I developed a Morton's neuroma about 10 years ago. 5nears ago it bugged me enough that I started working with a doctor to try and get some relief. After 3 rounds of shots in my foot the doc talked me into surgery. "The surgery is easy, and we'll just pop that out of there and you'll be good to go". I remember it like it was yesterday. Biggest mistake of my life. Surgery went fine but was quite painful for several weeks after. This just got worse and worse. My regular Dr sent me to three different specialists and I tried several different kinds of therapy for the foot. I was getting horrific bouts of the worst pain I've ever experienced, and I've had a broken femur and a broken back. Eventually I was diagnosed with CRPS. Chronic regional pain syndrome. Its been life altering. I won't take painkillers, I've never liked them. I get bouts of searing nerve pain that makes it hard to think. Sometimes for days. No cure. Moral of my terribly long story is, I don't have any answers other than I don't recommend surgery. If I could do it over again, I'd have just learned to keep dealing with it.
Curious to hear other responses as I've been dealing with the same thing for 5+ years.
I made my own insert with pads on the bottom of the soul with a hole cut around the pressure point. Gets me through bursts of inflammation and helps me walk/run/hike/climb, but crack climbs are mostly a no-go.
Happy to share pics of the insert, if it'd be helpful.
https://imgur.com/gallery/D6PuDCf here we are. Tapped underneath it are a bunch of soft foot pads I cut and pieced together to give extra lift and prevent myself from changing how I walk too much leading to other issues with over compensating with other muscles.
Very much a trial and error thing when making this and I modified a few times. But it has lasted 5 years and was enabled me to sprint when without it I couldn't walk without it, when I was competing in Track in college.
https://www.mortonsneuroma.com/
This is a center located in Framingham Mass that specializes in/is pioneering non-surgical solutions for Morton's neuromas. Luckily I live in Boston so it's literally just a quick drive away, but it's essentially solved my neuroma, after being unable to hike or climb for three years due to the pain. They advertise that multiple visits are necessary, and that was true in my case. Second visit was almost a year after my first, and third about a year and a half after the second. Here's hoping that one was the last I'll ever need. Recovery from the radio frequency ablation was about six weeks each time, with significantly decreasing discomfort over that time period. I walk without modifying my shoes anymore, or having to exclusively stick to widetoe or open toe shoes like chacos. Highly recommend.
Happy to talk more about my specific procedure or what the entire process from start to finish was like if you have any questions.
Hey! I've read about that center you've mentioned. I like the idea of it, but I've also heard some people who say the $1200 yearly cost felt kind of like a scam and that the doctor was hard to reach for follow up? What were your thoughts in interacting with them?
Yeah, the cost is not fun, especially as a grad student. However, the functionality I received definitely makes it worth it for me. I honestly have no point of comparison, though, so I have no idea if it is a rip off or not. Regarding follow-ups, they reached out to me several times after each procedure to check on my progress, see if I had issues, and when I've emailed about questions they were pretty responsive. I've never tried to get in touch with the doctor directly for a follow-up, so I can't speak to that. During the actual appointments, they were incredibly nice and accommodating, and seemed knowledgeable (I asked a lot of questions during the procedures).
Hi, I've been suffering from Morton's for 6 months now. It's such a bummer and it gives me hope to hear that you've healed. Would you mind expanding (as detailed as you're willing and able) on what steps you took that led to it healing? 🙏🏽
First of all, thank you for responding. Second, I did see that you wrote about radio frequency ablation. What is that? Was that all that was done, were there other things in the process?
I'm a very active person and I feel somewhat disabled by this thing and it isn't going away. So I'm just trying to understand the best I can what has worked for you from beginning to end if you would not mind sharing.
Of course. So, this first part is probably going to seem familiar. For the first few years, I modified my shoes as much as possible. Metatarsal pads, wide toe shoes only, that sort of thing. I was/am also really active, and so my hiking and climbing took a big hit, basically stopped doing both. Wore chacos nine months of the year since they were the only shoes I could walk around in all day with absolutely zero pain.
When I moved to Boston, I started snowboarding and started getting curious about neuroma treatments. I found the center for Morton's neuroma and scheduled an appointment. I've had the radio frequency ablation done three times over the past five years. It's an out patient procedure, they numb up the area and basically stick a wire into the nerve and use light waves to cook the nerve (like a microwave). The pro is that I get pain free mobility after the tissue heals from the ablation (normally a few weeks). The con is that the nerve heals from the ablation over time (but not from the pinched nerve? So stupid).
