Morton’s neuroma is a thickening of a nerve that affects mainly the area between the metatarsals 3 and 4 in the forefoot, less often between metatarsals 2 and 3. It might be caused by chronic irritation of the plantar digital nerve, such as being squashed, stretched or rubbed. It disproportionately more often affects middle-aged women but can affect all age and genders. The pain tends to radiate into the toes often causing a burning or tingling sensation and may be aggravated by wearing tight-fitting shoes.
Reducing the pressure on the affected nerve will often permit good pain relief. Wide fitting shoes, insoles and physiotherapy can be very helpful. In case symptoms persist an ultrasound-guided injection around the thickened nerve and a possibly inflamed adjacent bursa will confirm the diagnosis and most often will eradicate the pain. For the few patients suffering from recurrent/persistent pain, surgery to remove the thickened inflamed nerve will be successful. After a short period of rest, patients can resume walking in wide fitting shoes and pain will settle accordingly.