Morton’s Neuroma is a swollen nerve between the third and fourth toe and is a benign (non-cancerous) growth of nerve tissue. Morton’s Neuroma is not so much a tumor as it is a thickening of tissues surrounding the nerves that lead to the digital of your toe(s). It has been shown by many patients that Morton’s Neuroma will only attack a patients third and fourth toe and never on any other toes. This means that a patient who claims to be suffering from this problem can then narrow it down for their doctor who can then make a full diagnosis with Morton’s Neuroma as the prime diagnosis in the doctor’s mind. Any sign of a patient contracting this problem will usually result in the doctor sending the patient to hospital for an x-ray.

Causes of Morton's Neuroma

Mortons Neuroma is caused by the irritation of the common intermetatarsal nerve as it passes through the forefoot to the toes. Morton's neuroma is an inflammation caused by a buildup of fibrous tissue on the outer coating of nerves running to the toes. This irritation can be caused by -

Wearing high-heeled shoes or shoes that are tight or ill-fitting.
Trauma to the foot caused by an injury (such as a sprain of fracture).
Repetitive trauma to the foot (such as High-impact athletic activities,jogging, basketball).

Sings and Symptoms of Morton's Neuroma

The common symptom of Morton's neuroma are as follows :-

A burning pain in the ball of your foot that may radiate into your toes.
Tingling or numbness in your toes.
A snapping sensation or electical shock sensation.
Pain usually is less severe when the foot is not bearing weight.
A dull achy sensation in the forefoot usually between the third and fourth toes.
Pain that increased with the time a persone spent on their feet,particularly in high hells.

Treatment for Morton's Neuroma

The initial treatment for Morton's Neuroma consists of padding and taping to disperse weight away form the Neuroma.
A switch to shoes with low heels, wide toes and good arch support.
Padding techniques, including metatarsal pads or toe crest pads.
Shoe inserts (orthotics) to help correct any mechanical imbalance in the foot.
Anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and other brand names) or naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn and other brand names).
A local injection of anesthetic and corticosteroid medication into the affected area.
Pads for the weight-bearing part of the foot may help relieve the pressure on the nerve.
Cold ice-pack compresses can be useful in reducing any swelling in morton's neuroma.

Mortons Neuroma Surgery

Surgical Surgery removal of the growth may be necessary if other treatments fail to provide pain relief. Although surgery is usually highly successful, doctors often turn to surgery as a last resort, because the procedure removes both the neuroma and the nerve, which can leave permanent numbness in the affected toes.

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