Ball-of-foot pain is used to describe any pain experienced in the forefoot, between the arch of your foot and your toes.

The ball of the foot is one of the areas of the foot (along with the heel) that absorbs the most shock during any activity. When moving, most people "land" with the heel of their foot and then "push" with the ball of their foot. This means that these two parts of the foot bear higher strain during any movement.

In addition, even standing places pressure on the ball-of-foot, so there's not many times when you're on your feet that the ball of your foot isn't bearing some degree of pressure or strain, which can cause general ball-of-foot pain over time.

Yes, there are a number of foot conditions that can cause ball-of-foot pain.

Fat pad atrophy is a common example of such a foot condition. Every person has a natural layer of fat in their foot under the heel and ball-of-foot to help absorb impact shock on the foot; fat pad atrophy is the thinning of this fat pad, which leads to more impact shock on the structure of the foot, which leads to pain and inflammation.

Arthritis can also cause ball-of-foot pain. There are a number of joints within the forefoot, and arthritis can cause these joints to become painful and cause pain within the ball of the foot.

The best way to prevent ball-of-foot pain is to simply ensure that you have proper cushioning beneath the ball of your foot.

When wearing shoes, insoles that have good cushioning and a ball-of-foot pad built in are great for ensuring that your ball-of-foot has the support it needs. If replacing the insoles in your shoes isn't an option, then adding a ball-of-foot cushion is a great alternative.

When not wearing shoes, padded or cushioned socks work well to add cushioning to your feet, especially when compared to walking barefoot.

Treatment for ball-of-foot pain depends on the cause of the pain. In general, however, adding cushioning and shock absorption to help reduce the pressure and impact shock on the ball-of-foot is always the first step in alleviating ball-of-foot pain.