Mortons Neuroma - Attack #1

[shadowcat]

I haven't been posting here for awhile mainly because I've had to chill on hiking the last year. Foot pain has been a repeated discussion here and I know my problem has been discussed several times. Since I have finally taken the plunge and had the surgery done on my right foot (I have in both), I wanted to pass my experience along for others who may be having the same problem & looking for info. First for those not familiar with this problem, but are wondering if their pain is being caused by it; Morton's Neuroma is when the nerves in your feet; normally the ones between your 2nd & 3rd or 3rd & 4th toes get inflamed (however other nerves in the foot can get this also). This can continue for a long time and get increasingly painful. In my case my body attacked the inflammation by forming a calous of sorts around it. Also, because it was chronic I had a lot of scar tissue. My Dr figured several factors caused my neuromas: first the bones in my toes are really close together, thus putting undue pressure on the nerves, 2nd: years of wearing heels and lastly hiking. The miles of walking pretty much pushed me over the edge although it would have been a problem eventually even without the hiking. For those who have this you know how painful it can be. It's like having a piece of glass shoved between your toe every time you step down on it. Imagine walking back to your car for miles like that & most of the times in both feet! I just had to lay low for a bit because it was just ruining the experience & I never knew when it would strike & I'd have to cut the hike short. Not fair to my partner either. Anyway... I just had the surgery on the right foot. Did that first as it's my dominant/lead foot. It's been a week since surgery (Dr Shermeta in Albany - great guy!)and it's still painful to walk on. I can't wear my regular shoes yet and don't see that happening for another week. No hiking for a month & then start out slow. I have to tell you tho my Dr said the nerve he removed was so swollen it literally popped out when he cut into my foot from being squeezed into such a small space & there was tons of scar tissue - he said he doesn't know how I was able to walk much less hike. Normally the nerves he removes are maybe the width of a piece of cooked spagehtti, mine was the size of a jelly bean! OUCH ! For anyone with this problem who wants to know the final results please feel free to email me directly. You never know if surgery is the right decision but after hearing about what my Dr found I know this was right for me. I can't wait to get back in the game and am only bummed that we finally got friggin snow when I was out having this and had to miss out on some awesome winter hiking!

 

[yonkers]

i had two Morton neuromas removes from one foot a bunch of years ago. it got to the point where i couldn't even walk .
anything compressing your toes will aggravate it. Birkenstock is the only hiking boot i have found with a real wide toe box

 

[HuiYeng]

wow...I hope I'll never need to go through any operation. I have had the problem for almost a year now, my podiatrist recommended orthotics and Ibuprofen.

The orthotics sure is awfully expensive but it does seem to help. The worst pain I've endured before using orthotics was so severe that I had to curled up my toes to prevent/reduce pressure to front of the foot. Now that I've my orthotics, the pain is much less and occasionally I'll use Ibuprofen to ease the pain during a hike.


--------------------
oh and I'll ice my foot when I got home. My friend taught me good way to do it: Take a small soda bottle fill with water and freeze it. When I got home, I'll take out the frozen bottle, put it under my foot and roll it gently to ice and massage the foot at the same time.

 

[dug]

I've been battling this (self-diagnosed) problem for a few years now. I've been avoiding surgery so far, as I've had foot surgeries in the past (bunions) and don't feel like going through it again. When the pain hits, I will agree with shadowcat it is like a shearing pain that feels like I termed 'stepping on a hot fireplace poker'. It does suck.

 

[chinooktrail]

I have this problem as well. I hike in Birkenstocks, which helps. I also have had two shots of Cortesone (sp?). The first on ehelped, the second, well, I don't think it did anything. I have pretty much decided hiking two days in a row is not in my immediate future. Seems like I can hike up all day, but once I start hiking down, well, it gets pretty painful at time. Getting the boot off is the absolute worse. One piece of advice, DO NOT rub the foot. I made that mistake only once, wow, the pain was excruciating for hours after. Normally for me the pain subsides after an hour or two after the hike. Good luck!

