Morton’s Neuroma
What is Morton’s Neuroma?
Morton’s Neuroma is a benign lump and thickening on a nerve in the ball of the foot. The nerve becomes thickened due to chronic trauma as a result of repeated stress from adjacent bones and traction applied to the sensory nerves.
Causes of Morton’s Neuroma:
Morton’s Neuroma seems to develop as a result of irritation and has been linked to the following:
- High heeled shoes
- Foot deformities
- Certain sports, especially running or high impact activities
Symptoms of Morton’s Neuroma:
Morton’s neuroma symptoms vary from person to person. Patients often feel as though they have a ‘sock rolles up’ or a burning pebble feeling under the ball of the feet. Sometime an electric shooting sensation, commonly to the 3rd and 4th toes, is experienced. This is usually relieved by removing the shoe. Foot pain from a Morton’s neuroma may include:
- Pain and soreness
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Difficulty walking
- Stiffness in the joint
- Burning sensation between the toes
Diagnosing Morton’s Neuroma:
At Podogo, our specialists can diagnose Morton’s neuroma by clinically assessing the foot. The foot is palpated at the painful area, eliciting a clicking sensation to assess the degree of symptoms. This will be followed by an ultrasound or an MRI scan to gauge the size and confirm the neuroma condition. We have specialist radiologists on our team that can accurately detect and diagnose Morton’s neuroma of the feet
Treatment of Morton's Neuroma:
Custom orthotics
Steroid guided injections
Surgical excision
Our podiatrist can assist with Morton’s neuroma treatments with custom orthotics and steroid injection.
Our surgeon, Mr Kaser Nazir, can assist with both steroid injections and surgical excision of the neuroma.
If you are unsure of which specialist to arrange with at first, we would suggest starting with Mr Kaser Nazir who can advise on all treatment plans, he can then refer to our podiatrist if orthotics are suggested.
Find out information on further issues that can affect the ball of your foot.
Frequently asked questions
There isn’t one best treatment for Morton’s neuroma but most people experience improvement from using orthotics or a corticosteroid therapeutic injection.You should also wear shoes that do not compress the toes together. Surgery may be suggested to excise the neuroma should conservative treatment not provide relief.
If left untreated the neuroma symptoms will usually persist and gradually worsen over time. Early symptoms typically produce a burning pain between the smaller toes, when the nerve thickens the burning sensation will intensify. You can occasionally experience a clunking sensation and sudden sharp pain.
A Morton’s neuroma can be diagnosed clinically but imaging is very good to confirm the condition. Clinical examination can sometimes reproduce the symptoms and identify thickening or clunking in the area. MRI and ultrasound can identify the structure and measure its dimensions. This allows planning of treatment options.
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