Neuroma

A neuroma develops when pressure causes nerve tissue in your foot to thicken. If you suffer from neuroma symptoms, visit a Capital Foot & Ankle office in Sacramento, Roseville, or Folsom, California. Their experienced foot doctors offer expert neuroma diagnosis and treatment, preventing irreversible nerve damage. Call Capital Foot & Ankle today or book an appointment online to experience superior neuroma care.

What is a neuroma?

A neuroma is a thickened, painful nerve or nerve cluster that develops in your foot. The most common kind is a Morton’s or intermetatarsal neuroma in the ball of your foot.

Morton’s neuroma causes pain between your third and fourth toes. This area contains many nerves running between your metatarsal (foot) bones and under the ligaments that attach the bones to each other.

What symptoms does a neuroma cause?

The primary neuroma symptom is pain between your toes while walking. Many people with neuromas frequently must stop, remove their footwear, and rub the painful spot to find relief. You could experience other neuroma symptoms, including:

• Swelling between your toes
• Tingling
• Burning sensation
• Numbness
• Pain when bearing weight on your foot

You might feel like there’s something stuck inside your shoe or sock when there isn’t.

You should visit Capital Foot & Ankle if you develop these symptoms. Without treatment, neuromas can interfere with your mobility and affect all your activities — work and play.

What causes a neuroma?

The root cause of a neuroma isn’t always clear, but your risk of getting one increases if you:

• Have flat feet or high arches
• Wear high heels or shoes with tight toe boxes
• Suffer a traumatic foot injury
• Have bunions or hammertoe
• Repeatedly put your foot under excessive stress

Any of these can restrict or put abnormal pressure on the foot nerves, triggering a neuroma.

How is a neuroma treated?

The Capital Foot & Ankle team begins with conservative neuroma treatments. They could advise a footwear change like wearing wider shoes with low heels that don’t compress the balls of your feet. Anti-inflammatory medication helps reduce pain and swelling.

Custom-fitted orthotics are often effective in treating neuromas. These are inserts you wear in your shoes that correct misalignments, reduce pressure, and ease pain. Over-the-counter orthotics are available, but custom-fitted ones are far more effective because your doctor scans your foot and designs the orthotic specifically for you.

If you still have symptoms despite these treatments, cortisone steroid injections into your foot might relieve neuroma pain. Cortisone has a potent, long-lasting anti-inflammatory effect. Patients whose neuromas don’t respond will need surgery to remove the neuroma.

Call Capital Foot & Ankle today or book an appointment online to find relief from painful neuromas.