My right "pointer" toe has been giving me problems for a while. I get shooting electrical pain running up from my toe to my ankle in a straight line. I didn't do much about it, because of my interceding gall bladder trouble. Once that was done, and I was more mobile again, the foot pain started back up.
Finally I went to my doctor, who gave me a (in my view) dreaded cortisone shot in between my pointer and middle toe (ouch!). I was referred to podiatry. Well, the cortisone did nothing but give me injection site pain, as is my usual experience with them.
I went in to the podiatrist, x-rays showed no stress fracture, and (yay) no arthritis in my foot at all. He determined I had a Morton Neuroma. What is that, you may ask? Well......
Morton's Neuroma is an inflammation of and tissue buildup around the nerves between the metatarsal bones in the foot. As the nerves grow, they push against each other and all of the other ligaments, tendons, bones, etc. in that area. It causes heat to radiate from the area (it feels like your foot is too close to a fire, weird), you feel like theres a stone or marble in your foot, a lot of electrical-like nerve pain, etc. It is no fun.
This neuroma is between the third and fourth toe, mine is between the second and third.
In most cases the neuroma is caused by wearing ill fitting shoes, shoes that are too tight, or pointy-toed shoes that compress the toe area together. Or it can be caused from over flexation, as in tennis players, runners, or ballet dancers. Clearly, I am none of those (although I did play tennis in high school).
My neuroma condition is a culmination of the past 35 years.... well I guess it would actually be 34, since I wasn't walking at birth. Because I was such a giant baby who was a month overdue, and because my mom is so little, I was cramped in the womb (but unwilling to leave apparently, as I was born a month late). My hips turn in instead of being open flat (it's hard to explain). Because of this my feet turn in. When I was a baby my terrible pediatritian thought it was a problem with my feet, and I had to wear these stupid baby shoes (which were not as trendy as baby shoes today!) attached to braces while I slept to "retrain" my feet. It wasn't until I was ready to enter kindergarten that we had better insurence and they figured out it was my hips. By this time the only remedy would have been to break my hips, readjust them, put me in a full body cast for a while, and then reteach me how to walk. Clearly this was not feasible.
As a result of my hip issue, I had to teach myself to walk with my feet straight. This happened around middle school when this evil girl kept making fun of me, telling me "You walk like a retard, why aren't you in the retard class?" Clearly I was her intellectual superior, as I was walking from Honors Literature to Advanced Band when she tormented me, but I digress.......
So, I figured out how to walk kind of normal, however, I still pronate to the outside of my feet. My shoes wear very unevenly. If I'm very tired, say, after walking around Disneyland for the whole day, my feet will still turn in. And when I'm standing they are more than likely pointed inward and crossed over each other. That's just my comfortable way of standing.
After 30+ years all of this pronation causes my arches to collapse when I step, which causes the nerves and bones in the "ball" area of my foot to compress and irritate each other. Now there's a little tumor like growth of nerve tissue that's built up and is causing trouble.
What treatment is needed? Well first they try the cortisone shots which (A) I don't believe in and (2) don't work on me, ever. I have to go have my feet casted and have hard orthotic insoles made which I have to wear in all of my shoes. If those don't make any difference they will have to look at surgery to remove the neuroma, leaving what is called a "nerve stump" which can start the process again, but, since I'd still be wearing the inserts, hopefully would not grow back.
The surgery would be done from the top of my foot. They would go in, carefully cut between all the ligaments and tendons and such to go down to the nerve. They would cut out the swollen knob. This could cause permanent numbness in one or both affected toes, which could cause balance issues. And, as you all know, I don't need more balance issues, I have enough trouble just standing as it is. But, it would be worth it to relieve all of this burning and shocking pain. It even affects my sleep - I awaken suddenly in the night with horrible pain.
In the photo (1) is a swollen digital nerve, (2) is the Morton's Neuroma to be removed, and (3) are the two individual nerves that rubbed together, became inflamed, and caused the neuroma to develop.
So, that's the road ahead of me. I'd like to be hopeful that the insoles will work, but since this has been 34 years in the making, I'm having a hard time being optomistic. It seems like I have a long road ahead, and it's frustrating. Not being able to walk far without pain, not sleeping well (which I already had issues with), having random sudden flashes of pain for no apparent reason, it's very annoying. But, it's all in God's hands, and I feel blessed that I don't have to work while this is going on, and I have a full month before school starts. I'm also lucky to have a temporary handicap placard so that when school does start I'll be able to park close to the buildings I need.
I will post updates as they occur. And a piece of advice to all of you - wear shoes that fit well, massage your feel after wearing heels or tight shoes, and make sure you're walking flat on your feet. =)
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