Morton’s neuroma affects the ball of the foot and is often described as feeling like you have a pebble in your shoe. The condition is caused by stress and pressure on the interstitial nerve that lies between the third and fourth toes. The pressure is caused by a thickening of muscle fibers and other tissues that then press against the nerve.

Athletes and long-distance runners are more likely to develop this condition due to the repeated stress on the ball of the foot. People who have other abnormalities like bunions and hammertoes are also more likely to develop problems in the ball of the foot.

3 of the more conservative treatments for Morton’s neuroma include the following:

• Wear shoes with a wide toe box—shoes that have a wider toe box and a lower heel cup can decrease pressure on the ball of the foot and allow for proper placement of orthotics.
• Custom fitted orthotic shoe inserts—specially made inserts are used to separate the toe bones and to help decrease the stress and pressure on the interstitial nerve.
• Steroid treatments—by injecting a steroid into the joint the inflammation and nerve compression are greatly reduced resulting in pain abatement.

A neuroma will continue to worsen without treatment and permanent damage may ensue.

See your foot doctor since it is also possible that the pain in the ball of your foot is caused by something else like gout or a stress fracture.

You can count on the foot doctors at Foot & Ankle Specialists, PC to provide fast relief for your aching feet using a full range of both conservative and surgical therapies. Our expert team, including board-certified podiatrists Dr. Scott E. Hughes, Dr. Greg P. Vogt, and Dr. Christine I. Tumele, serves patients of all ages with state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment technologies including onsite digital x-ray, ultrasound, diabetic shoes, and digital scanning for custom orthotics. For any questions or to make an appointment, please contact us at one of our Southeast Michigan facilities in Monroe (734-241-0200) and Lambertville (734-856-8900) (Bedford and Monroe counties). We also offer convenient house-calls from Monday through Thursday, so give us a call!