How to Actually Relieve Morton’s Neuroma Pain
If you’ve been living with Morton’s Neuroma, you know the drill: it feels like there is a hot pebble stuck in your shoe, or a sharp zing of electricity that shoots into your third and fourth toes. It’s annoying, it’s painful, and it makes you want to chuck your shoes into the nearest trash can. That’s why we at New Jersey Podiatric Physicians & Surgeons Group are here to help relieve your neuroma pain in 5 different ways.
1. Choose Roomier Footwear
Most neuromas are caused by squeezing or compression. If you’re wearing narrow, pointy-toed shoes, you’re physically smashing the long bones in your foot together.
The first step to relief is switching to a shoe with more room in the toes, enough room, at least, to splay out naturally without touching the sides of the shoe.
2. Buy Metatarsal Pads
Metatarsal pads are small, heart-shaped gel or foam pads that you stick inside your shoe.
The trick is placement. You don’t put them directly under the painful spot. You place them just behind the ball of your foot. The pad acts like a wedge that separates the metatarsal bones apart as you walk.
These un-pinches the nerve and give the swelling a chance to go down. But before you go buying them yourself, consider visiting a trusted podiatrist for custom options.
3. Cool Your Neuroma Down
Since a neuroma is essentially an inflamed nerve, ice is your best friend. But don’t just put an icepack on top of your foot. Use a frozen water bottle and roll the ball of your foot over it for 15 minutes.
This combines cryotherapy with a gentle massage that can help move some of the inflammatory fluid out of the area.
4. Ditch The High Heels
High heels shift all your body weight onto the exact spot where the nerve is being pinched. If you’re struggling with pain, switch to a zero-drop shoe, or one where the heel and the forefoot are at the same level. Taking that downhill pressure off the ball of your foot is often enough to stop the zapping sensations.
5. Give It a Rest
Sometimes, the nerve just needs a vacation. If your neuroma is flaring up, switch to low-impact activities like swimming or cycling for a week. The pounding of running or high-intensity cardio keeps the nerves in a state of constant trauma.
If you’ve tried the pads and the wider shoes and you’re still hurting, it might be time for a professional to step in with more advanced treatments like custom orthotics.
But for most people, a little more space is all that nerve really wants!
If you’re worried about your foot pain, come see the expert team at New Jersey Podiatric Physicians & Surgeons Group. With more than 30 locations, from Newark, NJ, to Cape May, NJ, we value convenience and excellent service for our patients. To schedule an appointment, first find a podiatrist in your area.
