Tag Archives: Morton’s Neuroma

foot pain

Foot Pain. Causes of Pain in the Ball of the Foot

Causes of Pain in the Ball of the Foot

Pain in the ball of your foot is often caused by exercise, such as running, wearing shoes that are too tight or a condition such as arthritis. Some people also have a foot shape that puts extra pressure on the ball of the foot. Hard or cracked skin or a verruca can also cause this type of pain.

Pain in the ball of the foot, also known as metatarsalgia, can be caused by a variety of factors. Foot pain can be extremely painful and debilitating. If you have a foot pain, consult with one of our podiatrists from Chicago Home Foot Care at 312-998-0974Our doctors will assess your condition and provide you with quality foot and ankle treatment.

Some common causes of pain in the ball of the foot:

  1. High-Impact Activities: Activities that involve repetitive high-impact movements, such as running or jumping, can lead to stress and strain on the metatarsal bones and surrounding tissues, causing pain in the ball of the foot.
  2. Ill-Fitting Footwear: Wearing shoes that don’t provide proper support or have inadequate cushioning can lead to increased pressure on the ball of the foot. High heels, shoes with narrow toe boxes, or shoes that lack arch support can contribute to metatarsalgia.
  3. Morton’s Neuroma: This is a condition where a nerve between the metatarsal bones becomes compressed or irritated, often causing sharp, burning pain in the ball of the foot.
  4. Metatarsal Stress Fracture: Overuse or repetitive impact on the metatarsal bones can result in stress fractures, leading to localized pain in the ball of the foot.
  5. Bunions: Bunions are bony growths that can develop at the base of the big toe, causing misalignment of the metatarsal bones and contributing to ball of the foot pain.
  6. Plantar Plate Tear: The plantar plate is a thick ligamentous structure that helps stabilize the metatarsophalangeal joints. Tears or inflammation of this ligament can lead to pain in the ball of the foot.
  7. Arthritis: Osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis in the foot joints can cause pain and discomfort in the ball of the foot.
  8. Obesity: Excess body weight increases pressure on the feet and can contribute to metatarsalgia.
  9. Foot Deformities: Certain foot deformities, such as high arches or flat feet, can lead to an uneven distribution of weight on the metatarsal bones, causing pain in the ball of the foot.
  10. Tight Foot Muscles: Tight calf muscles or Achilles tendons can alter the biomechanics of the foot and contribute to metatarsalgia.
  11. Infections and Inflammation: Infections or inflammation in the foot, such as in conditions like gout or cellulitis, can lead to pain in the ball of the foot.
  12. Nerve Compression: Conditions like tarsal tunnel syndrome involve compression of the nerves in the foot, leading to pain in the ball of the foot.

If you’re experiencing pain in the ball of your foot, call for housecall podiatrist visit 312-998-0974. They can accurately diagnose the underlying cause and recommend appropriate treatment, which may include rest, physical therapy, custom orthotics, changes in footwear, medications, or in some cases, surgical intervention.

Morton's Neuroma

Morton’s Neuroma

Morton’s Neuroma

Morton’s neuroma is a painful condition that impacts the ball of your foot.

Neuromas are thickenings of nerve tissue that are the result of compression and irritation of the nerve. This compression creates swelling and enlargement of the nerve, which can lead to permanent nerve damage if left untreated. A neuroma can occur anywhere in the body. The most common type of podiatric neuroma is a Morton’s neuroma. Most commonly, a neuroma is the condition where the nerve between the two toes inward from your pinky toe that becomes irritated and enlarged. Since our nerves allow us to process and feel pain, you can imagine how an enlarged nerve trapped between two solid bones would be a painful experience. Neuromas can be so painful that some people wind up visiting urgent or emergency care centers thinking that they have broken their foot! Sometimes this isn’t far from the truth, either.

What Causes Morton’s Neuroma?

Morton’s neuroma can develop when you overwork your digital nerve. Common causes of the foot condition include:

  • Wearing high heels
  • Wearing tight shoes or shoes with a narrow toe box
  • Doing sports that involve constant repeated flexion of the ball of the foot, such as running

 

Some neuromas respond well to conservative treatment options aimed at reducing the pressure and irritation around the nerve so inflammation and pain can resolve. Often, switching to footwear that fits properly can provide significant relief of symptoms while also reducing the pressure that causes nerve inflammation. Avoiding high heels is also important since the sloped shape of the shoe can significantly increase pressure on the ball of the foot where neuromas are most likely to occur.

Our podiatrists use advanced and innovative European neurolitic dehydrated alcohol injections to shrink neuromas and provide long-term , non-surgical solutions wherever possible.

Custom orthotics and Gel silicon toe cups ( latter currently available ONLY at our mobile services ) can be very effective in helping relieve pressure on nerve tissue so pain and inflammation can resolve. Pain medications including both oral medicines and injected solutions such as European homeopathic as well as Dehydrated Alcohol, Plasma PRP or Steroids can also be effective in providing immediate relief for symptoms, including both pain and inflammation. Other techniques like extracorporeal shockwave therapy can also be effective in treating neuromas and relieving symptoms. When surgery is necessary, the doctors use minimal incision/no scar surgeries to improve recovery time and reduce the risk of scarring.

