Mortons Neuroma

Mortons Neuroma is a condition we frequently see at the San Diego Running Institute. This painful foot condition is often misdiagnosed or confused with plantar fasciitis or Metatarsalgia. A runner will complain of pain in the ball of their foot usually just behind the second or third toe that either causes numbness into the toes or shooting pain into the toes. The pain can be intense or just a dull ache that they describe but usually gets progressively worse with activity. The pain can be intense enough to cause you to stop running and even result in a limp. Often, these runners have been to a foot doctor or sports doctor who made them custom sports orthotics with a metatarsal pad. When I ask the runner if it helps they will typically reply “no” and that “it does not help at all and may be making it worse”. The problem is that the metatarsal pad has been placed incorrectly on the custom orthotic. It is essential to have the metatarsal pad in the correct location in order to ease the condition. The nerve between the 2nd and 3rd metatarsals is inflamed due to narrowing of the space between them. This irritates the nerve which then causes the shooting pain and/or numbness into the toes. When the metatarsal pad is placed correctly just behind the metatarsal heads (just behind the painful location) alleviation of the foot and toe pain is achieved. It is not unusual for me to correctly place a metatarsal pad for a patient and have them walk pain free right then and there! There are many different metatarsal pads available but I have found the Pro-Tech Metatarsal pad to be the easiest, most convenient and effective metatarsal pads to use for Mortons Neuroma. While this is a fast and effective treatment for Mortons Neuroma it is sometimes not enough to fix this common foot injury.

When this “quick-fix” fails the San Diego Running Institute can refer you to Dr. Victor Runco. He is a foot pain specialist and has helped hundreds of runners and non-runners with Mortons Neuroma and other foot pain conditions. If you have pain in the ball of your foot or have been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, Mortons Neuroma or Metatarsalgia and have not been helped stop by the San Diego Running Institute and talk to one of our running specialists or if you prefer call and schedule an appointment with Dr. Runco by calling 619-265-2222.