What Causes Mortons Neuroma
Overview
The nerves located on the bottom of the foot between the metatarsal heads (the bone of the toe closest to the foot) supply feeling, or sensation, to the toes. One of these nerves may become irritated by the ligament located above it, causing it to become thickened and painful. Generally this problem occurs most often between the third and fourth toes, but it can occur between the second and third toes as well. It is uncommon for a neuroma to be located between the first and second or fourth and fifth metatarsals. Rarely is there more than one neuroma in a foot.
Causes
Unfortunately, the cause of Morton?s Neuroma remains unknown to researchers. It is likely that a variety of factors may play a role in the development of this condition, including the presence of chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia. Factors that may contribute to the development of Morton?s Neuroma include Wearing improperly fitting shoes can cause pressure on your foot, leading to swelling around the toe nerves. High heels are of particular concern as they cause a large amount of weight to be shifted to the ball of the foot. Repetitive activities like jogging, walking, and aerobics can also place a lot of pressure on the feet. This could lead to Morton?s Neuroma. Having a previous foot or muscle injury may cause you to hold your foot in a poor position when walking, contributing to nerve inflammation. Some people are just born with poorly shaped feet. People with extremely low arches or "flat feet" may suffer from Morton?s Neuroma more than others.
Symptoms
Symptoms associated with a neuroma include a dull burning sensation radiating towards the toes, a cramping feeling, or even a stinging, tingling sensation that can be described as being similar to an electric shock. It is often worse when wearing shoes with most people finding the pain disappears when removing their shoes.
Diagnosis
You should visit a doctor or podiatrist (foot doctor) if you have pain or tingling that does not stop. Your health care provider will examine your feet and will apply pressure on the spaces between the bones of the toes to determine the location of the foot pain. The doctor may order X-rays to rule out other conditions associated with foot pain, such as a stress fracture or arthritis. X-rays alone will not show whether or not a neuroma is present, so an ultrasound scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test may be done to confirm the diagnosis. A diagnostic procedure called an electromyography is sometimes used to rule out nerve conditions that may cause symptoms like those of associated with Morton?s neuroma.
Non Surgical Treatment
If you have Morton's neuroma, shoes with a wider toe area may be recommended. You can also take painkillers to help ease the pain. Steroid injections may also be given to treat the affected nerve. If these treatments don't work, surgery may be needed. This involves removing the thickened tissue around the nerve (and sometimes the nerve itself) to release the pressure.
Surgical Treatment
Recently, an increasing number of procedures are being performed at specialist centers under radiological or ultrasound guidance. Recent studies have shown excellent results for the treatment of Morton's neuroma with ultrasound guided steroid injections, ultrasound guided sclerosing alcohol injections, ultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation and ultrasound guided cryo-ablation.
The nerves located on the bottom of the foot between the metatarsal heads (the bone of the toe closest to the foot) supply feeling, or sensation, to the toes. One of these nerves may become irritated by the ligament located above it, causing it to become thickened and painful. Generally this problem occurs most often between the third and fourth toes, but it can occur between the second and third toes as well. It is uncommon for a neuroma to be located between the first and second or fourth and fifth metatarsals. Rarely is there more than one neuroma in a foot.Causes
Unfortunately, the cause of Morton?s Neuroma remains unknown to researchers. It is likely that a variety of factors may play a role in the development of this condition, including the presence of chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia. Factors that may contribute to the development of Morton?s Neuroma include Wearing improperly fitting shoes can cause pressure on your foot, leading to swelling around the toe nerves. High heels are of particular concern as they cause a large amount of weight to be shifted to the ball of the foot. Repetitive activities like jogging, walking, and aerobics can also place a lot of pressure on the feet. This could lead to Morton?s Neuroma. Having a previous foot or muscle injury may cause you to hold your foot in a poor position when walking, contributing to nerve inflammation. Some people are just born with poorly shaped feet. People with extremely low arches or "flat feet" may suffer from Morton?s Neuroma more than others.
Symptoms
Symptoms associated with a neuroma include a dull burning sensation radiating towards the toes, a cramping feeling, or even a stinging, tingling sensation that can be described as being similar to an electric shock. It is often worse when wearing shoes with most people finding the pain disappears when removing their shoes.
Diagnosis
You should visit a doctor or podiatrist (foot doctor) if you have pain or tingling that does not stop. Your health care provider will examine your feet and will apply pressure on the spaces between the bones of the toes to determine the location of the foot pain. The doctor may order X-rays to rule out other conditions associated with foot pain, such as a stress fracture or arthritis. X-rays alone will not show whether or not a neuroma is present, so an ultrasound scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test may be done to confirm the diagnosis. A diagnostic procedure called an electromyography is sometimes used to rule out nerve conditions that may cause symptoms like those of associated with Morton?s neuroma.
Non Surgical Treatment
If you have Morton's neuroma, shoes with a wider toe area may be recommended. You can also take painkillers to help ease the pain. Steroid injections may also be given to treat the affected nerve. If these treatments don't work, surgery may be needed. This involves removing the thickened tissue around the nerve (and sometimes the nerve itself) to release the pressure.
Surgical Treatment
Recently, an increasing number of procedures are being performed at specialist centers under radiological or ultrasound guidance. Recent studies have shown excellent results for the treatment of Morton's neuroma with ultrasound guided steroid injections, ultrasound guided sclerosing alcohol injections, ultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation and ultrasound guided cryo-ablation.
