Morton's Neuroma: A Painful Lump In Your Foot



Are your toes numb and pins and needles? Do you feel as if you're standing on a stone? No, you're not crazy, but it could be Morton's neuroma in your foot. It would be a great idea for us to provide you with some information about this condition before you start doing your own Google search.

HOW DO YOU TELL IF YOU HAVE MORTON'S NEUROMA?

In most cases, Morton's neuroma affects the web space between the third and fourth toes. It thickens and/or irritates nerves in the ball of the foot.

SYMPTOMS OF THIS CONDITION?

Here are some symptoms you may experience:

  • Nerves are tingling
  • Feeling numb
  • Ablaze
  • A stone feels like it's under your feet

It usually radiates into the toes, but it can also be localized.

THE CAUSE OF A MORTON'S NEURROMA?

Generally, there are several factors involved, not just one:

  • Shoes with a tight fit
  • A shoe with a high heel
  • Arrangement of the feet
  • The function of the foot
  • Tight muscles
  • Weakness in muscles
  • Spending a lot of time standing

Pressure-putting sports that require your feet to be on the balls

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP?

In order to relieve your pain, we usually use the following treatment options:

Advice on modifying activity (doing less of what aggravates the pain and more of what does not)

  • Assessing and advising on footwear
  • To relieve pressure on the sensitive area, use a soft pad
  • Short-term use of pain-relief medications
  • Treatment options for longer-term conditions include:
  • Reducing pain and improving foot function by using orthotics
  • Strengthening muscles and reducing muscle tension
  • Injecting cortisone to relieve pain
  • Pain in the heels can be relieved with custom orthotics

When it comes to many successful treatments for heel pain, custom orthotics aren't uncommon. Although there are many causes of heel pain, there is no one approach that works for everyone.

The purpose of this is not to claim that custom orthotics are a “cure-all” for heel pain. A custom orthotic can only be effective in certain situations, as with many other heel pain treatment methods. The long-term relief patients receive can often be astonished when those situations are properly addressed.

Is Custom Orthotics Necessary?

In order to alleviate heel pain and other symptoms associated with structural problems in the foot, custom orthotics are designed to correct these problems.

A majority of heel pain cases can be attributed to structural abnormalities in the foot, but some are due to overuse or trauma alone. This means that there is something “off” about the foot structure that is resulting in stress and strain in a certain area, which results in heel pain.

Imagine your foot as a table. When it's made exactly to specs, it's stable and distributes weight well. It is possible for the piece to become unstable if part of the structure is wrong (such as a leg that is just a bit too short), and certain parts will need to bear more weight than their original design intended.

Weight can become improperly distributed across the feet if they have structural anomalies like flat feet or high arches. Stress accumulates against the parts of the feet that are not conditioned to handle it well and strain results.

Our gait (the way we walk) can also be subconsciously altered in order to improve our stability due to these structure variations. Because everything in our body is connected when we move, such adjustments can not only cause heel pain, but also pain in the legs, knees, hips, and lower back.

A person with flat feet, high arches, or other structural abnormalities likely inherited them from their parents. They are unlikely to be corrected without surgery.

It is still possible, however, to find relief from the discomfort caused by such conditions with custom orthotics.

You can contact our office at 949-588-8833, or visit our website at https://www.ocfootdoctor.com. Our offices are in Laguna Hills, Irvine, Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, Lake Forest, Foothill Ranch, and Costa Mesa.

📲 949-588-8833

🏢 24331 El Toro Rd, Suite 370 Laguna Woods CA 92637

🏢Irvine Medical Arts Building 113 Waterworks Way, Suite 250 Irvine, CA 92618

🌐 https://www.ocfootdoctor.com/


The information contained above is intended for general reference purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professionals before starting any new treatment. Health information on this website MUST NOT be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of your doctor.


Friday, February 24, 2023