Treatment for a Neuroma Doesn’t Have to Mean Surgery
You’re out for a walk when suddenly you get a sharp pain in the bottom of your foot. “Hold on,” you tell your friend, “I’ve got to take this pebble out of my shoe.” You remove your sneaker only to find the pebble is non-existent. You haven’t got a rock in your shoe. You’ve got a neuroma.
Morton’s neuroma is the common name for an inflammation of one of the nerves that run along the bottom of your foot. So how does a nerve get inflamed? Through pressure. It can get squeezed and irritated from
- shoes that are too tight
- extended wearing of high heels
- repetitive injury from running or other high-impact sports
- co-existing foot deformities such as bunions or flat feet
Over time, pressure on the nerve makes it thicken, which causes pain, tingling, burning, and numbness around the ball of your foot.
Neuromas can be extremely painful
When walking becomes so painful that you just want to reach in and pull that “rock” out of the bottom of your foot, it’s definitely time to make an appointment with Solon podiatrists Craig B. Frey, DPM and Megan L. Oltmann, DPM at Foot & Ankle Associates of Cleveland. Dr. Frey and Dr. Oltmann are foot surgeons who can absolutely do the reaching in for you- with the proper medical tools and with expert surgical skills.
Surgery isn’t the only option
Surgery for a neuroma may be indicated. But before we recommend it, our podiatrists will try every means at their disposal to relieve your pain through non-surgical treatments like
- rest and icing
- foot pads or custom orthotic shoe inserts
- physical therapy and stretching exercises to help loosen any ligaments that may be impinging on the nerve
- corticosteroid injections
- prescription pain relievers
If none of these conservative treatments are effective in reducing your pain, neuroma surgery may be your only option. If you live in Cuyahoga County, you can have confidence in our two qualified foot specialists. Make an appointment at our podiatry office in the historic district of Solon today! Have your neuroma treated by calling us at (440) 903-1041 or contact us online.
