Chronic foot pain can be very frustrating and even disabling.  Metatarsalgia is a broad term that refers to several painful foot conditions including bursitis, arthritis, Morton's neuroma and sesamoiditis.  This type of foot pain affects millions of Americans each year and makes walking very painful and difficult.  As a result, they become less active and often gain weight which exacerbates the problem.

When a person is walking, the ball of the foot bears 100% of the person's body weight briefly during each step forward.  This pressure on the balls of the feet increases when we carry objects, run or put on extra weight.  Activities such as running or jumping can actually put 3-4 times as much pressure on your feet as walking.

Wearing flip flops, high heels or other shoes with little or no arch support tend to make matters worse.  Another issue is spending time standing on concrete, this issue affects many in the retail industry.  Without proper cushion and arch support the arch of your foot tends to give in order to spread out the weight over a larger surface area.  

According to Australian Podiatrist Phillip Vasyli chronic foot pain while standing on hard surfaces can be an indication of excess pronation.  In this Foot Pain Video he demonstrates how excess pronation of the foot caused by fallen arches can cause serious foot pain as well as pain in other parts of the body such as your legs or lower back.

In cases where this is the issue a good Orthotic insert or Orthotic sandal can dramatically reduce the stress on your feet, reducing painful symptoms.  If orthotics are going to work, customers will usually notice results within the first few weeks of wearing them.  The initial break in period is about a week to 10 days where your feet adjust to wearing them.  During this time you may want to start out wearing them for only a few hours at a time.  D-Med Inc. offers a full 90 day satisfaction guarantee, so that will give you more than enough time to see if orthotics will help with your foot problems.

There are several different types of orthotic inserts to choose from as well as several sandals and flip flops.  Each is designed to work best with whatever shoe or activity for which you want to use them.