 

[Meo]

I have the same problem on both feet (worse on the right one). Orthotics are working very well for now. There is a bulge specially built in the orthotics that goes right under the ball of the foot so it can "stretch" the toes and relieve pressure. One bad thing I did in the first year was using thick socks, preventing this bulge to do its work; now I use thinner socks, and it works fine.

For now, I don't feel the necessity for a surgery, and I hope I won't need one, but maybe I won't have the choice if the pain comes back even with the orthotics.

BTW, I started a thread on this topic last year, if it's still here you could find some valuable infos on it.

 

[charlos]

good luck with your recovery!

 

[John H Swanson]

I've had success with a metatarsal pad and wide shoes on the weekdays though I hike in normal Asolo 535s on the weekends. Stiffer thicker soles vs less stiff soles have helped too.

Then my favorite line on this sbject: "Once you learn to associate foot pain with pleasure, your whole perspecive on life changes."

 

[expat]

Superfeet have helped a lot

I began getting this when my leather boots were breaking down and the bindings of my snowshoes were crushing my foot. So I got Koflach's and they helped for a year or two, but then it began again.

Based on some other advice, I bought Superfeet insoles at REI, and haven't had this pain since then. I'm sure I'm just buying time before I begin to get the pain again, but I have some other work that needs to be done on my feet, so I may have the doctor take a look at the same time.

 

[slamdog]

deja vu......

After hiking the last couple years with pain so bad I couldn't even describe it, I went to the docs. I'm actually picking up some orthotics in a couple hours. It's somewhat funny, because I never really mentioned the pain because there was no redness, no swelling to speak of etc. I was even thinking I just had a case of the "wimps" going on, telling myself that you just had to walk through the pain. Fast forward, I got two opinions, and am starting with the orthotics this afternoon. I also got a pair of Meindl boots which were significantly stiffer than my Montrails, and that has helped as well. I've also stopped wearing the traditional leather dress shoe in favor of a soft soled larger toe box model. I'm taking my new orthotics and boots on a trip up Gothics Thursday, so that will be the real test. I'll be paying attention to the thread. Good luck with your feet!

 

[shadowcat]

Morton's Surgery UPdate & Cryosurgery

Well I 'm still babying my foot but it does seem to be getting better. I just saw an add in the Adirondack paper for a Dr in Amsterdam (NY) who is using cryosurgery to treat foot pain (neuromas included). Altho there is still some pain and bruising after surgery, recovery time is much shorter and they don't have to cut you open. I guess they enter with a fine needle and literally freeze the nerve, destroying it. They don't have to use local anesthesia either as the nature of the cryosurgery freezes everything as you go so you don't feel anything. I am definitely going to look into to this for my left foot. Not that the surgery has been that bad - i mean it's been 2wks and I'm back in most of my shoes altho hiking would still be too painful but I'm getting there. Just wanted to pass this info along for those who are also suffering with painful neuromas who prefer less invasive procedures vs surgery. And yes, I did all the metatarsal pads, expensive footbeds etc but after awhile it still hurt too much (and downhill like the other person noted, not so much uphill - don't know why!) best of luck you all - see you on top soon I hope!

 

[chinooktrail]

I would have to guess that surgery is in my near future. I hiked Hale yesterday, snowshoes the entire trip, except for a small portion of the road walk. The pain started out a bit on the hike up, which is unusual, but I believe was caused by hiking in the snowshoes, and having the snow ball up in the crampons didn't help. Well, I made the summit, was so sick to my tummy from the pain I didn't want to eat anything except Motrin, And started back down. Well, it was a LONG hike out. Lots of muttering under my breath, lots of yelps, and perhaps a few (*&%^%$)(*&%^^&%). We did stop and check out the lunar eclipse for a while, which was beautiful, right next to the Zealand River, on the Road walk out. I was SO happy to remove my snowshoes, and it was quite a bit better after that, not great by any means, but better. For the first time in a long time the pain lasted a long while after, I didn't dare remove my boots, which may have been the cause for that. And, for the first time I can remember, it still hurts this morning, and walking on it feels like I have a large lump in my foot, not the excruciating pain from hiking/running/biking, but just like I have a big lump in the foot. Sooo, I think it is time I address this and get it fixed.
Keep us posted as to your recovery please! Glad you are doing better, two weeks seems pretty quick for foot surgery to be back in normal shoes.
Best of luck!

