How Do You Treat A Neuroma On The Ball Of Your Foot?

A neuroma that occurs on the ball of the foot is referred to as Morton’s neuroma. It is a very painful condition of the foot, in which the person may feel as if he is walking with a small stone or a pebble stuck in his shoe. This happens because there is a thickening around one of the many nerves going to the toes. The area around the nerve gets swollen and inflamed.

A neuroma on the ball of your foot or a Morton’s neuroma is not particularly life threatening, but it can be very, very painful. The treatment usually depends upon the severity of the symptoms. Your doctor will try to go for a conservative method of treatment in the beginning. If these methods do not provide results, your doctor may recommend a surgery to remove the Morton’s neuroma.

Things like foot pads and arch supports can fit easily inside your shoes. These will help in reducing the pressure on the affected nerve in neuroma on the ball of your foot. These are available over the counter. Your doctor may even prescribe a totally custom-made foot pad or arch support for you, which will be designed as per the curves and contours of your feet and will fit you properly.

If the conservative treatment procedures have not provided the desired results, the doctor may suggest some other methods and procedures for neuroma on the ball of your foot.

Injections– injecting steroid drugs into the painful area may help relieve the signs and symptoms in some patients of neuroma on the ball of your foot

Decompression– in some other cases, which do not benefit from either of the above procedures, the doctor, may try to alleviate the pressure on the affected nerve by cutting the neighboring structures. For example, the ligament that connects some of the front bones of the foot may be cut

Surgical Extraction– if all the above methods fail to give results, or in cases where none of the above methods can be tried or administered, a surgical extraction of the neuroma may become necessary for neuroma on the ball of your foot. The surgeons will generally try to reach the affected nerve from top of the foot. They will then identify the affected nerve and tackle it. However, they must make sure that the nerve is cut off at the very far, so that there is no nerve-scarring in the ball of the foot.

Some surgeons may try to reach the affected nerve from the bottom of the foot. However, for this they will require to take a scar on the bottom of the foot which may become painful later to walk on. Surgery is usually successful in relieving the pain; however, one of the major concerns is the prevalence of permanent numbness in the affected toe after the surgery.

Medicines For Inflammation– non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are available over the counter, which can reduce the inflammation or swelling and alleviate the pain in neuroma on the ball of your foot. These medicines include ibuprofen and naproxen.

Ice Massage– massaging the affected place with ice regularly may help in alleviating the pain. Rolling the ice over the painful area may help in relieving the pain

Changing The Footwear– refrain from wearing tight fitting shoes or high-heeled footwear, as these can cause unnecessary pressure on the affected nerve. Wearing shoes with an extra depth and a broader toe box may provide relief, especially in a neuroma triggered by wearing inappropriate footwear.

Give A Respite To The Feet– reducing activities like standing up for too long and sports like running, jogging, dancing and aerobic exercises for a few weeks will give your feet the much-needed respite and will keep your feet away from undesired high impact. This can significantly reduce your signs and symptoms of Morton’s neuroma.

Morton’s neuroma can be treated either by conservative methods or by surgical intervention.

References:

Also Read:

• Lifestyle Changes For Neuroma
• Do Neuromas Grow Back?
• What Is The Best Medicine For Neuromas?
• How Do You Treat A Neuroma In A Foot?
• How To Cope With Neuromas?
• What Is The Prognosis For Neuroma?
• How To Prevent Neuromas?