Neuroma Specialist

What is a neuroma?

A neuroma describes a benign growth of nerve tissue that typically develops between your third and fourth toes.

While known as a nerve tumor, a neuroma is actually a thickening of tissues around the nerves connected to your toes. This thickening can cause pain in your toes and the ball of your foot. When walking, a neuroma can make it feel like you have a pebble in the bottom of your shoe.

You should schedule a diagnostic evaluation at Rhode Island Foot Care if you experience persistent foot pain or:

• Burning
• Tingling
• Numbness
• Swelling in between your toes

Delaying treatment for a neuroma increases your risk for more severe pain, affecting your ability to stay active.

What causes a neuroma?

While the root cause of neuromas isn’t well understood, women tend to develop the condition more often than men, seemingly because of wearing high-heels or narrow shoes.

Other risk factors for neuromas include:

• Flat feet
• High arches
• Foot injuries
• Repetitive stress from sports

The Rhode Island Foot Care team can determine if your foot pain results from a neuroma or another condition through a physical exam, X-rays, and other on-site imaging tests.

How is a neuroma treated?

Initially, the Rhode Island Foot Care team might recommend treating a painful neuroma with padding and orthotic shoe inserts. You should also wear sturdy, supportive shoes that fit well. Avoid wearing narrow shoes, pointed shoes, and high heels.

In addition to relieving pressure on your foot, cortisone injections can relieve inflammation and pain when over-the-counter medications aren’t working well. Shockwave therapy can also relieve neuroma pain using shockwave energy that stimulates your body’s natural healing processes.

If conservative therapies aren’t enough to treat a painful neuroma, the Rhode Island Foot Care team might recommend surgery. A surgical procedure aims to remove enlarged, inflamed nerves to relieve your pain and improve your mobility.

You can expect to recover from this outpatient surgery within a few weeks. Following surgery, you will need to ensure you choose wide shoes with padding to support the ball of your foot to prevent additional neuromas.

To find out if your foot pain is due to a neuroma, schedule a diagnostic evaluation online or call the Rhode Island Foot Care office nearest you today.