Numbness In Your Forefoot? You Probably Have A Neuroma

If you find that have a lot of numbness and/or pain around your forefoot

, pain that seems to be relieved when you take off your shoes, you may have a condition known as Morton's neuroma.

It's an arthritic condition that comes with nerve inflammation. Middle aged people and those who enjoy high impact sports are the most common victims, although anyone can suffer from the condition, especially women who wear high heels with narrow, pointy toe boxes.

This is called a neuroma -- neuromas generally are tumors -- even though many podiatrists and other health care professionals don't consider this condition a real tumor, but rather a fibrous tissue that has formed around your metatarsal tissue.

This foot neuroma develops due to the stress on your forefoot during walking and running. Your metatarsals can take up to 275 percent of your body's weight, and the forefoot area takes up the brunt of it. Wear high heels, especially higher than two-inches, and the pressure on your forefoot is tremendous.

Women suffer from this kind of neuroma much more frequently than men -- women wear high heels and the increased pressure that results on their forefeet is the culprit. Women who wear poorly fitting shoes, especially those that smash the toes together in a small toe box, also suffer from this condition the most. The narrow front of the shoe stretches the metatarsal nerves.

To reduce symptoms, you'll need to reduce the pressure on your forefoot. Check your shoes. Do they fit well? Wearing well-fitting shoes -- especially if you engage in high-impact sports -- is critical. Your feet need to have space to withstand the pressure and stress you are putting them under.

How open is the toe box? For everyday wear, There are many attractive, well-fitting shoes out there that don't require you to force your feet into unnatural shapes. If you wear high heels, don't wear anything higher than one-inch. Flats are especially popular today; you'll find many cute and stylish shoes you can wear that will help alleviate your neuroma pain.

Your podiatrist may recommend a corticosteroid or an anesthetic, but he or she also more than likely will recommend that you change your shoe style.

Before you decide on surgery there is one last treatment that has resulted in good outcome. This treatment is called Alcohol injection. This injection will destroy the nerve thus give relief of pain.

Surgery also can be performed, removing the neuroma from your metatarsal area. Surgery can be complicated and must be performed by skilled surgeon. The cut nerve ending needs to be tucked away in to the muscle. If this is not done properly you will end up with a condition called Stump Neuroma. This is one of the most common complication of neuroma surgery

You'll obviously have to limit the weight you put on the leg, thus curtailing physical activity. Your podiatrist, physician and surgeon also will practically insist you change your outlook regarding high heel shoes and narrow toe boxes.

Copyright (c) 2010 Dr Alireza Khosroabady DPM

by: Dr Alireza Khosroabady DPM

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