Morton's Neuroma

What is a Morton's neuroma?

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

How does it occur?

A neuroma may be caused by running or walking too much, but often it just occurs on its own. 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 affected area. 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?

Treatment may include:

• Wearing properly fitting shoes.
• Taking anti-inflammatory drugs. Adults aged 65 years and older should not take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine for more than 7 days without their healthcare provider's approval.
• Wearing a pad below one of the bones in your foot or custom-made arch supports (orthotics).
• Getting a shot of a cortisonelike medicine if the above treatments fail.

Surgery may be required to remove the neuroma.

When can I return to my normal activities?

Everyone recovers from an injury at a different rate. Return to your activities will be determined by 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 of rehabilitation is to return you 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 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.

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.