The majority of us never learned how to run properly. We began walking as children and running after that. Most people who take up running for exercise do so because they can just lace up their shoes and go!
Your body’s way of informing you when something is wrong is through pain. While you may believe that some discomfort is normal, there is nothing known as normal pain. There is a distinction between soreness after a strenuous workout and pain when something is wrong. To avoid having to stop running, you must figure out what’s causing the pain.
In my Houston sports podiatry office, I see a variety of runners such as ultra-marathon runners, serious high school and college athletes, Ironman triathletes, weekend warriors, and marathon runners are just a few examples. It never ceases to amaze me how many people come in immediately before their race, in pain, after months of training.
Foot discomfort is big business…just look at late-night infomercials, the pharmacy’s foot-care aisle, the SkyMall on a flight, or the retail establishments that cater to people with foot pain. However, not all insoles are created equal.
While anti-inflammatory medication, whether taken orally or through a cortisone injection, is often successful in reducing the pain of Morton’s neuroma, there are other options. Sclerosing injections are effective in decreasing neuroma as well as reducing inflammation. Dehydrated alcohol is used in these injections to achieve this. While the majority of individuals benefit from this treatment, some do not.
A Morton’s Neuroma can be treated with a variety of conservative methods. When conservative treatment fails to reduce the pain associated with the neuroma, surgery is reserved as a last resort. In my years as a Houston podiatrist, I estimate that about 30% of my neuroma patients require surgery.