 

[chinooktrail]

Hi Shadowcat,
How are the feet doing?
Have you tried any hikes yet?

I saw a pair of keen hiking boots yesterday, they looked pretty decent and I may have to invest in a pair. My foot DR. told me he reccomends Keen over Birkenstocks. I hike in Birkenstock now, but may try switching to Keens, I wear them a lot, and don't need my insoles in any of them. I do have to use the insoles in my Birkenstock Hiking boots, so we will see. Don't you love it, 'no really, I HAVE to buy more shoes, doctors orders!'

(Insurance will not pay for my surgery, so I guess I stick with overdosing on Motrin for a while longer!)

Hope all is well and you are healing up nicely.

 

[yonkers]

Chinook can you appeal the no answer on the neuroma insurance? it may be worth it since it will probably get worse.
also look into that freezing of the nerve , should be a lot cheaper. i wonder if your podiatrist preferred keens over Birkenstock due to flexibility of keen? Birkenstock have a wider toe box, i have a pair of keen low cuts , they barely work with my brace, the Birkenstock are much wider.

 

[chinooktrail]

The thing for me with the Keens is that I don't have to even use the insert. It is like they are made for people with this problem, at least where mine is located. I have fought with Anthem BC/BS before, you do not win. They are the only game in town, and they tell you so.

 

[yonkers]

chinook how do they deny something like that? i had mine removed , i know how painful it is and how you cant walk when it flares up. is it because podiatry is not covered, if a ortho doctor did it would that work? you can always appeal to the nys insurance board if you think it is your policy.
lidoderm patches may also help, you could fit 2 on a foot. they are expensive , but maybe your prescription plan may make it manageable , especially if you did a mail order for 3 months at at time thing. i believe they work better when you put them on every day, you get blood level

 

[prino]

I'm glad I found this thread. I have been suffering with a neuroma in my left foot since last June. It happened very suddenly while playing in a soccer game,probably my last.

I saw two different specialists. The first gave me a couple of shots of cortisone but that did very little for the pain. He then referred me to a surgeon who felt that I would perhaps be wiser to try other forms of therapy before going thru with surgery.

I then went to see a Chiropractor who specializes in foot orthotics. I have been wearing the orthotics for about 4 months and the pain around the neuroma has certainly decreased substantially.
I'll keep my eye on this thread as there is some very good information.

 

[shadowcat]

Cryosurgery For Neuromas

as you know i recently had surgery on my R foot for a really bad neuroma. that was on feb 15th. right now i do have concerns that there may be another one in the same foot & of course i am not too keen on another surgery on the same foot anytime soon, especially since i still need the left foot done! also, i'm currently on the fence as to the results. i'll have to give it a little more time i suppose but in another 2 wks if i am not totally satisfied i will not have the surgery on the left foot. if i can get my ins to cover it, it will try the cryosurgery next. there is 1 dr in the albany area (that i know of) who is now doing cryosurgery for foot pain. i am seriously going to look into this. they basically freeze the nerve, kill it and a new one grows back. now of course, my question is: how long before the "new" one goes bad? well, i'm sure it took yrs for the ones i have now to develop plus i would now take more precautions to help avoid them. the 2nd catch could be insurance coverage. it is a fairly new procedure and not all ins are paying for it. however, i called the drs office and they will do a pre-authorization and hopefully he can use the correct diagnosis and codes to get it covered. what i like about it is: you are up on your foot the same day, more then one on the same foot can be done at the same time, no stitches, no post-op pain (woudn't that be nice!!) also, dr lambarski is a hiker, climber so he can def appreiciate where we are coming from and how badly we need painfree feet!!
here is the the drs website if anyone wants to email him:
http://www.northeastfootcare.com/

here's the company's website that devolopes the/or one of the machines used to perform the procedure.:
http://www.cryotechllc.com/

if anyone has had the cryosurgery i am very interested in how it worked for you or if anyone knows of other drs in the albany area who do the procedure.

 

[chinooktrail]

Hey Shadowcat, how are your feet doing now that they have had time to rest and heal?

I hope everthing went smooth and you are back out there hiking!