What Is Mortons Neuroma
Overview
Neuromas are generally benign or non-cancerous growths of nerve tissue, developing in various parts of the body. Morton?s Neuromas are confined to the nerves of the foot, most commonly, between the third and fourth toes. The condition involves a thickening of the tissue around one of the digital nerves leading to the toes and does not qualify as an actual tumor. The affliction causes a sharp, burning pain, usually in the region of the ball of the foot. A patient?s toes may also sting, burn or exhibit numbness. Often, the symptoms have been likened to ?walking on a marble.?
Causes
Anything that causes compression or irritation of the nerve can lead to the development of a neuroma. One of the most common causes comes from wearing shoes that have a tapered toe box, or high-heeled shoes that cause the toes to be forced into the toe box and overload pressure onto the forefoot. An injury or trauma to the forefoot may also lead to a neuroma. People at a higher risk of developing a Neuroma include people with certain foot deformities, such as bunions or hammertoes. Certain foot types, such as flat feet (Pronation) More flexible feet, and woman after pregnancy.
Symptoms
You may initially experience a tingling sensation in the space between your toes, which gets worse over time. This leads to cramp in your toes and a sharp shooting or burning pain on the ball of your foot or at the base of your toes. The pain is often worse when walking or wearing shoes that press on the affected area. This is caused by irritation of the nerve between your toe bones (metatarsal bones). The tingling will eventually lead to pain, which can get worse over time. You may also experience cramping of your toes. The pain is usually felt as a sharp shooting or burning pain on the ball of the foot or at the base of the toes, which is often made worse when you're walking. Some people with Morton's neuroma feel anxious about walking or even placing their foot on the ground. The pain is likely to be more intense if you wear tight shoes, so wearing shoes that have more room in the toe area can help. Rubbing your foot may also lessen the pain.
Diagnosis
The most common condition misdiagnosed as Morton's neuroma is metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint synovitis. When pain occurs in the third interspace, the clinician may misdiagnose the condition as Morton's neuroma instead of MTP synovitis, which may manifest very much like Morton's neuroma. MTP synovitis is distinguished from Morton's neuroma by subtle swelling around the joint, pain localized mainly within the joint, and pain with forced toe flexion. Palpation of the MTP joint is performed best with a pinching maneuver from the dorsal and plantar aspects of the joint to elicit tenderness of the joint. Other conditions often misdiagnosed as Morton's neuroma include the following. Stress fracture of the neck of the metatarsal. Rheumatoid arthritis and other systemic arthritic conditions. Hammertoe. Metatarsalgia (ie, plantar tenderness over the metatarsal head) Less common conditions that have overlapping symptoms with Morton's neuroma include the following. Neoplasms. Metatarsal head osteonecrosis. Freiburg. steochondrosis. Ganglion cysts. Intermetatarsal bursal fluid collections. True neuromas.
Non Surgical Treatment
There are various options for treating the condition, depending on its severity. Self-treatment. Here are some simple steps that may improve symptoms. Wear supportive shoes with a wide toe box. Do not lace the forefoot of the shoe too tightly. Shoes with shock-absorbent soles and proper insoles are recommended. Do not wear tight or pointed toed shoes or shoes with heels more than 2 inches high. Use over-the-counter shoe pads to relieve pressure. Apply an ice pack to the affected area to reduce pain and swelling. Rest your feet and massage the painful area. There are drugs that may temporarily relieve the pain and other symptoms of Morton?s neuroma. Long-term use of these medications is not recommended. Anti-inflammatory drugs-Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen or aspirin, may be taken orally to reduce pain and inflammation. Anti-inflammatory drugs can also be administered by direct injection into the skin. Local anesthetic. An anesthetic injection will temporarily relieve pain by numbing the affected nerve. Orthotics. These are custom-designed shoe inserts that can reduce some of the pain associated with Morton?s neuroma. Sometimes padding is placed around the toe area, and tape is applied to hold the padding in place.
Surgical Treatment
If other therapies have not worked it may be necessary to perform surgery. As surgery may result in permanent numbness in the affected toe, doctors ten to use this procedure as a last resort. However, in most cases surgery is extremely effective. The patient usually receives a local anesthetic. Surgery involves either removing the nerve, or removing the pressure on the nerve. Two surgical approaches are possible. The dorsal approach, the surgeon makes an incision on the top of the foot, allowing the patient to walk soon after surgery, because the stitches are not on the weight-bearing side of the foot. The plantar approach, the surgeon makes an incision on the sole of the foot. In most cases the patient will be in crutches for about three weeks. The resulting scar may make walking uncomfortable. However, with this approach the neuroma can be reached easily and resected without cutting any structures. There is a small risk of infection around the toes after surgery.