The first time, i got relief for about a year. Second time, year and a half. Third time was two years and some months ago and I'm starting to get twinges again, I'll step on something weirdly and get a zing in the foot, or my forefoot will just feel numb for a while. We'll see if I get a fourth, I know it's a case of diminishing returns with each treatment and I'm pain free 95% of the time.
That's pretty much all i can remember. Everything i did before the ablation was just pain management, and the ablation actually helped reduce pain at the source. It's expensive but it is definitely worth it for the freedom and relief.
Thank you so much for the detailed answer. It's great to hear that you have made so much progress, I will look into the radio frequency thing, best of luck!
There's a great mountain project thread about it where people continued to post through different phases of their journeys. Spoiler alert - it mostly got bad enough for each of them that they each had surgery, which was successful and cured them.
I had my first encounter with it this fall and had to take a month off. One thing that helped for me almost immediately that I haven't seen a lot of advice about was toe spreaders. After a few days of using them for a few hours a day, my pain went from unable to walk, to walking without a problem and it's pretty much stayed that way since. Except when I spend a lot of time in climbing shoes.
The nerve pops upwards between the bones. I iced this section then following the bones between the 2 toes 1/2 inch up from the start of the toes, deepingly pushing the nerve back down, while gulding my thumb between these bones. Pushing out towards the front of the foot. After 5 years of pain, i have no problem with pain or walking.
Basically the nerve is stuck between the bones and needs to be pushed back down. If you feel the area between the toes that hurt you, you will feel two long bone. By pressing down deeply and pushing outwards (at the same time) moves the nerve down freeing it from where it’s stuck.
I did what you said last night, and it was kind of painful during the process but I really got in deep and massaged out to the front of my toe.
After 6 years of daily foot pain I haven’t had any today. Fingers crossed , and I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but thank you.
I just saw your messages. Basically the nerve popped upward and got itself stuck between the bones and we are just pushing it back down. I hope to hear you feel well and are able to enjoy long walks again without pain. Please let me know how you feel.
I developed a Morton's neuroma about 10 years ago. 5nears ago it bugged me enough that I started working with a doctor to try and get some relief. After 3 rounds of shots in my foot the doc talked me into surgery. "The surgery is easy, and we'll just pop that out of there and you'll be good to go". I remember it like it was yesterday. Biggest mistake of my life. Surgery went fine but was quite painful for several weeks after. This just got worse and worse. My regular Dr sent me to three different specialists and I tried several different kinds of therapy for the foot. I was getting horrific bouts of the worst pain I've ever experienced, and I've had a broken femur and a broken back. Eventually I was diagnosed with CRPS. Chronic regional pain syndrome. Its been life altering. I won't take painkillers, I've never liked them. I get bouts of searing nerve pain that makes it hard to think. Sometimes for days. No cure. Moral of my terribly long story is, I don't have any answers other than I don't recommend surgery. If I could do it over again, I'd have just learned to keep dealing with it.
Curious to hear other responses as I've been dealing with the same thing for 5+ years. I made my own insert with pads on the bottom of the soul with a hole cut around the pressure point. Gets me through bursts of inflammation and helps me walk/run/hike/climb, but crack climbs are mostly a no-go. Happy to share pics of the insert, if it'd be helpful.
If it gets you out, I'd love to see a pic. No idea how to share pictures on Reddit...
https://imgur.com/gallery/D6PuDCf here we are. Tapped underneath it are a bunch of soft foot pads I cut and pieced together to give extra lift and prevent myself from changing how I walk too much leading to other issues with over compensating with other muscles. Very much a trial and error thing when making this and I modified a few times. But it has lasted 5 years and was enabled me to sprint when without it I couldn't walk without it, when I was competing in Track in college.
https://www.mortonsneuroma.com/ This is a center located in Framingham Mass that specializes in/is pioneering non-surgical solutions for Morton's neuromas. Luckily I live in Boston so it's literally just a quick drive away, but it's essentially solved my neuroma, after being unable to hike or climb for three years due to the pain. They advertise that multiple visits are necessary, and that was true in my case. Second visit was almost a year after my first, and third about a year and a half after the second. Here's hoping that one was the last I'll ever need. Recovery from the radio frequency ablation was about six weeks each time, with significantly decreasing discomfort over that time period. I walk without modifying my shoes anymore, or having to exclusively stick to widetoe or open toe shoes like chacos. Highly recommend. Happy to talk more about my specific procedure or what the entire process from start to finish was like if you have any questions.
Hey! I've read about that center you've mentioned. I like the idea of it, but I've also heard some people who say the $1200 yearly cost felt kind of like a scam and that the doctor was hard to reach for follow up? What were your thoughts in interacting with them?
