Neuroma is a non-cancerous painful condition that affects the ball of your foot, mostly found between the third and fourth toes. The third and fourth toes are most affected because their space is narrower compared to other toes. It affects both men and women but is most common in women. Neuroma causes thickening of tissues around the nerves leading to your toes, so you will feel burning, stinging, or numbness in the affected area. Foot specialists can treat neuroma, but it can worsen, requiring surgery if you go for a long time without treatment. Get your Lenox Hill Neuromas treatment before it is too late.
Table of Contents
Causes
Neuroma develops when irritation, pressure, or injury occurs to one of the nerves leading to your toes.
Symptoms
You may not notice signs of neuroma on your foot. Pain will progress as time goes, and the symptoms worsen over time. The symptoms of neuroma include:
- Stinging and burning pain in the forefoot and between your toes.
- Swelling between your toes
- Tingling and numbness in the ball of your foot
- Pain on your foot when weight is applied to it
Diagnosis
Your specialist will diagnose neuroma through your symptoms and physical examination. X-ray rules out other conditions that can cause foot pain, such as arthritis, and an ultrasound or MRI is used to confirm the diagnosis. Electromyography, a test that measures the electrical activity in your nerves, can also rule other diseases with symptoms similar to those of neuroma.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the severity of your condition. Doctors use the following treatments to relieve pain or prevent further damage.
Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs: Examples are ibuprofen or aspirin. These drugs help to reduce inflammation.
Orthotics: Orthotics are shoe inserts that control foot mechanical imbalances that may be causing pressure on the affected area.
Padding: Special paddings may help relieve pain and change abnormal foot function.
Injections: Doctors use cortisone injections to ease acute pain and inflammation in neuroma.
Exercise: Taking stretching and strengthening exercises can ease neuroma symptoms.
Surgery: If early treatments do not work, neuroma progresses, requiring surgery. Your podiatric will have to remove the inflamed and enlarged nerve surgically.
Other treatment options used include using icing on an inflamed part to reduce pain and swelling and avoiding activities like running and dancing. Wearing comfortable shoes with a wide toe area and low-heeled can help ease neuroma symptoms.
Risk factors
The following factors contribute to neuroma:
High heels: Wearing high-heeled or tight-fitting shoes can cause too much pressure on your toes, leading to neuroma.
Certain sports: Participating in high-impact sports such as running and jogging can lead to recurring trauma on your feet. Sports involving tight shoes like rock climbing or snow skiing can exert pressure on your toes, resulting in neuroma.
Foot deformities: People with bunions, hammertoes, and high arches are at increased risk of getting neuroma. These foot types cause instability around your toe joints leading to the condition.
Trauma: This can damage your nerve resulting in inflammation or swelling.
You need to visit a reliable foot specialist if you experience extreme pain or cannot define the source of pain in your foot. Schedule an appointment with DeLoor Podiatry Associates to receive neuroma treatment.