The forefoot (or ball of the foot) is made up of many small bones, muscles ligaments, tendons and other soft tissues. Many people often experience debilitating pain in this area. Accurate diagnosis of the underlying casue of pain is complex. Conditions in the forefoot are often poorly diagnosed and result in inappropriate treatment.

At Footlab+ our podiatrists are trained to have an in depth knowledge of forefoot pain diagnosis and management. They work closely with Radiologists renowned for accurate imaging of this complex region to facillitate correct diagnosis.

Conditions producing forefoot pain include:

• plantar plate tear
• Morton’s neuroma
• metatarsalgia

Management of forefoot pain is directed towards treating the cause of pain through offloading pressure to reduce stress on the affected structures. Treatment modalities include and are not limited to:

• pressure offloading
• orthotic therapy
• physical therapy
• shock wave therapy
• prolotherapy
• other injection therapies
• dry needling
• footwear modfications