5 min read
Morton's neuroma is a thickening of tissue around one of the nerves running between the long bones of the foot, most often between the third and fourth toes. It is a nerve problem rather than a joint or bone problem, and that is why the sensations it produces — burning, tingling, numbness — are so different from what people expect foot pain to feel like.
What people usually describe
The descriptions are consistent enough to be recognisable. People commonly report:
- A burning feeling in the ball of the foot, sometimes spreading into the toes.
- Numbness or tingling in one or two toes.
- A sensation of standing on a pebble, or of a sock being bunched under the ball of the foot when nothing is there.
- Relief when shoes come off, and when the foot is rubbed.
Why the name is misleading
The word "neuroma" suggests a tumour, and understandably that worries people. It is not one. The term is long-established in medicine but describes a benign thickening of the tissue surrounding a nerve, not a growth in the sense most people mean.
It is also frequently misspelled and mispronounced in searches — "morton neuralgia", "morton's toe", and several other variants — which is part of why people struggle to find clear information about it.
What tends to make it worse
The nerve sits in a confined space between the bones of the forefoot, so anything that reduces that space or increases pressure through the ball of the foot tends to aggravate it. Narrow toe boxes and high heels are the footwear features most often implicated. Activities that repeatedly load the forefoot can have the same effect.
This is also why symptoms often ease as soon as the shoe comes off — the pressure, rather than the nerve itself, has changed.
How it is evaluated
Evaluation generally begins with an examination of the foot and a discussion of what the symptoms feel like, when they occur, and what changes them. Burning and numbness in the forefoot can arise from more than one cause, including problems originating higher up in the leg or back, so identifying the source is the point of the visit.
Imaging is sometimes used to rule out other explanations rather than to confirm this one.
When to have it looked at
Burning, numbness, or tingling in the foot is worth having evaluated rather than waited out, particularly if it is persistent, if it is worsening, or if you have diabetes or any known nerve condition. Numbness in the feet is a symptom that deserves an explanation.
If you have burning or numbness in the ball of your foot, our Chillicothe office evaluates nerve-related foot pain and can help identify what is causing it.
This article is general information about a common foot and ankle condition. It is not medical advice and it is not a diagnosis of your own symptoms. If something is wrong with your foot, have it examined.
Care at Bends Foot and Ankle is provided by Eric Storts, DPM, FACFAS, board certified podiatric foot and ankle surgeon.