Get one of those cast protectors from Walgreens or other pharmacy. It seals out the water well and makes showering less stressful.
https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-reusable-waterproof-cast-&-wound-protector-32-inch/ID=prod6112460-product
Was your surgery from the bottom of the foot, or from the top of your foot?
I had this for awhile, and it took me stopping running for a solid 12 weeks / walking w a pad / taking it easy until the pain went away
Is fixing it through rest / different shoes / changing how you run an option?
I realize I didn’t answer your question tho =)
Yeah I need to get one of those for sure. The duct tape/plastic bag isn’t bad it’s just the lack of stability that makes it annoying to shower!
Top of the foot which is how almost all of them are done.
Do you have a bath? If you do, just sit with your back against the wall, and your feet hanging out the side.
I do. Still very annoying since I have to balance when washing and rinsing but easier than showering for sure.
Update day 5: Do not really feel the need to take the pain pills at all the last few days. Still have taken a few to help ease a bit of discomfort and help me sleep but pain is not really there. I can move ankle and toes even more but my heel is now a bit bruised from having to walk on it since surgery.
Going to get the bandages changed Wednesday then stitches out a week after that. Pretty frustrated that doc said I would be in the boot for 6 weeks even though once stitches are out I can walk normally. Maybe he is just being conservative but I would hope I can get in a stiffer/wider shoe shortly after the stitches are removed because that boot is annoying. Also annoyed because I had it in my mind that it would be about a month before I could start progressing to some jogging. But he wants the foot bound and protected so that the ligament “heals”.
Oh well. Wife and I just splurged a bought an Echelon spin bike so will be using that next week when I am cleared to bike. Put my Kickr Core up for sale since I am transitioning out of triathlon for now.
Haven’t read all the posts, but I’ve had great success with a small silicon toe separator that I put in between my 3rd and 4th toes. Absolutely no pain when running. It’s been so good, I haven’t even considered surgery. Been using them for 3 years or so.
I had an issue since 2010. Never had a problem until my first full IM. At that race, I got a shot and then switched shoes in the bike at the special needs station.
Since then- I use wide shoes. I started going for comfort and wearing socks and regular road shoes not Tri shoes on the bike. My feet are more mobile and don’t have an issue on the run. It’s the bike that flares up for me.
Doc told me I my to get the nerve cut if it is terrible pain all the time, otherwise deal with it.
Saw the doc to change the bandages today. All is good and everything looks the way it should. Doc is still saying 6 weeks in a boot which is stressing me out! But she did say that if I find a wide/stiff soled shoe that doesn’t flex too much that might work. So anyone have any suggestions?! Always worn whatever shoe I could find without needing support or anything. So I need something easy enough to get my foot in without bending my forefoot too much and stiff enough to act like the post op boot. Have a few gross pictures that I will post of the incision later!
I am almost 3 weeks post surgery. Got my stitches out yesterday and got the go ahead to walk normally in my boot. The first few weeks were super annoying having to walk on my heel and not put pressure on the front of the foot but I survived. I bought one of those knee scooters for work and going around the grocery store bc it not only hurt walking on my heel for extended time but also very slow!
I am honestly shocked at anyone that says they have been able to run after a month. My surgeon said the nerve was huge and had a lot of scar tissue so maybe he had to do more work but my toes still do not bend much and I cannot put my full weight on the ball of my feet. It is better than yesterday and hopefully it continues like that. I see him again in 3 weeks to get the next steps which is hopefully no restrictions but take it easy. Will start PT within the next few weeks I think so looks like 6 weeks until I can do anything outside of biking and swimming.
Here are a few pics of the incision. The first is 5 days post surgery and the second is after I got my stitches out yesterday.
Just over 4 weeks in and am almost back to normal. I am walking in a normal shoe but with the area of the incision cut out. Everyday my toes get more flexible. Bottom of the foot is still a bit tender but does not really bother me. It is weird and amazing not having pain in my foot when I am walking for the first time in many months! Also super weird to not have feeling in that area. But better no feeling than pain! I see the doc again in a week for him to clear me then I will start PT and hopefully transition back to running. Been able to bike since week 2 but now that I am wearing a shoe it is a lot better because I can stand up and ride and put the pedal on the balls of my feet not my heel.
I have been vacillating between conservative and aggressive treatment options. My podiatrist and others have cautioned me that the “stump neuroma” can develop after the neurectomy.
