Morton’s neuroma is a painful condition that impacts the ball of your foot. But what causes Morton’s neuroma?
What Is Morton’s Neuroma?
Despite being extremely painful, it is a benign condition. A neuroma is a disorganized growth of nerve cells at the site of a nerve injury. It happens after a nerve is partially or completely impacted by trauma. Morton’s neuroma is referred to as an intermetatarsal neuroma because it’s found on the ball of your feet between your metatarsal bones. Metatarsals are the tubular bones between your ankle and toe bones.
Morton’s neuroma occurs when the tissue around a nerve that leads to a toe thickens. This is often due to irritation or compression and is usually found between your third and fourth toes. However, it can occur between other toes as well. The condition most commonly impacts women between the ages of 40 and 60. Below you will find more information on how you get Morton’s neuroma, the symptoms, and treatment.
Causes of Morton’s Neuroma
There are a variety of causes and risk factors that can lead to the condition.
- Certain Sports Activities: Any sports that include repetitive, high-impact movements can cause Morton’s neuroma. This includes jogging and long-distance running. Sports that also require tight-fitting shoes that put pressure on your toes can be problematic. Sports such as rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, and figure skating all require tight-fitting shoes that could be harmful to your feet.
- High Heels: High heels elevate your heel and place all of your body weight and excess pressure on your toes. Walking in high heels requires repetitive strides that can place a lot of pressure on the balls of your feet and your toes.
- Other Foot Conditions: Those who already have certain foot conditions, including hammertoe, bunions, high arches, or flat feet are at a much higher risk when it comes to Morton’s neuroma.
- Injury: Depending on the injury, a foot trauma can potentially result in the condition.
Symptoms of Morton’s Neuroma
Unlike some other foot conditions, Morton’s neuroma doesn’t show any outward signs indicating any sort of issue such as swelling or lumps. However, you will likely experience pain that is often intermittent. Some experience the feeling of a pebble in their shoe, burning pain in the ball of your feet, or numbness or tingling in your toes. The pain can get so difficult that you experience difficulty walking.
If you experience any of the symptoms above for more than a few days it’s time to seek medical help. Try changing your shoes and reducing the stress on your foot once you start feeling pain, but don’t let it go for too long without intervention if the pain doesn’t subside.
Treatment for Morton’s Neuroma
The most effective treatment option for the condition is Morton’s neuroma surgery (also referred to as a “neurectomy”). Surgical removal of the growth is necessary to reduce your pain levels. Depending on what the surgeon advises, there are two ways to complete the procedure. One involves removal from the top of your foot and the other from the side of your foot. This depends entirely on the severity and location of the nerve growth. This treatment is important as you can cause more issues by allowing the pain to continue as it can affect your gate and alignment.
Top Podiatrist
If you have foot pain in combination with any of the symptoms above, contact the experts at Jamfeet. The team at Jamfeet believes in comprehensive patient care and is focused on getting you back to full health. Contact the top podiatrist in Los Angeles today for an appointment!