Does or has anybody suffered fom this?
It makes running painful. And no the pain is not weakness leaving the body.
If you have suffered from this, what have you done to minimize the pain.
I had cryosurgery performed and still am suffering. Go back to Dr. on Tuesday for follow up.
LOADS of info online about Morton’s neuroma. How were you diagnosed? Very common - I saw 6 people today with that dx. I assume you tried various other conservative modalities before the (new) cryosurgery?
LOADS of info online about Morton’s neuroma. How were you diagnosed? Very common - I saw 6 people today with that dx. I assume you tried various other conservative modalities before the (new) cryosurgery?
I really don’t want to have the nerve removed. Lots of recovery time involved. I may have the cryo performed again. I’ve had very bad reaction to injections and orthotics don’t help. I’m alright, moderate pain 3-6 miles then it’s almost unbearable as miles increase. My schedule next season I threw a marathon in and I’m concerned about dealing with pain for that distance. Only done 1/2 IM distance and suffered through run, but really would like to be in less pain next season.
If you have tried orthotics, “injections” (I’m assuming a local with a corticosteroid) - what reaction?, cryo, time (most important), shoe changes, etc. then you either get to suffer after a few miles, or you have to deal with it. This is one of the instances where I may tend to “push” an athlete towards a more aggressive procedure for the off season.
Good luck.
What worked for me the best was a metatarcal (sp?) pad positioned just below where the pain was. Used it about a year, also started using wider running shoes, have not had pain since.
Hope yours does not last!
Good luck!!!
Yes, those cortizone injestions. I couldn’t walk normal for a couple of days. Extream pain and forget the run. Pads did nothing except add more pressure and didn’t really help orthotics were adding a little more cushion not an extream help. Different shoes too. No real relief. Cryo was done October 4th…only have trouble with right foot. Oh a couple of the Dr. wanted to do alcohal injections. Not with my last injection results.
I had it about 10 years ago and I only cycle. It was KILLING me about 1 our into a ride. Feet felt like they had been stung. I had injections too but it never helped. I finally had it removed and no more pain. The nerve looked like the end of a Q-tip, it had so much scar tissue on it.
Good luck
not a doc, but i had it. imo, it’s all in the shoes
throw out your shoes and start over - wide toe box and don’t tighten the laces too much. get the specialized cycling shoes w/ the met bump built into the insole.
I tried all the treatments. Finally, I had it removed. No more pain and have been back do tri’s for 8 years. I hated the idea of surgery, but it sure worked.
I watched my wife suffer with it and agree - she got a lot better when she went to wider shoes. Probably also worth taking a hard and analytical look at your cleat placement on your cycling shoes. Finally, I think you want to make sure your seat is not too high. If your foot is pointed down it is going to get more pressure - I think.
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What do you think about dorsal vs. plantar approach for surgery?
MUST READ!!! This is a very important issue. Alcohol injections changed my (running) life…read on:
I had alcohol, yes alcohol injections done to my bilateral morton’s neuromas.
I actually had 3, two in the 2nd interspaces and one in the 3rd interspace (classic MN).
The protocol is alcohol injection into the nerve every 2 weeks, for a total of 7 shots.
Dr. Steven Swartz here in Huntington Beach, CA did mine…IT WORKED.
The idea is that the nerve has an affinity for the alcohol, which effectively “kills” the nerve distally
from the injection point. It worked. All 3 nerves, it worked.
I had suffered for over 10 years. Back in 97 I was doing the Honolulu Marathon and had to stop, take of my shoes, and literally push my toes back, massaging my feet.
After that, I had pain on most runs (and I usually run 5+ times per week for the last 10 years) starting at 40 minutes. In adventure races where I was running 4, 6, 10 hrs +, this was unbearable at times.
I had severe cases, and they have been cured.
I went into the clinic asking for neurectomy, and my podiatrist (Dr. Swartz) offered this alternative.
It worked.
Try it.
If you need my doctor to contact yours let me know. it’s a simple procedure.
Sean Clancy
HB
What do you think about dorsal vs. plantar approach for surgery?
Always a dorsal approach unless I’m doing a revisional surgery, then usually plantar.
