What is a Morton’s Neuroma and how should it be treated?

A Morton’s neuroma is a benign condition resulting from swelling of the interdigital nerves between the ends of the metatarsal bones in your foot. This means there is irritation and enlargement of the nerve that can cause forefoot pain, often described as feeling like walking on a rolled up sock or pebble at the front of the foot. It is important to note that this condition commonly develops without any injury and can cause numbness or altered sensation in your toes. Sometimes multiple neuromas can be present simultaneously. 

There are many treatment options for Morton’s neuroma including several non-surgical approaches that can be very effective. You may notice improvement with activity modification, appropriate footwear adaptation, and orthotics to offload the uncomfortable areas. An ultrasound-guided injection of local anaesthetic and steroid can be very effective in reducing inflammation around the neuroma and can sometimes be curative for this condition.

Surgery may be required if the neuroma is stubborn and not responsive to injection therapy. To address this, patients should always undergo scans to confirm the presence of a neuroma before treatment to ensure the correct pathology is being treated. The surgical procedure is straightforward, involving a small incision on the top of the foot where the nerve is excised. This does leave a patch of numbness between the affected toes, but this numbness may resolve with time as other nerves compensate.

If you would like advice regarding the management of your foot pain, please make an appointment with one of our foot and ankle surgeons.