Pain in your foot can hobble your entire life. Not only does your foot hurt, the rest of your body may try to compensate for the pain and throw itself out of alignment. A classic type of foot pain that may prevent you from fulfilling your daily responsibilities is Morton's neuroma. Morton’s neuroma is located in the ball of your foot, but the pain can radiate elsewhere.
To help you better identify this condition so you can seek treatment, the team of foot health experts here at Foot & Ankle Associates in Colorado Springs, Colorado, compiled the following information on Morton’s neuroma. Here’s why you have a neuroma, what you can do to treat it, and how to keep it from getting worse.
Neuromas are thicker-than-normal nerve tissue. You can develop neuromas in different areas in your body, but the ones that occur in the balls of your feet are called intermetatarsal neuromas, or Morton’s neuromas. Morton’s neuroma typically develops between your third and fourth toes, though it can occur between your second and third toes, too.
Does the ball of your foot hurt? The classic symptoms of a Morton’s neuroma are:
The symptoms of a neuroma usually start out as mild. However, the longer the condition goes untreated and the nerve tissue continues to thicken, the more severe symptoms become.
The most common cause of Morton’s neuroma is excess pressure on a nerve in your foot. The pressure causes the nerve to build extra tissue to protect itself. Of course, you place pressure on the balls of your feet every time you take a step. However, Morton’s neuroma develops due to excessive pressure, such as that caused by:
Morton’s neuromas tend to develop more often in women than in men, mostly due to footwear choices.
Morton’s neuromas are progressive. That’s why it’s important to seek our help at the first signs of trouble. When we catch the problem early enough, we can usually treat your neuroma with conservative measures, such as:
When these conservative measures don’t remedy your pain or other symptoms, we may recommend a surgery. During a surgical procedure, we either remove pressure on the affected nerve or remove the damaged nerve itself. We usually perform this minor surgery in our office on an outpatient basis.
If you suspect that you have Morton's neuroma, please contact our office in Colorado Springs, Colorado today. Reach our friendly team by phone or online form.
