Neuromas by Naplespodiatrist.com

A neuroma — most often a Morton’s neuroma — is a thickening of the tissue around one of the nerves that run to your toes, usually between the third and fourth toes. It is not a tumor, but a benign enlargement of the nerve caused by irritation and compression. The result is a distinctive set of symptoms many patients describe as “walking on a pebble.” In the video below, our team explains how neuromas develop and how they are treated.

Symptoms of a Neuroma

• A burning or sharp pain in the ball of the foot
• The feeling of a pebble, fold in the sock, or lump under the foot
• Tingling or numbness in the toes
• Pain that worsens in tight or high-heeled shoes and eases when you remove the shoe and rub the foot

What Causes It

Anything that squeezes or irritates the nerve can contribute — tight, narrow, or high-heeled shoes, high-impact activity, and foot types such as bunions, hammertoes, or flat feet that change the mechanics of the forefoot. Over time the nerve becomes inflamed and enlarged.

How We Diagnose and Treat Neuromas

We diagnose a neuroma with a hands-on exam and diagnostic ultrasound, which lets us see the enlarged nerve and rule out other causes of forefoot pain. Most patients improve without surgery:

• Wider, lower-heeled shoes and a metatarsal pad to spread the bones
• Custom orthotics to offload the nerve
• Anti-inflammatory measures and cortisone injections
• Alcohol sclerosing or other injection therapies for persistent cases
• Minimally invasive surgery to release or remove the nerve when conservative care fails

Forefoot pain rarely improves on its own once a neuroma forms, so early treatment keeps it from getting worse.

For more information or to schedule an evaluation with a board-certified foot and ankle specialist, call (239) 430-3668 (FOOT) or book online at NaplesPodiatrist.com.

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Serving Southwest Florida since 2005, Family Foot & Leg Center has 9 convenient locations throughout Collier, Lee, Charlotte, and Sarasota Counties — Naples, Estero, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Port Charlotte, and Sarasota. We provide pediatric to geriatric foot and ankle care: ingrown toenails, heel pain, bunions, foot & ankle arthritis, plantar fasciitis, foot & ankle surgery, custom orthotics, and diabetic wound care — with in-office X-rays, diagnostic ultrasound, and minor surgical suites. Home of the Lam Minimally Invasive No-Scar Bunion Surgery. Same-day appointments and easy online scheduling.