In my Houston podiatry practice, I meet a lot of folks who have had Morton’s neuroma ball of foot pain for weeks, months, or even years. Morton’s neuroma usually does not improve on its own. While the discomfort from a neuroma may initially be intermittent and even dependent on the shoes you’re wearing, it can quickly become more consistent and acute. Your neuroma may prevent you from wearing your preferred shoes, forcing you to wear just flats.
One of the less complicated foot surgeries is neuroma surgery. The neuroma is an irritated nerve swelling in the foot. The swelling portion of the nerve is identified and removed during surgery to repair Morton’s neuroma.
A cortisone injection is a frequent Morton’s neuroma treatment. Cortisone is a steroid that is administered around the irritated nerve to act as an anti-inflammatory. This effectively controls inflammation and relieves or eliminates discomfort. While a cortisone injection can relieve the discomfort of inflammation, it does not cure the neuroma.
Nerves do not regenerate, so spinal cord injuries that result in paralysis are permanent. Because of this, the part of the nerve removed during surgery for Morton’s neuroma does not repair or regrow. It’s also why removing Morton’s neuroma causes numbness in the toes after surgery.
A neuroma in the ball of the foot is an inflammation of a nerve in the ball of the foot. The nerve is not visible on an X-ray since it does not focus on the soft tissue. X-rays are useful for imaging bone, but they don’t help with Morton’s neuroma diagnosis. Nonetheless, your podiatrist in Houston will certainly request an X-ray to rule out other problems, such as a stress fracture.
Shockwave therapy is a relatively novel treatment for several types of inflammation. It’s widely used to treat plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendonitis-related heel pain. Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) and Extracorporeal Pulse Activated Therapy (EPAT) are the two most prevalent types of shockwave therapy.
