Neuroma, also known as Morton’s neuroma, can be a rather painful condition. It affects mainly the ball of the foot as well as between the third and fourth toes. It can make you feel like you’re standing on a small object or have something in your shoe or sock. This is due to thicker tissue around the nerves, which then leads to sharp or burning pain in the ball of the foot.
What Causes Neuroma?
There are several factors that put you at a higher risk of developing neuromas. These include wearing high heels or ill-fitting shoes often since they put extra pressure on the ball of your foot, playing high-impact sports, or having foot deformities such as hammertoes, bunions, or flat feet.
What are the Main Morton’s Neuroma Symptoms?
A neuroma can be hard to pinpoint on your own because there is no physical, outward sign or deformity that something is wrong. It’s typically diagnosed based on the sensations or physical symptoms you experience. If you feel like you’re standing on a pebble when there is nothing in your shoe or sock, have recurring burning in the ball of your foot that reaches your toes, or have tingling or numbness in your toes, you might be suffering from this condition.
What is the Best Treatment for Morton’s Neuroma?
There are many treatment options for this condition, ranging in severity depending on how bad your symptoms are. Your doctor will most likely start you out with making lifestyle changes, such as making sure you’re wearing shoes that give the ball of your foot and toes plenty of space. They may also suggest foot pads that help reduce pressure from the ball of your foot. These can either be store-bought or custom-made for your feet.
If these conservative treatments aren’t effective, your doctor may suggest more invasive treatments such as steroid injections, decompression surgery, or surgery to remove the nerve altogether.
Contact Us Today
If you’re experiencing some of these symptoms and the pain doesn’t go away after a few days or starts to interfere more with your daily activities, we encourage you to see one of our doctors today. You will be able to discuss your symptoms with our foot doctor by the south side of Chicago to come up with a treatment plan that works for you. We look forward to treating you for all of your foot and ankle care needs!