Please call to schedule our foot doctor visit: 312-998-0974

Read more: https://chicagohomefootcare.com/services/neuromas

laser foot pain

Laser for Chronic Foot Pain

MLS Laser Therapy for Foot Pain

Chronic heel pain is one of the most common forms of foot pain in adults. Most of heel pain is caused by plantar fasciitis.  Low level laser therapy (LLLT) offers a quick, painless, non-invasive, side-effect free alternative to relieve the debilitating pain of plantar fasciitis.

Low level laser therapy accelerates the body’s natural healing process by energizing the biochemical responses within our cells.

Low-level laser therapy has been found to be effective in numerous medical conditions and associated symptoms. Regardless of the condition for which it is used, LLLT has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties, it helps with edema and promotes faster healing.

It has been demonstrated that this therapeutic solution could relieve short-term pain in multiple acute and chronic conditions such as rheumatic disorders, neck pain, chronic joint disorders,  tendinopathy.

Five common foot ailments:

Arthritis

MLS can reduce swelling and increase your range of motion and mobility for rheumatoid arthritis, gout, osteoarthritis, or post-traumatic arthritis, the constant pain and stiffness in your feet can make it hard to walk.

Foot neuromas

MLS stops the pain of diabetic feet and foot neuromas, it can help heal the tissue that’s causing the pain.

Plantar fasciitis

MLS laser can help if you have a plantar fasciitis.

Tendonitis

MLS targets that inflammation and stops the discomfort so you can get moving again.

Sprains/strains

Some of the most common foot and ankle injuries are sprains and strains.  MLS helps to ease the pain and help the tissues regenerate and heal.

Call to schedule our house calls podiatrist visit:  312-998-0974

Morton's neuroma

Morton’s Neuroma

Morton’s Neuroma: Symptoms,  Treatment

One of the most common types of neuroma in the feet is Morton’s neuroma, a painful swelling that occurs in the ball of the foot.  Morton’s neuroma most commonly occurs between the third and fourth toes because space here is narrower compared to the other spaces between the toes. A Morton’s neuroma develops due to pressure, irritation, or injury to the nerves that go into your toes.

Feel like you tried everything to treat your Morton’s Neuroma but still feel the pain with walking. Still having burning pain or the feeling of walking on a marble? Chicago Home Foot Care is proud to offer pain medications including both oral medicines and injected solutions such as European homeopathic as well as Dehydrated Alcohol, Plasma PRP, custom orthotics and gel silicon toe cups or steroids can also be effective in providing immediate relief for symptoms, including both pain and inflammation. Other techniques like extracorporeal shockwave therapy can also be effective in treating neuromas and relieving symptoms. When surgery is necessary, the doctors use minimal incision/no scar surgeries to improve recovery time and reduce the risk of scarring.

Most patients with a Morton’s neuroma respond very well to shoe gear changes, custom orthotics, padding, anti-inflammatories, and/or a steroid injection. If a patient is still experiencing burning pain or pain to the ball of the foot  neuroma alcohol sclerosing injection therapy may be the answer you are looking for.

Call Chicago Home Foot Care  312-998-0974 to schedule housecalls podiatrist visit to your home in Chicago.

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Morton’s Neuroma

Morton’s Neuroma

Morton’s neuroma is one of the three most common disorders of the foot. If you’ve ever felt like you were walking around with a rock in your shoe, then you might be familiar with the symptoms of one of the most common types of neuromas—a Morton’s neuroma.  a neuroma is the condition where the nerve between the two toes inward from your pinky toe that becomes irritated and enlarged.

Causes of Morton’s Neuroma

Your nerves are responsible for transmitting impulses to the brain or spinal cord, and impulses from brain to the muscles and organs. A neuroma is a nerve defect resulting from compression or irritation. In the feet, the three most common causes of neuromas are:

  1. Pre-existing foot abnormalities such as bunions, hammertoes, or flat arches
  2. Repetitive irritation from years of athletic activity including jogging, running, or court sports
  3. Injury or other trauma to the foot

Shoes with high heels and/or pointed toe boxes force the feet into unnatural shapes that create pressure at the ball of the foot. Women who typically prefer such footwear are at particular risk of developing neuromas.

Symptoms of Morton’s Neuroma

Keep attention to any changes in your feet, especially persistent discomfort, tingling, burning, numbness, or a feeling like there is something inside or bunched up under the ball of your foot . All of these can be signs of a looming Morton’s neuroma.

The symptoms of Morton’s neuroma don’t usually appear overnight. First, you might notice an odd sensation only when wearing a particular pair of shoes or engaging in a specific activity. You might think that the shoes or the sport is the culprit, and make a change to prevent further discomfort. Eventually, the symptoms will become more pervasive and harder to avoid. As the neuroma enlarges and the temporary irritation to the nerve becomes permanent damage, your symptoms may become more intense or persist for longer periods of time.

Your podiatrist will determine an individualized treatment plan for your Morton’s neuroma.