Mortons Neuroma

chrispsmith83

So after 4 weeks of incompetence from my local GP I went to see a Chiropodist about my foot problem and have been diagnosed with mortons neuroma, its a nerve inflammation in my middle toe and I have been told it could have been brought on by cycling (I had been doing a lot on the trainer over the winter). i have to wear orthotics for a while and have been told to stay off the bike for 4 / 6 weeks as I could make it worse.

Just wondered has anyone had any problems or know anyone who has. The prospect of having to wait another 6 weeks after the 4 weeks i have already had off the bike is a frighting prospect. My fitness will be terrible by the time I can get back on the bike again

peat

Aww lame. Sorry to hear it mate.

Bobbinogs

I had this on one of my toes, brought on by tight fitting shoes (nothing bike related). Worst 'bargain' I ever had.

My understanding is that, unfortunately, once you have a bad case then there isn't a cure as such, more a case of alleviating the symptoms (and hoping that it goes away) or having surgery to remove the pain.

I had an op (through company BUPA) which did work but I did get an infection (which is fairly common, apparently) and the consultant's misplaced optimism for return to normal activities did not help one jot. I do have a small scar which still needs regular buffing (!) 5 years on and the pain in the general area can come back every now and then but it is no longer debilitating.

A colleague had a similar op but had a real 'mare and then had to have a follow up op which has left him numb in 2 toes and the problem has never really gone away either. Hence, there is always a risk with surgery and it should not be seen as a no-risk/first choice option.

My advice, follow the professional advice!

chrispsmith83

sorry to hear of you troubles with it. I will defiantly be listening to the pros, Quite angry at the moment though as I have just got a new bike and haven't been out on it once yet

wishitwasallflat

There are guys at my work who did research in this area and the latest treatment they were talkign about was a cortico steroid injection guided by ultra sound - may be worth asking about this with your Doc?

Pezzle

Its a year ago this month since I had my morton's removed and my bunion corrected. I had a steroid injection in it but it was a waste of time and didn't remove any pain in my circumstance. I had an ultrasound in the november on the foot and was diagnosed with one about half a centimetre by the time they removed it (the following March) the neuroma was one of the largest the surgeon had removed so it grew quickly. As they have remove the scuzzed up nerve you do loose some sensation in the toes, but for me the benefits of pain free walking outweighed the loss of feeling.

Definately take time to explore the all the options with your consultant before making any decisions and ask lots and lots of questions to be sure you fully understand what to expect.

Good luck hope it gets resolved for you soon.

chrispsmith83

Thanks guys for letting my know your experiences of this, I am currently wearing Orthotics and hopefully they may help the symptoms I have to go back in 4 weeks to see how im getting on. When I can get back on the bike i have been told I should look into some larger / wider shoes for better comfort and to relieve pressure from the area.

Il keep you all posted on how it goes.

I guess if you want to take up sports you have to expect injuries, bah

Erebus

Hi,

I thought I had this or something similar and did a bit of research - generally seem you start with conservative treatment such as orthotics and work down from their, with one alternative to cortisone being sclerosing alcohol injections.

Turns out I had something else. Orthotics did nothing and I ended up having a large cortisone shot guided via ultrasound - which fixed the problem, but weakened the tendons so I ended up having to have a toe sawn in half (under local) and shortened, then pinned.

barefoottj

I've been dealing with this for over four years now. I started out most conservatively and had to work my way all the way up to surgery, then surgery to correct those surgeries (two neuromas in each foot).

Dealing with MN is tricky. It seems what works for one doesn't work for all. You can do the research, talk to others who've gone through it, but in the end, you will have to be the one to make the decision which way to go, with what you (and your doctor) think is best for you. But it helps to get educated first and not learn as you go. And one way you can do this is by talking to others who've already been there and done that. Might save you some time (or downtime), money, aggravation, and pain. So please feel free to join us at MN Talk, the only forums dedicated to this condition, where we share our experiences and talk about all the different treatment options. www.MortonsNeuromaTalk.com