Symptoms:
- Nerve pain while walking
- ESPECIALLY barefoot or when playing basketball (lateral movements)
- Trail running over roots or rocks can trigger the nerve
Treatments to date:
- 2 cortizone shots
- Rest (woof)
- Minimal relief from metatarsal pads
- Wider & thicker soled shoes (helps a lot)
- Icing (bottom of foot doesnt seem to help much)
Next steps:
- Orthotic inserts ($$$)
- Possibly alcohol sclerosing injection
- Freaky deaky surgery (trying to exhaust all conservative treatments first)
Questions:
- Does anyone have any evidence that alcohol sclerosing works?
- Does anyone have any data on “stump neuroma” occurance?
Thanks to all who have posted in this thread. It was a great relief/boost to find this thread because information on Mortons Neuroma is fairly scarce. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I’ll try to answer your questions based on what I was told and researched but I could be wrong or misunderstood the docs.
Alcohol injections: my surgeon said he did not recommend them often, at least for the size mine was, because it’s a long shot that it fixes it and it’s a long process. My first podiatrist said he’d do it but doesn’t love them because he said they make surgery more difficulty, didn’t get a reason.
reoccurrence: my surgeon said he has never had anyone come back after surgery to redo anything. I have read 5% and 10% figures of things coming back but my surgeon basically removed the nerve a few inches back to help prevent it from ever reattaching.
I have disliked the last month not being able to run/walk but the last week has been amazing not having any pain from the nerve. I cannot wait to get back to running and try to remember how it feels to fun pain free!
So if you have exhausted shots and other non surgical interventions I wouldn’t hesitate to get surgery. I will say that my podiatrist was way off with his treatments than my surgeon and another foot surgeon I talked to so go see a orthopedic surgeon if you already haven’t.
Thanks jrielley, appreciate your frequent, insightful posts. I think you are correct in encouraging me to gather a second opinion. I will seek out an orthopedic surgeon. I hope your recovery continues to progress and you are able to get back to the activities that bring you joy. Good luck!
Thanks jrielley, appreciate your frequent, insightful posts. I think you are correct in encouraging me to gather a second opinion. I will seek out an orthopedic surgeon. I hope your recovery continues to progress and you are able to get back to the activities that bring you joy. Good luck!
You’re welcome! I wanted to try to keep this thread updated because I didn’t not find much info on actual recovery so wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.
Since I got my stitches out the recovery has gone really fast thankfully. Toe flexibility, pain on bottom of my foot, incision pain, etc. I could probably jog on it now and might do a super easy walk/jog in the treadmill tomorrow. I am 4.5 weeks since surgery so in line with what I thought.
Questions:
- Does anyone have any evidence that alcohol sclerosing works?
Purely anecdotal, but I had alcohol sclerosing done by a skilled podiatrist. For guidance, she used my feedback on when exactly the needle hit the nerve, and also her hand feel as to the resistance that she felt against the needle. This all took only 4 injections over a month. No recurrence and it has been almost 15 years since the treatment. Previous to treatment, the pain was so high that I was unable to run.
Hey jrielley,
How is the foot? I hope you are no longer experiencing any pain.
Update on my end - still considering ‘when to cut’.
I have continued down the conservative treatment path. The last 6 months I was fitted for, and have been adjusting to, orthotic shoe inserts. The inserts are not very comfortable, annoying to switch from shoe to shoe, and have not relieved the swelling of the neuroma. Granted, I am able to walk better when I have the orthotics in my hoka running shoe, but this seems like a very low bar to qualify as a success. I still hobble around when I am not wearing any shoes, and am always walking on the inside portion of the foot to avoid aggravating the neuroma.
I have exhausted most of the conservative treatments, with the exception of alcohol schlorizing treatments, and I have made very little progress over the past 2 years. I do not want to be hasty, and make a decision that i cannot undo, but I am missing out on lots of things I enjoy and also living with this constant annoyance/stress of this issue which makes me want to cut the neuroma out and be done with it.
Pretty sure this is a classic case of doubt!
I recently read this about the neurectomy and neurolysis.
“If the personal quality of life has been reduced and pain is severe, and if conservative treatment is unsuccessful, surgery is an option. If the size is less than 0.8 cm, surgery can be used to save the nerve (neurolysis). If the Morton’s neuroma swelling is too severe, the nerve will need to be removed (neurectomy).”
Foot is great! No complications and recovery back to jogging was like 4-6 weeks and I held myself back a bit. But once I got my stitches out, 10 days post, I transitioned to a regular shoe with the area near the incision cut out so it didn’t rub it and cause it to open. Took about a week to get back to almost no limping then it was hard to hold myself back.
Wish I got it done sooner! Once it got to the point where walking was painful or if I woke up in the middle of the night to pee almost falling when I landed on my foot I knew I had to do something because I was miserable. Never want surgery but this one was one I wish I did a few months earlier rather than hoping xyz treatment would work.