FOOT PAIN GETTING ON YOUR NERVES?

"I have two toes on my left foot that feel real numb," he said.

Very often while walking around his home he would lift his foot up quickly as if he stepped on a tack or a lamp cord that could give him a shock. The pain definitely was a hindrance.

Neuromas, commonly called Morton’s Neuroma, are enlarged benign growths of nerves, most commonly between the third and fourth toes. (However, it can occur between the second and third toes. This condition is caused by the compression of nerves between two displaced metatarsal bones, which is often due to ill-fitting shoes or abnormal bone movement. Inflammation occurs when the head of one displaced metatarsal presses against another and catches the nerve between them. With each step, the nerve is robbed, pressed and irritated.  Consequently, the nerve becomes enlarged with a sheath of scar tissue that forms to protect the nerve.

The symptoms of a neuroma include a sudden sharp stabbing pain in the toes. The pain may start gradually and build, causing tingling, cramps, numbness and burning as well. The toes, however, are not the source of the pain. Morton’s neuromas is a neuralgia, an inflammation of the nerve. To relieve the pain, many people remove the shoe and massage and bend the toes where the pain seems to be located. Substituting a cold sensation for the pain — by stepping on a cold floor with a bare foot — sometimes helps relieve this pain temporarily as well.

"If you find yourself holding your foot in your hand while trying to balance yourself, you probably have Morton's Neuroma," says Patrick Mullen, D.P.M. "However, it is important to have a physical exam to determine this because diabetes or alcoholism can have symptoms similar to a neuroma."

To make a proper diagnosis and determine the best course of treatment, Dr. Mullen thoroughly examines a patient’s foot and checks his or her medical history. Any past nerve conditions may be indication of Morton’s neuroma. X-rays may also help identify the condition. Once discovered, Dr. Mullen employs various forms of treatment.

If you are experiencing nerve pain in the foot, please call Dr. Mullen’s office today at (559) 435-0220.