Can Morton’s Neuroma Be Cured?

Morton’s neuroma is a painful condition of the foot wherein there is a thickening around one of the nerves going to the toes. It may feel as if you are walking with a small stone stuck inside your shoe.

Morton’s neuroma can be cured in most cases. However, there may be a recurrence or some other effects in some of the cases. The best thing to improve the prognosis or the chances of cure for Morton’s neuroma are that there should be a proper diagnosis, made on time and there should not be any other conditions that are responsible for causing Morton’s neuroma.

Each person has a unique body constitution. Hence, while some treatments may work wonders on some persons, they may fail to show any results in other persons. Making sure that the diagnosis is correct in case of Morton’s neuroma is one of the best ways to ensure a cure from the condition.

Some conditions like hammertoes or bunions make our body to shift the weight on the ball of our foot. This inflames nerves and leads to Morton’s neuroma. In such cases, treating only Morton’s neuroma may not be effective in the long run and hence, treating the underlying cause- bunions and hammertoes- is extremely essential in such cases to get a complete cure from Morton’s neuroma.

Morton’s neuroma generally gets cured by conservative methods of treatment. For resistant cases of this condition, surgery can prove to be effective.

The treatment for Morton’s neuroma may be either conservative or surgical. The treatment may also vary from person to person and according to the severity of the condition.

The conservative or non-surgical methods of treatment include-

RICE– Rest, ice, compression and elevation, which is also termed as RICE treatment; the affected foot is given ample rest. The site of pain is given an ice massage and compression. The affected foot is kept elevated, above the level of the heart, to help reduce the inflammation and pain.

Cushioning– providing a cushioning or padding to the ball of the foot may help in reducing some pressure from the affected nerve

Orthotics– the pressure on the nerves may be taken off by using orthotics like arch supports. These may be available over the counter, or your doctor may recommend getting a custom-made one, which fits properly according to the curves and contours of your feet

Medicines – medicines that relieve the inflammation (anti-inflammatory) may help in reducing the pain

Injections – two types of injections can be administered as a treatment in Morton’s neuroma. They are alcohol injections and cortisone injections. A cortisone injection can act as an anti-inflammatory medication to rapidly reduce the swelling and pain. These injections may be administered every 6 to 8 weeks, as per the necessity. Alcohol injections are used to deactivate or deaden the affected nerve. These are also known as sclerosing injections

The surgical option includes two techniques- decompression and neurectomy.

Decompression– Some surgeons may use this technique. In this method, the pressure on the affected nerve is released by cutting off the neighboring structures. Like, a ligament next to the affected nerve may be cut off to decompress the area. The affected nerve is left intact here.

Neurectomy– This technique included the removal of the affected nerve segment itself. This is the commonest approach taken by most doctors, when conservative methods fail to show desired results. In this method, the surgeons generally reach the affected area from the top of the foot and then identify the affected nerve and tackle it. It is important for the surgeon to cut eh nerve far at the back to avoid nerve scarring at the ball of the foot.

The better cure for Morton’s neuroma lies in the correct and timely diagnosis and absence of other conditions that may be responsible for the neuroma.

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Also Read:

• Morton’s Neuroma or Morton’s Metatarsalgia or Plantar Neuroma: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
• Does Physical Therapy Help Morton’s Neuroma?
• How Big Is Morton’s Neuroma?
• Is Massage Good For Morton’s Neuroma?
• Where Do You Place The Pad For Morton’s Neuroma?