of developing it. These risk factors include obesity, wearing ill-fitting shoes, abnormal foot mechanics, engaging in high-impact exercise and engaging in activities that place a large amount of stress on the balls of your feet. Metatarsalgia may develop from a combination of several factors, so even if you use an elliptical every day, you will not necessarily develop metatarsalgia.
What to Do
See your podiatrist if you experience pain in the balls of your feet so that he or she can appropriately diagnose the condition. Initial treatment for metatarsalgia is conservative with rest, ice and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen. Losing weight may be helpful if you are obese, as carrying around excess weight can place excessive pressure on your feet. In fact, many individuals may be able to alleviate their symptoms completely just by losing weight. Also check your shoes to make sure that they fit correctly. Your shoes should have a wide toe box that does not compress your toes. They should also provide adequate cushioning. Avoid wearing shoes that put stress on the balls of your feet, such as high heels. Your podiatrist may also recommend orthotics such as insoles or arch supports that can be inserted into your shoes to take pressure off the balls of your feet.
Warning
Metatarsalgia should not be ignored; if it's not treated, it can cause pain to develop in other locations of your foot or body. Often, this occurs as a part of the normal response to pain, as we tend to avoid pressure on the painful foot by altering our gait. However, this can be very harmful to our bodies because it transfers pressure to other areas of the body such as the back or the hips.
