Nothing to do with Aha.

I’ve just been told that this is what is causing my increasing pain in my right foot.

I’ve got a feeling that I may have done something from digging the foundations to my shed, from all the spade stamping.

Anyway, I can sometimes struggle to walk on it getting out of bed in the morning and was wondering if any folks here might suffer too and have some tips?

I’ve been told to try an orthotic that is supposed to open up the joints and relieve it. That’s on order so I’ll see how that goes. She also suggested rubbing anti inflam gel into it several times a day.

It never goes apparently, but next course is steroid injections then finally surgery but not recommended.

Tell me your Morton’s Neuroma stories…

I’m pretty sure I’ve got one, though the orthopod I saw at the time wasn’t sure (he did say that it’s be more likely if it didn’t wear off – that was 20 years ago)
Mine became a problem after a weekend where I played two hours of five-a-side footy, couldn’t walk for several days afterwards. Now it’s typically one shooting pain in the nerve after getting out of bed or up after sitting for a long time, otherwise mostly just an ache.
I do get a bit of benefit from arch supports but nothing makes it disappear.

Painful! Am currently being treated (via carbon orthotic insole) conservatively to see how it goes (have at least 2 MNs following arthritis which forced me to walk badly for years and set up the nerve problems). Surgery is an option if it doesn’t work, but risk there of losing the feeling in toe/s.

I also have to do stretching exercises (gastrocnemius stretch – x5 each leg three times a day) to improve foot flexion, my podiatrist said that could be a ‘big part of the problem’. I’ve read much to support this.

Get a full biomechanical evaluation from podiatrist if you haven’t already.

My pod also said a lot of the time it’s just having shoes that are too narrow, especially in the toe box – so look at that also. I have to buy wider shoes now.

Rocker soles (Skechers shape-ups, MBT, Ryn etc) make a big difference too. I can almost eliminate the pain by wearing these simply because they take the pressure off the metatarsal area, but just bought some expensive Ryn shoes and they are too narrow, so actually make it worse. Fit is everything.

I developed one a few years back after having a big toe fusion, due injury related arthritis. I had a year perhaps of steroid injections which didn’t do much. I already wore orthotics, which had been recast to my gait post toe fusion. I eventually had surgery which helped a lot and wasn’t painful and didn’t need more than a few weeks rest to recover. I still wear the orthotics and I also have a silicon support between my toes, but that’s more to do with pain in met heads due all the messing around my foot gait has had.

Getting it sorted with surgery was a big relief and worked well for me.

I’m suffering with one at the moment. I’ve had it for about 5 years. Mine was brought on by a pair of walking boots which were to tight. I’ve had the steroid injection, which did nothing. I’m getting it treated at The Barn Clinic in Sheffield in about 3 weeks time. I could have had it done on the NHS, but it looked like I’d be out of action for a few weeks, so I thought I’d try Cryosurgery.

With mine, I can walk / cycle for about an hour with no problem, it then gets very painful, very quickly. I wish I hadn’t waited so long to get it treated. I have made sure I buy the widest shoes I can get away with, other than that, I’m not sure if there is much you can do.

Hmmm, thanks folks.
I’ll look at my boots again. I wear steel toe capped boots for work so they potentially could be causing issues.

The podiatrist said that unusually, my MN is between my little toe and the next one, whereas usually they are between the second and third toes…

The thing that makes me think I may have been misdiagnosed is that really, my pain goes quite far down the outer edge-blade of my foot, and isn’t really directly in the area that the illustration above would suggest it would be.

He did an ultrasound but to me, the picture just looked like a pint of Guinness…

I had one when I was doing lots of running 50 miles a week plus. Bloody painful. I got accessed by ortho pod and sent to get shoe inserts. Which reduced the pain as they spread my toes. So I stopped running and now the pain has fully subsided. Hoping to start running again soon but will limit mileage to sensible amount to avoid overuse injuries

I had one, very painful and got to the point I couldn`t cycle or walk too far, had steroid injections but actually made it much worse so eventually had surgery.

