Morton's Neuroma

What is a Morton's neuroma?

A neuroma is a benign (not cancerous) tumor of nerve tissue. A Morton's neuroma occurs in the ball of your foot between the bones of your toes. It most commonly occurs in the nerves between the bones of the third and fourth toes or the second and third toes.

How does it occur?

A neuroma may be caused by running or walking too much, but often the reason it happens is not known. The pain is made worse by running on hard surfaces or by wearing shoes that are too tight.

What are the symptoms?

Your foot is painful. The pain is usually worse when your toes are pointed up. You may get numbness or tingling in the foot or toes. You have tenderness between the bones that are on each side of the neuroma.

How is it diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will examine your foot and review your symptoms.

How is it treated?

To treat this condition:

• Wear properly fitting shoes.
• Take an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen, or other medicine as directed by your provider. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) may cause stomach bleeding and other problems. These risks increase with age. Read the label and take as directed. Unless recommended by your healthcare provider, do not take for more than 10 days.
• Wear a pad below one of the bones in your foot. Your healthcare provider may recommend shoe inserts, called orthotics. You can buy orthotics at a pharmacy or athletic shoe store or they can be custom-made.
• Your provider may give you an injection of a corticosteroid medicine.
• Surgery may be needed to remove the neuroma.

How long will the effects last?

The effects of a Morton's neuroma may be temporary or long-lasting. Some people get better simply by wearing more comfortable shoes. Others need cortisone injections or surgery. A cortisone injection may give you relief in a few days to a few weeks. Recovery after surgery takes several weeks or longer.

When can I return to my normal activities?

Everyone recovers from an injury at a different rate. Return to your activities depends on how soon your foot recovers, not by how many days or weeks it has been since your injury has occurred. In general, the longer you have symptoms before you start treatment, the longer it will take to get better. The goal is to return to your normal activities as soon as is safely possible. If you return too soon you may worsen your injury.

You may safely return to your normal activities when, starting from the top of the list and progressing to the end, each of the following is true:

• You have full range of motion in the injured foot compared to the uninjured foot.
• You have full strength of the injured foot compared to the uninjured foot.
• You can walk straight ahead without pain or limping.

How can I prevent a Morton's neuroma?

It is not known how to prevent a Morton's neuroma. However, wearing properly fitting shoes with good padding will help decrease the pain of a Morton's neuroma.