Solving children’s foot pain

Posted on: 12 March 2015

You're walking along the street when a pain shoots across the ball of your foot. You can't put pressure on it and you end up hobbling to try and avoid the pain. The pain may be constant or it may come and go, but either way it's interfering with your everyday life. If this describes you, you may have a foot neuroma.

Causes

Morton's neuroma, or foot neuroma, is a trapped nerve commonly found between the third and fourth toes which becomes irritated and swollen. The condition is often thought of as a pinched nerve.

The condition is cause by repetitive pressure being placed on the nerve, through regular walking or the wearing of ill-fitting shoes. For example, you may particularly feel the pain of Morton's neuroma while wearing high heels. If you have flat feet, you may also be more at risk of this pain. Other causes include trauma to the foot or ball of the feet, which can damage the nerve, or the presence of abnormalities such as bony growths or fatty lumps which may put added pressure on the nerve.

Morton's neuroma is more common in women than in men and may affect just one foot or both feet at the same time.

Symptoms

Signs that you have Morton's neuroma include:

• Pins and needles in the toes and foot.
• Numbness of the toes and foot.
• Sharp, shooting pains in the ball of the foot.
• Burning pain in the ball of the foot.
• Tenderness of the affected area when manipulated.

Treatment

If you experience pain in your foot while walking or doing exercise, speak to your podiatrist such as ACT Podiatry. During your appointment, your podiatrist will examine your foot and manipulate it to determine whether the nerves in the ball of your foot are the cause of your pain. They may also take x-rays on your foot to establish the amount of damage caused.

The only way to treat Morton's neuroma is to soothe whatever is causing the nerve to swell or become trapped. This could include:

• Using ice packs to reduce the swelling.
• Keeping the foot elevated to improve blood flow.
• Massage to relax the area, stimulate circulation in the foot and help the foot settle back into normality.

Your podiatrist may also recommend a change in footwear.

If your Morton's neuroma is caused by a fatty lump, abnormality or bony growth which is irritating the nerve, then surgery may be required. Surgery, done using an incision into your foot to cut away any offending mass, is highly successful with a low risk of the neuroma returning.  

If walking or sport has become painful, you don't need to suffer in silence. Don't let the nerves in your foot stop you from living your life. Speak to your podiatrist about your options and you'll soon be walking pain free again.