Orthotic treatment of sesamoid pain.

The cause of pain and tenderness beneath the first metatarsal in an athlete is often very difficult to determine. When the symptoms originate from the sesamoid bone, exact diagnosis of the pathologic process may not be necessary in order to institute effective treatment. In this retrospective study, 8 of 10 athletes with this problem were successfully treated with custom-fitted orthoses which relieve sesamoid pain. The major benefit of this method of treatment is that it enables an athlete to continue participation without loss of valuable practice and competition time.