My surgery did not go that well, turns out I had a bursa as well as a neuroma and post surgery my wound opened up when the stitches were removed as a haematoma had developed, it had to be left open and it took three months to heal and I could not ride for a year due to the pain, I also now have a Frankenstein foot as a tendon no longer fires so my third toe sits proud of the others, getting shoes after the op was a nightmare as my foot was so swollen, five years on my left foot is still larger than my right but I`m fairly pain free.

Only go with surgery if you really have to.

I also suffer from this in both feet and eventually went down the surgery route after no luck with insoles / shoes / stretching and injections.

The one major complication of surgery happened to me in both feet (stump neuroma) and am now facing further surgery. I’m currently looking into Cryosurgey as mentioned by lodious above. lodious – I’d be really interested to hear how you get on!

Its a nasty little condition and I really hope you have better luck than i’ve had!

I’ve got a for problem that i’ve had for the past 7 years that the experts 99% don’t think is a neuroma as mine is between 4th & 5th metatarsal and MRI’s don’t show anything. But they all say don’t go for surgery unless it is the last option as that can cause more trouble long term.

Kayak23 my pain starts where the picture is but as said between the 4th & 5th toe and runs down the side to the middle of the foot. Ultra sound, 2 MRI’s and nerve test didn’t show anything and 9 cortisone injections with 2 under x-ray to get right between the joints of the foot while also injecting some other stuff and putting electrical impulses in didn’t do much, shoe inserts did nothing, Amitriptyline (evil stuff), Nortriptyline and currently Gabapentin hasn’t cured it though the pain has gone from a 10 down to a 4 on a bad day.

Last resort is to kill the nerve and hope it re-grows back normally and that cures it. Up side is I won’t feel anything on that side of the foot for a while, down side is I won’t feel anything on that side of the foot so will have to be very careful not to tread on any nails as I won’t know.

Professor Bill Ribbans who’s an expert on these things reckon a neuroma is extremely rare between the 4th and 5th metatarsal.

Cortisone shot helped mine (but mine is in the ‘normal’ mid-point of the foot).

Doc also recommended warm Epsom salt foot soaks and ice massage in the nerve direction.

Shoewise prior to orthotics showing up doc suggested some squishy running shoes such as Asics gel nimbus (which didn’t fit me well) so I ended up in saucony triumphs.

All things helped, just have to watch for overly narrow shoes.

STL

That’s worrying reading Kuco. Sounds very much like what I’m experiencing.
I do feel I’ve so far been misdiagnosed as the pain is as you describe, down the edge of the foot to the middle.
Doesn’t seem to radiate from the usual neuroma area and they did say after the ultrasound that it appeared to be between the 4th and 5th.
🙁

Reading this thread as I am going to be treated at the Barn Clinic Sheffield for MN in a months time. I can see others have also posted prior to their treatment but not afterwards, would be interested to hear from anyone who has undergone cryosurgery for Mortons Neuroma.
Mine are between digits 3 and 4 on each foot, and surrounded by Bursa’s. My success estimate is 75%. Mine developed in 2007 following bunion surgery, most likely as a result of over pronation. I am having the cryo one foot at a time as I really want to have the best chance of recovery. Will post back after op if anyone is interested.

I can see others have also posted prior to their treatment but not afterwards

Err, no, I posted up :

I still wear the orthotics and I also have a silicon support between my toes, but that’s more to do with pain in met heads due all the messing around my foot gait has had.

Getting it sorted with surgery was a big relief and worked well for me.

Email in profile if you want any details, cheers

Iainc, I was referring to the cryo surgery at Barn Clinic, 2 different posters said they were going for it, but didn’t post back afterwards. Apologies if you thought I was disregarding your surgery 🙂

^^^^ no worries, hope all goes to plan, cheers