A foot neuroma is an irritated nerve that has thickened, causing discomfort in the ball of your foot when you walk or stand. But what causes a foot neuroma to form? Many different factors can lead to this condition; you can control some of them, but others may not be so easy to avoid. In this post, we review neuroma causes, along with preventative measures and treatment options.
What Causes a Foot Neuroma to Form? ![person holding the ball of the foot]()
Many different factors can lead to the kind of nerve irritation that results in neuroma formation. Sometimes, the very mechanics of your foot are to blame: flat feet, high-arched feet or general biomechanical imbalances can all put undue pressure on your nerve, leading to the irritation and thickening. At other times, foot trauma or the effects of high-impact sports such as tennis or basketball are to blame. And, at other times, simply choosing the wrong footwear—high heels and tight shoes are especially bad—can leave you dealing with terrible ball of foot pain.
How Serious is a Neuroma?
A foot neuroma isn’t typically a dangerous problem. However, it can cause terrible pain when you walk, stand or simply put on shoes. Left untreated, it can limit your shoe choices, and impact your mobility, along with your overall quality of life.
How to Get Rid of a Neuroma?
If you want to get rid of a neuroma in your foot, you will have to reduce pressure on your irritated nerve. As such, the first line of treatment at our podiatrist in Marietta, Georgia will be to supervise a shoe change for you: we’ll help you find pairs with wide toe boxes that won’t squeeze the affected area. We’ll also keep you away from high heels, and may provide you with special metatarsal pads to cushion the ball of your foot, reducing pressure and irritation so that your nerve can heal.
If biomechanics contributed to the formation of your foot neuroma, we will likely fit you for custom orthotics. When you wear them consistently, they will redistribute pressure evenly across your feet; this should take a load off of your nerve, allowing the thickened nerve to heal. If you need additional pain relief during this healing period, you can ice and massage the ball of your foot to help reduce your neuroma pain. We may also suggest a temporary modification of your activity levels, suggesting that you avoid high-impact sports while your foot is in recovery mode. However, if these non-invasive neuroma treatments fail to provide sufficient relief, we may need to explore more invasive options.
Injections and Surgery
Some patients with a foot neuroma will find relief from a targeted cortisone injection, designed to reduce pain and inflammation in the affected nerve. For more advanced cases, surgery may be necessary. Luckily, Dr. Alvin Cowans is trained to perform minimally invasive surgery for foot neuromas, meaning he can remove the thickened nerve with smaller incisions, using highly specialized tools that minimize damage to your healthy soft tissue. As a result, your post-surgical pain is minimized and you can recover on a faster timeline than you would after a traditional, open surgery.
Lasting Relief for Foot Neuromas
As soon as you notice pain in the ball of your foot, we encourage you to contact our office—a neuroma could be developing. With this kind of nerve irritation, early intervention is important: the sooner you seek care, the more likely it is that we can relieve your pain with minimally-invasive treatments. So don’t wait another minute to get rid of your neuroma: start the healing process today by calling 770-727-0614 or by following this link to request an appointment.
