Ball of foot pain (Morton's Neuroma)
A Morton's neuroma is a common foot complaint whereby tissue surrounding one or more digital nerves becomes thickened. Symptoms often vary however often involve burning/sharp pain, numbness, and/or radiating pain between two digits. The most common site for this to occur is between the 3rd and 4th digital space.
A common analogy often used is when patients state that they feel like they are ‘standing on a pebble’.
What are the risk factors?
- High heel shoes
- Narrow/tight footwear
- High impact/jumping/running
- Foot trauma
- Bunions
- Hammer toes
- High arches
- Flat feet
So how do we treat this?
Less invasive treatment options often work quite effectively and they include:
- Wider shoes
- Metatarsal domes
- Ice
- Activity reduction
- Orthotics
- Dry needling
- Rest
More invasive treatment options include the following:
- Glucose/cortisone injections
- Surgery
Neuromas can be quite stubborn whereby early intervention often results in faster success rates as long term swelling around a nerve can be more fibrous and harder to treat.
Words from our podiatrist,
Daniel Talevski