Treating Mortons Neuroma
Overview
Morton?s Neuroma is a pain condition that affects your feet and toes. If you are suffering from Morton?s Neuroma, a growth of tissue has developed over one of the nerves running from your feet into your toes. This growth can cause inflammation and pain whenever you use your foot. A type of benign tumor, Morton?s Neuroma typically develops in the space between the third and fourth toes, although it can also form between the second and third toes. When you walk, the bones and ligaments in the top of your foot press down on this growth, causing pressure and pain.
Causes
Although in many areas of medicine, it?s easy to pinpoint the exact source of a problem (the way a specific germ causes a certain illness with recognizable symptoms), neuromas are harder to categorize. While there isn?t really one exact cause, podiatric physicians tend to agree that a neuroma can occur in response to the irritation of a nerve by one or more factors. Abnormality in foot function or foot mechanics: In other words, a foot that doesn?t move the way science thinks it should. In general, this means a pronated foot (one with an excessive rolling motion when the patient is walking, running or doing any kind of activity), because it causes excessive strain on the nerve. If you are not certain whether or not this is a problem for you, ask your podiatric physician, who will be able to examine your feet, as well as the wear pattern on your shoe, and give you an answer. Foot mechanics, and problems with them, tend to run in families, so if you know that a relative has had foot pain similar to yours, be sure to mention it.
Symptoms
You may initially experience a tingling sensation in the space between your toes, which gets worse over time. This leads to cramp in your toes and a sharp shooting or burning pain on the ball of your foot or at the base of your toes. The pain is often worse when walking or wearing shoes that press on the affected area. This is caused by irritation of the nerve between your toe bones (metatarsal bones). The tingling will eventually lead to pain, which can get worse over time. You may also experience cramping of your toes. The pain is usually felt as a sharp shooting or burning pain on the ball of the foot or at the base of the toes, which is often made worse when you're walking. Some people with Morton's neuroma feel anxious about walking or even placing their foot on the ground. The pain is likely to be more intense if you wear tight shoes, so wearing shoes that have more room in the toe area can help. Rubbing your foot may also lessen the pain.
Diagnosis
The exact cause of Mortons neuroma can often vary between patients. An accurate diagnosis must be carefully made by the podiatrist through thorough history taking and direct questioning to ensure all possible causes are addressed. The podiatrist will also gather further information about the cause through a hands on assessment where they will try to reproduce your symptoms. A biomechanical and gait analysis will also be performed to assess whether poor foot alignment and function has contributed to your neuroma.
Non Surgical Treatment
It can be helpful to perform deep stripping massage techniques along the length of the tibial nerve and the medial and lateral plantar nerves. After properly mobilizing these tissues, moving the foot and toes through a full range of motion to make sure the nerve can move freely will also be helpful. Foot pain like that occurring in Morton's neuroma, can become a debilitating and painful condition. And while massage can be helpful for this condition, it is also clear that improperly applied massage can aggravate it and make it worse. Consequently it is crucial that we use good clinical reasoning and appropriate evaluation methods to most effectively help these clients.
Surgical Treatment
If your pain continues despite several months of conservative treatment, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove the neuroma or to widen the space through which the affected nerve travels. These types of surgery often are done under local anesthesia. If your doctor removes a portion of the affected nerve along with the neuroma, you may develop permanent numbness between the toes.
Morton?s Neuroma is a pain condition that affects your feet and toes. If you are suffering from Morton?s Neuroma, a growth of tissue has developed over one of the nerves running from your feet into your toes. This growth can cause inflammation and pain whenever you use your foot. A type of benign tumor, Morton?s Neuroma typically develops in the space between the third and fourth toes, although it can also form between the second and third toes. When you walk, the bones and ligaments in the top of your foot press down on this growth, causing pressure and pain.Causes
Although in many areas of medicine, it?s easy to pinpoint the exact source of a problem (the way a specific germ causes a certain illness with recognizable symptoms), neuromas are harder to categorize. While there isn?t really one exact cause, podiatric physicians tend to agree that a neuroma can occur in response to the irritation of a nerve by one or more factors. Abnormality in foot function or foot mechanics: In other words, a foot that doesn?t move the way science thinks it should. In general, this means a pronated foot (one with an excessive rolling motion when the patient is walking, running or doing any kind of activity), because it causes excessive strain on the nerve. If you are not certain whether or not this is a problem for you, ask your podiatric physician, who will be able to examine your feet, as well as the wear pattern on your shoe, and give you an answer. Foot mechanics, and problems with them, tend to run in families, so if you know that a relative has had foot pain similar to yours, be sure to mention it.
Symptoms
You may initially experience a tingling sensation in the space between your toes, which gets worse over time. This leads to cramp in your toes and a sharp shooting or burning pain on the ball of your foot or at the base of your toes. The pain is often worse when walking or wearing shoes that press on the affected area. This is caused by irritation of the nerve between your toe bones (metatarsal bones). The tingling will eventually lead to pain, which can get worse over time. You may also experience cramping of your toes. The pain is usually felt as a sharp shooting or burning pain on the ball of the foot or at the base of the toes, which is often made worse when you're walking. Some people with Morton's neuroma feel anxious about walking or even placing their foot on the ground. The pain is likely to be more intense if you wear tight shoes, so wearing shoes that have more room in the toe area can help. Rubbing your foot may also lessen the pain.
Diagnosis
The exact cause of Mortons neuroma can often vary between patients. An accurate diagnosis must be carefully made by the podiatrist through thorough history taking and direct questioning to ensure all possible causes are addressed. The podiatrist will also gather further information about the cause through a hands on assessment where they will try to reproduce your symptoms. A biomechanical and gait analysis will also be performed to assess whether poor foot alignment and function has contributed to your neuroma.
Non Surgical Treatment
It can be helpful to perform deep stripping massage techniques along the length of the tibial nerve and the medial and lateral plantar nerves. After properly mobilizing these tissues, moving the foot and toes through a full range of motion to make sure the nerve can move freely will also be helpful. Foot pain like that occurring in Morton's neuroma, can become a debilitating and painful condition. And while massage can be helpful for this condition, it is also clear that improperly applied massage can aggravate it and make it worse. Consequently it is crucial that we use good clinical reasoning and appropriate evaluation methods to most effectively help these clients.
Surgical Treatment
If your pain continues despite several months of conservative treatment, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove the neuroma or to widen the space through which the affected nerve travels. These types of surgery often are done under local anesthesia. If your doctor removes a portion of the affected nerve along with the neuroma, you may develop permanent numbness between the toes.
