--- title: "Pain in Ball of Foot | Sutter Health" description: "I have pain across the ball of my right foot, making it tender to walk on. I've been doing a new type of activity - dancing Zumba in new shoes - but this pain showed up five days after the last class. Could it be related? If not, what are likely causes?" url: "/ask-an-expert/answers/pain-in-ball-of-foot-1051061350" --- 1. Home / 2. Pain in Ball of Foot # Pain in Ball of Foot * * * Medically reviewed by - Carolyn E. McAloon, DPM ## Question I have pain across the ball of my right foot, making it tender to walk on. I've been doing a new type of activity - dancing Zumba in new shoes - but this pain showed up five days after the last class. Could it be related? If not, what are likely causes? ## Answer Zumba is fun, but this new activity can certainly be the cause of your foot pain. You are right to be concerned because foot pain is not normal. There are a number of common foot problems that can cause pain in the ball of your foot. Stress fractures, nerve inflammation (neuroma), joint inflammation (capsulitis), tendinitis, or a sprain can all be possible causes. I recommend that you seek care from your podiatrist for an evaluation, that may include x-rays, to find out what is causing your foot pain. Once a proper diagnosis is made, an effective treatment plan can be implemented so that you can Zumba again in no time. ## Explore related topics Foot healthBones, joints and muscles ## Related questions View all questions - Health Q&A ### Ankle Rehabilitation After Injuries I have fractured my ankle multiple times. Do you have any suggestions for exercises that would strengthen this area? - Health Q&A ### Bunion Causes and Treatment I have a bunion on my large toe that becomes painful and swollen, especially when I wear high heels. 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View all questions ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/pain-in-ball-of-foot-1051061350#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Pain in Ball of Foot"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalWebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/pain-in-ball-of-foot-1051061350#medicalwebpage","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/pain-in-ball-of-foot-1051061350","name":"Pain in Ball of Foot","description":"Zumba is fun, but this new activity can certainly be the cause of your foot pain.","inLanguage":"en-US","medicalAudience":{"@type":"MedicalAudience","audienceType":"Patient"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/pain-in-ball-of-foot-1051061350#breadcrumblist"},"mainEntity":{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/pain-in-ball-of-foot-1051061350#question","name":"Pain in Ball of Foot","text":"I have pain across the ball of my right foot, making it tender to walk on. 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