Morton’sNeuroma
What is a Neuroma?
A neuroma in the foot is a growth on a nerve from irritation from the surrounding bones. This growth or inflammation is benign and is made up of scar tissue. When pressure is placed on the inflamed nerve, it causes a burning sensation in the ball of the foot. This can also cause shooting pains into the toes. A neuroma in the foot is called a Morton’s neuroma after Dr. Morton who first described it in 1876.
What causes Morton’s Neuroma?
A neuroma is caused by irritation of the nerve from the surrounding metatarsals. This can happen to any nerve that is irritated. The most common area of the foot that gets a neuroma is between the 3rd and 4th metatarsals. The causes of this irritation is from the structure of the foot changing making the metatarsals be pinched together.
Ideally we all have a metatarsal or transverse arch that keeps the metatarsals slight spread out. Anything that causes this arch to flatten such as shoes, activity or foot structure can cause the metatarsals to irritate the nerves.
Shoes can be a big culprit of a neuroma. If the heel height is too much this will cause pressure at the forefoot. Or if the forefoot of the shoe slopes up too much at the end this will also flatten the metatarsal arch and irritate the nerves.
Wearing shoes that are too tight and not allow enough room for your toes will also pinch the metatarsals.
Doing activities like a stair stepper, elliptical, hiking steeper slopes, bending down to scrub the floor, doing planks and/or standing on a ladder are just a few of the activities that can flare up the nerves. These activities all cause the toes to be forced back and the metatarsals pushed down flattening the metatarsal arch.
Hammertoes are the contracture of the toes at one or both of the joints of the toes. Hammertoes flatten the metatarsal arch.
Anything that causes a person to walk on the outsides of our feet will also cause a flattening of the metatarsal arch. Most of the time we will walk on the outsides of our feet when we are trying to compensate from our arches flattening out due to plantar fasciitis or heel pain. The metatarsals are then pushing against each other causing the neuroma. Shoes that are worn down on the outside will also cause us to walk on the outside of our feet.
How do we get Morton’s Neuroma pain relief?
Keeping the metatarsal arch is the key. Obviously there will be times that you will do the activities that may aggravate and act to flatten this metatarsal arch. However, keeping these activities to a lesser time frame or alternating activities may be all you need to do to give your morton’s neuroma relief. For instance, if you are on the elliptical, try either lowering the slope or reducing the time on the elliptical. Same goes for walking on a treadmill. If you have the slope too high this may cause that burning sensation into the ball of the foot. Instead of having the slope high for the entire workout, try alternating the heights.
Simply changing your shoes can also give you neuroma pain relief. If worn often, a pair of shoes will only last about 6 months, depending upon your activity level. However, if you start seeing wear on the outside, they need to be discarded. Avoiding shoes that have a lot of heel height, too tight in the ball of the foot or too much upwards slope at the toes will help prevent injury to the nerves and give your relief of pain from the neuroma.
Insoles for morton’s neuroma should provide the support you need in all 3 areas of the foot- heel, arch and forefoot. Since most people who are having arch and/or heel pain due to plantar fasciitis or falling arches will compensate and walk on the outside of their feet, it is important to have a good insole. Morton’s neuroma insoles will support the metatarsal and longitudinal arch. In order to support this metatarsal arch, the insole for the morton’s neuroma has to go to the ball of the foot and not end behind it. This 3 point correction is found in our j1 insoles. Both styles of our j1 insoles will give you this neuroma pain relief.
Our patented j1 insoles for flat feet have the forefoot varus correction that is necessary if you have flat feet. Order your insoles for morton’s neuroma here if you have flat feet.
Our j1 insoles for average arches comes with a metatarsal pad to help maintain this metatarsal arch. These insoles for morton’s neuroma will relieve your burning pain in the ball of your foot.
Other Options For Neuroma Foot Pain Relief
The most common way to get relief of pain from a morton’s neuroma is proper shoe gear, limiting activities that irritate the nerve and wearing j1 insoles. Other options include anti-inflammatory medications for morton’s neuroma which would include ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) or Naprosyn. Icing the area for about 10 minutes would also help reduce the inflammation.
A metatarsal pad can also help give you neuroma pain relief. Relieve your neuroma pain with a toe straightener. They can be worn at the same time as your insoles but you will need to allow room in your shoes for both.
If the pain continues, your podiatrist can give you either a cortisone injection or alcohol (ethanol) injection which reduces the scar tissue surrounding the nerve. Rarely, surgery is done to remove the neuroma. Surgery is usually successful and will relieve the pain.
