Could That Tingling Be a Neuroma? Signs and Solutions

Nerves function as a wiring system for your body, an interconnected network of neurons and impulses that travel through your nervous system, sending electrical signals responsible for a wide range of functions. Through this complex network, we experience pain, move our muscles, and regulate our organs, sending all this information to our brain.

Damage to nerves can impair your ability to feel and cause a range of other symptoms. Conditions like Morton's neuroma stem from nerve damage to your feet. To determine if the tingling or other foot problems stem from this condition, let's explore how this neuroma affects the feet, what causes it, and what can be done to treat it.

Residents of Fort Worth and Weatherford, Texas, struggling with foot conditions like Morton's neuroma can find help with Drs. Glen Beede, Gregory Jaryga, and their experienced staff at Trinity Foot &Ankle Specialists.

Morton’s neuroma basics

In general terms, a neuroma refers to an abnormal growth of nerve tissue, which can result in a pinched nerve or a benign tumor. The resulting sensations in these growths are categorized as different forms of dysesthesias, abnormal feelings that can be painful but are otherwise hard to describe. 

Morton's neuroma happens between the third and fourth toes, with a range of symptoms, like:

• Burning pain in the ball of your foot
• The feeling that a rock or a ball is stuck under your foot
• Sharp, tingling pain
• Pain made worse by wearing shoes
• Numbness
• A clicking feeling when walking
• Pain when removing shoes

This condition is common enough that one in three people will experience it at some point in their lives, according to estimates.

Common causes 

Research indicates that the swelling and irritation of the interdigital nerve between your toes associated with Morton's neuroma stems from pressure on your toes, and several factors can cause this. 

Wearing narrow, pointed shoes (common with high heels), playing sports that routinely put pressure on the ball of your foot, and labor that keeps you on your feet all day increase the chances of developing this condition. Health problems such as flat feet (pes planus), high arches, bunions, hammertoes, and foot injuries also raise the risk.

Prevention and treatment

To manage the issues associated with Morton's neuroma, we offer several solutions, including conservative options like applying an ice compress, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), exercises, and physical therapy. We can also use ultrasound therapy, orthotic shoe inserts, supportive shoes, and padding for your metatarsal arch to help with the symptoms.

If these options prove to be less effective, we also specialize in minimally invasive decompression surgery to spare the nerve and reduce the risk of losing sensation. Primary and revision neuroma therapy can also involve nerve removal, and our office performs these procedures as well.

The tingling and other unpleasant symptoms that come with Morton's neuroma can be frustrating, but they don't have to be. Schedule an appointment with Drs. Beede, Jaryga, and the Trinity Foot & Ankle Specialists team today to get help.