Neuromas are generally benign or non-cancerous growths of nerve tissue, developing in various parts of the body. Morton?s Neuromas are confined to the nerves of the foot, most commonly, between the third and fourth toes. The condition involves a thickening of the tissue around one of the digital nerves leading to the toes and does not qualify as an actual tumor. The affliction causes a sharp, burning pain, usually in the region of the ball of the foot. A patient?s toes may also sting, burn or exhibit numbness. Often, the symptoms have been likened to ?walking on a marble.?Causes
Anything that causes compression or irritation of the nerve can lead to the development of a neuroma. One of the most common causes comes from wearing shoes that have a tapered toe box, or high-heeled shoes that cause the toes to be forced into the toe box and overload pressure onto the forefoot. An injury or trauma to the forefoot may also lead to a neuroma. People at a higher risk of developing a Neuroma include people with certain foot deformities, such as bunions or hammertoes. Certain foot types, such as flat feet (Pronation) More flexible feet, and woman after pregnancy.
Symptoms
You may initially experience a tingling sensation in the space between your toes, which gets worse over time. This leads to cramp in your toes and a sharp shooting or burning pain on the ball of your foot or at the base of your toes. The pain is often worse when walking or wearing shoes that press on the affected area. This is caused by irritation of the nerve between your toe bones (metatarsal bones). The tingling will eventually lead to pain, which can get worse over time. You may also experience cramping of your toes. The pain is usually felt as a sharp shooting or burning pain on the ball of the foot or at the base of the toes, which is often made worse when you're walking. Some people with Morton's neuroma feel anxious about walking or even placing their foot on the ground. The pain is likely to be more intense if you wear tight shoes, so wearing shoes that have more room in the toe area can help. Rubbing your foot may also lessen the pain.
Diagnosis
The most common condition misdiagnosed as Morton's neuroma is metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint synovitis. When pain occurs in the third interspace, the clinician may misdiagnose the condition as Morton's neuroma instead of MTP synovitis, which may manifest very much like Morton's neuroma. MTP synovitis is distinguished from Morton's neuroma by subtle swelling around the joint, pain localized mainly within the joint, and pain with forced toe flexion. Palpation of the MTP joint is performed best with a pinching maneuver from the dorsal and plantar aspects of the joint to elicit tenderness of the joint. Other conditions often misdiagnosed as Morton's neuroma include the following. Stress fracture of the neck of the metatarsal. Rheumatoid arthritis and other systemic arthritic conditions. Hammertoe. Metatarsalgia (ie, plantar tenderness over the metatarsal head) Less common conditions that have overlapping symptoms with Morton's neuroma include the following. Neoplasms. Metatarsal head osteonecrosis. Freiburg. steochondrosis. Ganglion cysts. Intermetatarsal bursal fluid collections. True neuromas.
Non Surgical Treatment
There are various options for treating the condition, depending on its severity. Self-treatment. Here are some simple steps that may improve symptoms. Wear supportive shoes with a wide toe box. Do not lace the forefoot of the shoe too tightly. Shoes with shock-absorbent soles and proper insoles are recommended. Do not wear tight or pointed toed shoes or shoes with heels more than 2 inches high. Use over-the-counter shoe pads to relieve pressure. Apply an ice pack to the affected area to reduce pain and swelling. Rest your feet and massage the painful area. There are drugs that may temporarily relieve the pain and other symptoms of Morton?s neuroma. Long-term use of these medications is not recommended. Anti-inflammatory drugs-Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen or aspirin, may be taken orally to reduce pain and inflammation. Anti-inflammatory drugs can also be administered by direct injection into the skin. Local anesthetic. An anesthetic injection will temporarily relieve pain by numbing the affected nerve. Orthotics. These are custom-designed shoe inserts that can reduce some of the pain associated with Morton?s neuroma. Sometimes padding is placed around the toe area, and tape is applied to hold the padding in place.
Surgical Treatment
If other therapies have not worked it may be necessary to perform surgery. As surgery may result in permanent numbness in the affected toe, doctors ten to use this procedure as a last resort. However, in most cases surgery is extremely effective. The patient usually receives a local anesthetic. Surgery involves either removing the nerve, or removing the pressure on the nerve. Two surgical approaches are possible. The dorsal approach, the surgeon makes an incision on the top of the foot, allowing the patient to walk soon after surgery, because the stitches are not on the weight-bearing side of the foot. The plantar approach, the surgeon makes an incision on the sole of the foot. In most cases the patient will be in crutches for about three weeks. The resulting scar may make walking uncomfortable. However, with this approach the neuroma can be reached easily and resected without cutting any structures. There is a small risk of infection around the toes after surgery.