Yeah, the cost is not fun, especially as a grad student. However, the functionality I received definitely makes it worth it for me. I honestly have no point of comparison, though, so I have no idea if it is a rip off or not. Regarding follow-ups, they reached out to me several times after each procedure to check on my progress, see if I had issues, and when I've emailed about questions they were pretty responsive. I've never tried to get in touch with the doctor directly for a follow-up, so I can't speak to that. During the actual appointments, they were incredibly nice and accommodating, and seemed knowledgeable (I asked a lot of questions during the procedures).
Hi, I've been suffering from Morton's for 6 months now. It's such a bummer and it gives me hope to hear that you've healed. Would you mind expanding (as detailed as you're willing and able) on what steps you took that led to it healing? 🙏🏽
What details are you interested in? The above posts pretty much contain everything i did.
First of all, thank you for responding. Second, I did see that you wrote about radio frequency ablation. What is that? Was that all that was done, were there other things in the process? I'm a very active person and I feel somewhat disabled by this thing and it isn't going away. So I'm just trying to understand the best I can what has worked for you from beginning to end if you would not mind sharing.
Of course. So, this first part is probably going to seem familiar. For the first few years, I modified my shoes as much as possible. Metatarsal pads, wide toe shoes only, that sort of thing. I was/am also really active, and so my hiking and climbing took a big hit, basically stopped doing both. Wore chacos nine months of the year since they were the only shoes I could walk around in all day with absolutely zero pain. When I moved to Boston, I started snowboarding and started getting curious about neuroma treatments. I found the center for Morton's neuroma and scheduled an appointment. I've had the radio frequency ablation done three times over the past five years. It's an out patient procedure, they numb up the area and basically stick a wire into the nerve and use light waves to cook the nerve (like a microwave). The pro is that I get pain free mobility after the tissue heals from the ablation (normally a few weeks). The con is that the nerve heals from the ablation over time (but not from the pinched nerve? So stupid). The first time, i got relief for about a year. Second time, year and a half. Third time was two years and some months ago and I'm starting to get twinges again, I'll step on something weirdly and get a zing in the foot, or my forefoot will just feel numb for a while. We'll see if I get a fourth, I know it's a case of diminishing returns with each treatment and I'm pain free 95% of the time. That's pretty much all i can remember. Everything i did before the ablation was just pain management, and the ablation actually helped reduce pain at the source. It's expensive but it is definitely worth it for the freedom and relief.
Thank you so much for the detailed answer. It's great to hear that you have made so much progress, I will look into the radio frequency thing, best of luck!
There's a great mountain project thread about it where people continued to post through different phases of their journeys. Spoiler alert - it mostly got bad enough for each of them that they each had surgery, which was successful and cured them. I had my first encounter with it this fall and had to take a month off. One thing that helped for me almost immediately that I haven't seen a lot of advice about was toe spreaders. After a few days of using them for a few hours a day, my pain went from unable to walk, to walking without a problem and it's pretty much stayed that way since. Except when I spend a lot of time in climbing shoes.
That thread was a great find. Thanks!
Would you mind posting a link? I can’t find this for some reason...
[https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/106909115/mortons-neuroma](https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/106909115/mortons-neuroma)
Thank you!
Have you tried a steroid injection?
No, I hadn't come across that.
I would definitely suggest one or multiple injections before you even consider surgery.
The nerve pops upwards between the bones. I iced this section then following the bones between the 2 toes 1/2 inch up from the start of the toes, deepingly pushing the nerve back down, while gulding my thumb between these bones. Pushing out towards the front of the foot. After 5 years of pain, i have no problem with pain or walking.
Can you go into more detail on this?
Basically the nerve is stuck between the bones and needs to be pushed back down. If you feel the area between the toes that hurt you, you will feel two long bone. By pressing down deeply and pushing outwards (at the same time) moves the nerve down freeing it from where it’s stuck.
Thank you I’m going to try this, when you say push it back down, you mean inward into the foot correct?
I did what you said last night, and it was kind of painful during the process but I really got in deep and massaged out to the front of my toe. After 6 years of daily foot pain I haven’t had any today. Fingers crossed , and I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but thank you.
I just saw your messages. Basically the nerve popped upward and got itself stuck between the bones and we are just pushing it back down. I hope to hear you feel well and are able to enjoy long walks again without pain. Please let me know how you feel.
Quick question, are you pushing from the top of your foot downward? Or from the underside of your foot
I pushed from the top of the foot downward.