A plantar plate tear is a rather prevalent problem which causes pain underneath the ball of the feet. It is considered the final phase of a stress on the ligament under the joint that advances to a tear if there is no treatment used. The main cause of this condition is simply overuse. In the event that ligament under the joint get used an excessive amount with high activity amounts, it may initially come to be painful after which progress to a tear. The signs and symptoms are usually under and in front of the metatarsal head under the ball of the foot. The symptoms are worsened with larger levels of exercise.
The best way to start treating a plantar plate tear is to apply taping to hold the toe in a plantarflexed position therefore the tension is taken off the ligament which is given a chance to heal. It might be a bit frustrating to keep strapping the foot daily that may take several months to fully get better. For that reason, there are a variety of unique types of braces such as the Fix Toe that you can use. They usually are not quite as beneficial as the taping, but they will be more than effective if taping is used during the early stages. This will likely have to be kept up for a few months to get a good result. Insoles in the shoes with metatarsal pads may also be used to help secure the toe plantarflexed. If weightbearing is uncomfortable, then pads on the insole may be used to maintain weight of the painful place and at least that'll make it comfortable while healing takes place. Usually this can help. Sometimes some anti-inflammatory medicines as well as the use of ice may be required if it gets too painful may be required. When this strategy doesn't work, then surgical treatments needs to be considered to take care of the tear, but a majority of cases of a plantar plate tear do heal on their own.