Does Morton's Neuroma Heal or is it Carrer Ending?

I have had a neuroma in my right foot for 12 years now. It came on after a successful summer of racing in the mountains and right when I started building for a winter marathon.

I spent the next decade trying to figure it out. I had three different podiatrists over the years and at least three cortisone injections in that time. They would all last for about 3 weeks or so. All the doctors were pro surgery, though they all admitted it does not always solve the problem. I was really hesitant to cut into my feet for something that might work.

I ended up taking a lot of time off running and doing other things. I'm not really bummed about that, but for the last year I have been running consistently with no problems and I personally credit it to three things.

One, I got stronger. Everywhere. This was one of the things I did in all that time off. I lifted weights, mostly barefoot, and I think this helped my feet, ankles, legs, hips, etc. I would not say I was week before, but I certainly wasn't strong.

Two, I changed my foot strike. I used to be a heel/midfoot striker. Something about how my foot would hit the ground and then roll onto the ball really bothered the neuroma. Last summer I spent time transitioning to more of a forefoot striker. It seems counter intuitive as you are landing on the spot that has the problem, but I am able to land softer and also pick where my foot lands. It still amazes me that this has helped so much, but it has.

Three, wider shoes. I tried to find wider shoes for many years but never got any that worked. They were always too wide everywhere, and I actually don't have a wide foot. The ones I found to be best for me are by Altra. Super wide toebox, but not an overly wide heel. They make a lot of good running shoe models. They are also zero drop, which has helped a lot with the transition to forefoot striking.

I'm currently running 40 miles a week with no problems (and hoping to keep building, though I'm going slow). I do some tempos and fartleks occasionally, and I've gone as long as 23 miles. No issue with the neuroma. I do know it is still there, and every once in a while I'll hit a rock or root the wrong way, or it will just get buzzing for a minute or two, but then it goes away.

Anyways, that is what seems to have worked for me. I recommend trying a variety of things. Some might work better than others. I tried so many things over the years that did not work (the shots, sticking things between the toes, cutting up inserts for ramps and changing the fit, cutting shoes for more space, etc.), but the three I listed did the trick for me.

This is still as true as it was when I wrote it six years ago. Get wider shoes. I don't mean EE width shoes, just shoes with a wide toebox so the bones in the ball of your foot aren't squeezed together.

Had this issue in left foot - 30+ years ago....surgery did the trick!

All the best man

I realize that this thread is 7 years old, but I had great success with toe spacers. Nothing was working for me until I ordered some yogatoes on Amazon. I started getting results within 24 hours and was able to start running again within a week.

Daverunsagain wrote:

I realize that this thread is 7 years old, but I had great success with toe spacers. Nothing was working for me until I ordered some yogatoes on Amazon. I started getting results within 24 hours and was able to start running again within a week.

Toe spacers help for the same reason that shoes wider in the forefoot will help. Also, don't just get wider shoes for running get them for everyday life as well. I use Olukai shoes for work and combined with wider forefoot running shoes this seems to have taken my neuroma problems to the background. I also do the toe spacer thing when I'm sitting at home with no shoes on.

elviejo wrote:

Daverunsagain wrote:

I realize that this thread is 7 years old, but I had great success with toe spacers. Nothing was working for me until I ordered some yogatoes on Amazon. I started getting results within 24 hours and was able to start running again within a week.

Toe spacers help for the same reason that shoes wider in the forefoot will help. Also, don't just get wider shoes for running get them for everyday life as well. I use Olukai shoes for work and combined with wider forefoot running shoes this seems to have taken my neuroma problems to the background. I also do the toe spacer thing when I'm sitting at home with no shoes on.

Toe spacers do help. I had a single spacer I would use for running and then bought a pair of gel toe spacers for the entire foot. It feels great to put them on at the end of the day and massage my feet.

Cortisone shots helped clear my neuromas. I made the mistake of running in a narrow shoe and have stayed away from them since and have had no re-occurrence.

