If you have pain in the ball of your foot – kind of like when you have a pebble in your shoe, or when you sock is bunched up under your toes – then you may have Morton’s neuroma.
This painful condition causes pain, but you won’t notice any lump or other outward sign. Symptoms include:
Tingling or numbness in your toes
Burning pain that radiates from the ball of your foot to your toes
A feeling that there is something in your shoe
A neuroma is a thickening of the tissue around the nerve that responds to irritation, injury, or pressure. It is benign, but can be irritating when you walk.
Wearing high heels that force your toes into a narrow, tight space puts you at risk of a Morton’s neuroma. Other factors that can cause a neuroma are, participating in sports like running, jogging, and basketball, or if you have a foot deformity like a bunion, high arch, flat foot or hammertoe.
Treating Morton’s Neuroma
Once we have confirmed our diagnosis of a neuroma, our treatments will depend on how severe your symptoms are. Just by switching to lower-heeled shoes with a wide toe box can relieve the pressure and the pain.
At our office, we will try conservative methods first. These include custom-fitted orthotics that fit just your foot and that help reduce pressure on the nerve. Steroid injections can also help lessen the pressure.
If non-invasive treatments don’t work, we will discuss surgery with you to help relieve the nerve pressure.
Don’t put up with neuroma pain – call us today! We are here to help.
Let Us Know If You Have Pain in the Ball of the Foot
Foot or toe pain is not normal! If you have toenail pain, heel pain or plantar fasciitis, discomfort from arthritis, an injury or just from overuse, please call Michele Kurlanski, DPM at Lighthouse Foot and Ankle Center. Dr. Kurlanski offers expert and professional podiatry services in Cumberland County, Maine. Please call us today at 207-774-0028 to schedule your appointment in our Scarborough office.
