I have been having pain between my toes the last couple of years (off an on), I switched running shoes a couple of weeks ago, and had a 21 mile run saturday, and it has started to flare up again. I was wondering if anyone else on the board has had the same problem.
Morton’s neuroma is an enlarged nerve that usually occurs in the third interspace, which is between the third and fourth toes (see image below).
http://www.podiatrychannel.com/mortonneuroma/
Oh boy - if you found this, then keep on reading for treatment options … Pm me if you want any specifics. There are LOTS on this board with similar pathologies.
I’ve had the same pain off and on for about three year’s now. Do a search of past threads, you’ll find a lot of usefull information as the topic has been discussed before.
I’ve found that metatarcel pads help take pressure away from the inflamed nerve which is causing the pain. Others have suggested cutting a hole in your insole where the pain is.
Hope this helps!
pm message sent! thank you
Lots of people.
Here’s how I’d recomend progressing, my personal take.
Get some lynco insoles with metatarsal pad. The only ones over the counter ones I have found with the metatarsal pad in them. I also had the ones with arch support. or me this was a 90% solution. These are now my bike shoe insoles.
If that doesn’t take care of it, email the local running club and ask who their recommended foot guy is. If you are near Baltimore, PM me. He will then almost certainly prescribe orthotics with a neuroma pad in them. He’ll also iniject you with something to ake the pain go away temporarily. I suggest not just letting your fingers do the walking to find a podiatrist. different guys are good at differnt things, find one that the running club recommends.
I think the way they are doing them now is to inject the nerve with something that kills it permanently rather than the cutting method previously practiced. Luckily for me I stopped at step 2 and am in a manageable place.
thanks for the tip on the doctor. I am NC and will go through one of our local clubs in Raleigh
a shot in the toe sounds painful
I have a Morton’s neuroma. Symptoms for me are mainly tingling, not pain. My problem is a chronic history of wearing shoes too tight. Didn’t realize what I was doing until it was too late.
You definitely want to stick with conservative measures: proper fitting shoes (critical), neuroma pads, possibly orthotics. When I went to proper fitting shoes, symptoms essentially resolved. If I wear tight shoes I’ll get tingling, sometimes within minutes. Again, stick with conservative management if at all possible. Be patient. It may take time for symptoms to improve. Surgical management can be wrought with problems, often worse than the original condition.
Looks like you got some good info - search here and on Gordo’s old/new forum to get tons more info/solutions. You need to look at all of your shoes and make sure you have the right support. I have running shoes that have a metarsal pad already built in which helps. The doc I went to said you can’t cause more damage by running on it, but others here disagreed (the thread was over a year ago so i dont remember the subject title). My question was prompted after Lori Bowden’s CDA experience. Doc also said you can get surgery as a last resort, but that the growth can come back.
Had it for 2 years.
wider shoes
met pad insole in cycling shoes (specialized works for me)
now its gone. I would avoid any cutting or injections until you’ve tried the above.
Which running shoes have a met pad built in?
rroof and I had an, um, discussion of this in an earlier thread…
here’s my take, FWIW:
I’ve had neuromas in both feet since 1974…
What’s worked well for me is a trick Johnny Halberstadt at the Boulder Running Co. showed me: cut a small circle of orthopaedic felt and stick it to the bottom of the inner of the shoe, just behind the metatarsals. It usually takes a few tries with each new pair of shoes to get the pad situated just right, but once it’s there, it lifts and separates the metatarsals and relieves the pressure on the neuroma. This helps with the pain and helps prevent further damage.
Placement of the pads is critical - this is why any consumer product except a custom orthotic probably won’t work. Doing it yourself allows for cheap trial-and-error until the pads are exactly right.
I tried some expensive custom orthotics, but they didn’t work as well as the pads, so junked them. I looked into surgery, but the anecdotal evidence I have so far is that of 9 surgeries, 5 of them re-grew the neuroma in less than 2 years. That doesn’t sound like worthwhile odds to me. Several doctors whose opinion I respect do recommend the surgery as an option, however.
it’s critical to have plenty of room in the toe box of ALL your shoes, running, bike, and work/casual. Compression of the metatarsals is a factor in this injury. Make sure to get running shoes with excellent forefoot cushion, that’s the primary characteristic I look for these days; and replace them often. Try running on softer surfaces - grass, dirt roads, or synthetic tracks. Concrete is a terrible surface to run on…
Also, be careful of running with the pain. Last year, I didn’t put the pads in a new pair of racing shoes, and consequently tore a calf muscle because I was compensating for the neuroma pain by altering my pushoff. Stupid stupid stupid.
I use these inserts in all my work and casual shoes:
http://www.footsmart.com/Product.aspx?ProductId=96&cmx=Y
Nike Structure Triax - The pad is fairly subtle though so it may need to be supplemented.