To the other poster: I have been using the alcohol sclerosing injections for years (ever since Gary Dockery’s initial study out of Seattle). I don’t quite get his initial study success rates (about 75%), but it is another option instead of surgery. But, the protocol calls for 3-7 injections of 8% dehydrated alcohol. Most patients relate that the injections are very painful as well and some would just prefer the surgery.
I offer both options to “failure” patients and decide what is best based on their needs/expectations. Surgery often sounds awful, but as you read with some poster’s anecdotes, they do very well. Since the surgery is pretty simple with very little possibility of side/after-effects, I’d do this without hesitation even in a runner. Could be healed before the alcohol injections work (7 weeks) and if they fail, I still have to do the surgery. But, you can train/run/whatever while getting the ETOH injections so no time off at all.
I personally did not find the injections to be painful, and I am very squeamish about needles, almost phobic.
I had 3 separate neuromas, and hence 7 shots each: 21 shots.
Only one or two gave an ‘electric’ shock/pain, but it lasted less than a second.
I was totally ready to have the surgery, I even planned a week of vacation from work.
Didn’t need it.
I hope you can share this with your patients, I hope they have similar outcomes.
FYI I have been riding and running high mileage since 1993 or so, with very few extended breaks, racing all triathlon distances up to Ironman and maybe 15+ adventure races lasting 1-6 days nonstop…this procedure was a life-saver for me!!!
I hope you can share this with your patients, I hope they have similar outcomes.
As is always discussed here on ST - this is your experience of N=1 and that is awesome that it worked for you. I have had many pateints tell me the exact same thing and are happy as a clam (I’ve done this perhaps 100 times or more). However, it does NOT work for everyone (hence the couple of PROSPECTIVE studied regarding the efficacy). Honestly, I hope most patients don’t need even the ETOH injections either, but it pays well 
Thanks for sharing though since I think the OP was given this option, yet did not do this based on a bad experience with an injection. This may help him/her?
The cortizone injections, custom orthotics and metarsal(sp) pads did not work but the alcohol injections did. I still might have an iritation but the pain is nothing like it was. The good thing about the alcohol injections is that there is no down time and the pain was minimal. good luck
What worked for me the best was a metatarcal (sp?) pad positioned just below where the pain was. Used it about a year, also started using wider running shoes, have not had pain since.
Hope yours does not last!
Good luck!!!
I have the same set up done by a good podiatrist. AND I changed how I lace my shoes to avoid pressure on the metatarsal. I was diagnosed about 10 years ago and have been pain free ever since. I always run in my orthotics! The only thing that kills my feet are high heels. LOL.
2 cortisone injections in each foot and the problem is gone.
Well I had my follow up visit a couple weeks ago, and I decided to have the cryosurgery again.
Just got back from procedure. It was less painful to have it done a second time. I think it went well, at least I hope it did.
I’m going to sit back and relax for awhile and see what the outcome will be. I’ll keep all posted. Looking forward to a good season next year.
Have a good T-day all.
Larry
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I struggled with the problem for several years. I was treated by a podiatrist who hung in there with me. I made sure I used wider shoes and went through a few sets of orthotics. I tried acupunture for a while. I think there was some relief, but the pressure of pedaling the bike so much made that treatment inadequate. I had a cortisone shot which helped a lot. Last year, training for my first iron-distance race, I was really struggling, particularly after four hours or so on the bike in hot weather. I would stop and get ice every hour or so, which would help temporarily. Before the race in October, I had another cortisone shot (a year after the first one). That one didn’t do much good. During the 2005 race, I stopped three times on the bike to ice my foot and seven times during the run. That made the time embarassingly slow, but I finished. Four weeks later (just about a year ago), I had two neuromas removed from the foot. Recovery was slower and more difficult than I expected. My foot would swell every night and be very tender. I needed orthotics to walk comfortably for about 10 months. I did a slow marathon in late March - trotted through it - and that gave me confidence to return to long distance bike training. By August I was pain free and the foot did not bother me during IMFl (although back spasms did). A year after the surgery,the foot remains a little tender and there is some numbness, but does not interfere with biking or running any more.