I have several foot issues (bunions, hammertoe, pronation, and neuroma) and it is hard to find a shoe that I can walk in all day. Well, finally I did! I have Orthofeet's grey and red pair and they look and feel terrific and have great arch support. Will definitely look in to purchasing another pair.

This is still my advice. Today, however, more shoes are available with a wider toe box, so you should have lots more choices than we had in 2010.

I would add that many runners wear socks that I would call medium thickness while I wear only thin socks. A thick sock effectively makes your foot wider. Most of my socks are about the thickness of a t-shirt on the top AND bottom. They're hard to find, but I get mine at TJ Maxx, usually about 6 pair for $8 or so.

Let me add that I just picked up two pair of New Balance Zante v3 on clearance from Running Warehouse for $48 minus the FB15D coupon... or $43. They have a wide toe box that allows me to wiggle my toes slightly. It's a decent shoe.

If I try on a shoe and it feels tight across the little toe, I don't even take test run. Shoes that fit snug across the toe box will eventually cause Morton's Neuroma for me or else I have to jump through all the hoops I described earlier of modifying the shoe.

I agree with other posters that you have to ensure that ALL your shoes are wide in the toe box, not just your running shoes. This is especially important as you recover from Morton's Neuroma.

I have to agree with josh tree.

I have had the beginnings Morton's Neuroma or similar inflamed nerve issues in my feat.

All of which were in the era when I was naive and hadn't discovered wide cut shoes (i.e. 2E).

Ever since I have made this change I have had ZERO issues with Neuroma(s).

In addition, this type of injury was never something I tried to run through for very long. At first I thought it was a stress fracture or stress reaction. Rest, Ice, and wider shoes will be your best friend.

New Balance is what I have been wearing for the last few years. NB already runs a bit wider than Nike or Adidas and their 2E size fits my wide hobbit feet perfectly. Most core Nike training shoes (Pegs, structures, vomero, etc.) have several widths that you can choose from. You can get wider shoes from Asics, Brooks and Altra as well.

You might not get to select the color way you want for a certain shoe, but your health is way more important.

-HStu

I've had a mild case of Morton's Neuroma for years. The problem started with hiking boots that were, it turns out, too narrow in the toes. After about two hours of hiking the ball of my foot would start to sting and eventually my middle toe would go completely numb. Then it began to bother me near the end of half-marathons. It took me quite a while to figure out that the problem was not the distance or the pace, but that my long-distance racing shoes were also too narrow.

I find that about one-quarter of all running shoes that appear to fit OK are actually too narrow and cause the MN to flare up. Unfortunately I can't tell by trying the shoe on--I have to run in it, and if the ball of the foot starts stinging, I give up on the shoes. Interestingly, the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante was the most recent shoe I tried that I could not run in because of the neuroma. I'm currently running mostly in Saucony Kinvaras, which never cause any problem.

Bottom line: I agree with other posters that width of the toe box is key.

I've been suffering from turf toe for a while, and finally bought orthotic. This was by far the last option. Orthofeet insole helped with discomfort immediately, and easily fit into most of my shoes--I just remove the insole and replace it with this. I didn't need a set, just one, but that's not a complaint, it's a great value! I wore them yesterday to walk my dog, and they didn't slip at all. I'm wearing them today with dress shoes and even without socks they're comfortable.

I have dealt with bilateral Morton's neuroma for the past 8 years. It happened after a fall onto the concrete from a step ladder while working on the soffits at my house. I landed on the side of my right foot then on the other side of the left foot squeezing the nerve causing the neuroma. I used to be a runner up until that point. Two years into it I had so much pain that I had surgery but not until after I went to see seven doctors; some of whom misdiagnosed the problem. The last doctor (an Orthopedic surgeon who specialized in the foot and ankle) did a neurectomy. It took 2 years before any substantial relief came. Now the left is flaring more so I am searching for a better solution. I read your article and bought some Alta's (Repetitions) which sometimes help other times I get sore. My question is: what specific exercises did you do i.e. for the calves? Feet, etc.? Thanks for reading my long post!