Intermetatarsal Neuroma: Possible Causes & Treatments
You’re walking around like you normally do and you feel pain in your foot. It doesn’t go away and walking gets more painful. There is a chance that you may have Morton’s Neuroma, though you will need to get a diagnosis from a Levittown foot doctor to verify that.
Are you not sure what it is? Read on to learn more about the Intermetatarsal Neuroma: Possible Causes & Treatments.
Is There Any Cure For Morton's Neuroma?
There is no specific cure. Usually this condition can be managed with rest and possibly orthotic inserts for your shoes. Other things you may be told to do is put ice on the sore spot, stretch, massage your foot, doing certain exercises, or seeing a physical therapist.
If the above options don’t work and the pain gets worse, then more aggressive treatment options may be pursued. These include injections and even potential surgery. Your doctor will likely want to exhaust all other options before electing to do the injections or surgery.
Symptoms Of a Morton's Neuroma
People usually report that they feel a pain in the ball of their foot, almost like they are standing on a pebble or some other small item. The pain is usually between the third and fourth toe of the foot. You might also feel numbness in your foot, but most people tend to feel pain.
Common Causes Of Morton's Neuroma
When it comes to this, there are a variety of things that can bring this about. They include:
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Tight Shoes & High Heels
When you wear these, it can put pressure on the ball of your foot, which can then bring about the compression and irritation to the nerve in that area. Middle-aged women tend to get this the most.
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Conditions Such As Flat Foot Or High Arches
Both of these can also cause irritation due to pressure being put in the wrong part of your foot.
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Sports That Put Pressure On The Ball Of The Foot
Do you play a sport that requires you to be on the balls of your feet a lot? Like tennis or other racquet sports? This may make you prone to Morton’s Neuroma.
Can a Podiatrist Treat Morton's Neuroma?
Your Levittown podiatrist will work with you on getting your foot feeling as close to normal as it possibly can. That means that they want to help you achieve the following things:
Get the pain down - This is the first priority since it is very difficult to do anything in your life with your foot feeling like this. You will likely also need to change whatever shoes you wear, since wearing high heels or tight shoes will just result in your continuing to feel pain. The ice and rest will play a big part. - Get the range of motion back for your toes - You may be shown some stretches or your physical therapist may do anything from using electrical stimulation to taping your feet to help you get this range of motion back.
- Get the strength back in your feet - Your physical therapist will work with you here, showing you various exercises that you can do to strengthen you feet. If you work at it, you will see good results.
- Get back to doing things before you got Morton’s Neuroma - This is the ultimate goal of everything that you have been working toward. You want to be able to get back on your feet and walk around with little to no pain at all.
- Get to a preventative state so that you don’t have a recurrence - You don’t want to have to deal with the irritation again, right? That means you need to make changes in your life, like avoiding high heels or wearing orthotics in your shoes so that there is a proper amount of support for your foot.
Overall, there are usually no signs on your feet, like swelling or a lump, that would point to Morton’s Neuroma. You need to see a medical professional so that they can run tests, which may include X-Rays, an MRI, or an Ultrasound. They need to do this to rule out anything like a fractured foot. Then they can start with the treatment.
If you have pain in your foot for more than a day or two, it would be in your best interest to go see a doctor. The faster you do that then the faster you can go back to enjoying your life with feet that are pain-free.
Visit Levittown's Leading Podiatrist, Dr. John Hickey
Visit Levittown's leading podiatrist, Dr. John Hickey, at Levittown Podiatry. He will use his years of experience to examine your feet and determine if you need treatment for Morton’s Neuroma. Give him a call today to make an appointment - 516-735-4545.
Levittown Podiatry
2870 Hempstead Tpke, Suite 103,
Phone: (516) 735-4545
Website: https://www.levittownpodiatry.com/