Morton's neuroma: burning between the toes and how to relieve it
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Short answer
Morton's neuroma is thickened tissue around a nerve to the toes, most often between the third and fourth toes. It causes burning or sharp ball-of-foot pain that can shoot into the toes, a "marble in the shoe" feeling, and numbness or tingling; it often eases when you take your shoes off. AAOS and the NHS recommend wider shoes with lower heels and soft soles, plus metatarsal pads or orthotics to take pressure off the nerve.
Symptoms
- Burning or sharp pain in the ball of the foot that may spread into the toes.
- A feeling like standing on a marble or a bunched-up sock.
- Numbness or tingling in the toes; sometimes a clicking sensation.
- Worse in tight or high-heeled shoes and when pushing off; often better barefoot. Night pain is rare (AAOS).
AAOS notes it affects women about eight times more often than men, typically between ages 30 and 60.
What helps
- Wider shoes with a deep toe box, lower heels and soft soles (AAOS, NHS, Cleveland Clinic).
- Metatarsal pads or orthotics to spread pressure away from the nerve (AAOS).
- Ice and anti-inflammatories for flare-ups (Cleveland Clinic).
- If those fail, clinicians may use corticosteroid injections, nerve procedures and, last, surgery.
Illustration Insole with a built-in met pad
PowerStep Pinnacle Plus Met Insoles
Adds a built-in metatarsal pad to the Pinnacle design, adding cushioning under the forefoot. It saves you from placing a loose pad yourself.
- Built-in metatarsal pad
- Neutral arch support
- Deep heel cradle
- Made in USA
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Illustration Wide, foot-shaped toe box
Altra Torin 9
Altra's toe box is shaped like a foot, designed so the big toe and forefoot aren't squeezed. The catch: zero drop puts more load on the Achilles and calf, so ease in slowly and skip it if your Achilles hurts.
- Foot-shaped wide toe box
- Zero drop
- Cushioned neutral
Skip it if: you have Achilles problems; it's zero drop.
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Illustration Adjustable felt pads
Moon Health Felt Metatarsal Pads (12-pack)
The classic podiatry pad. Its job is to shift weight off the painful spot, so placement matters: follow the package diagram or your clinician's advice. At twelve pads, it's cheap to experiment.
- 1/4" thick wool felt
- 12 pads
- Stick to insole
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Cleveland Clinic says most people get relief from combined treatment, though symptoms can come back.
- Burning pain doesn't improve after changing shoes and activity (Mayo).
- Pain is severe or lasts more than 2 weeks of self-care (NHS).
- You develop weakness or spreading numbness.
Common questions
Why does a neuroma feel better barefoot?
Taking shoes off removes the squeeze across the forefoot that pinches the nerve between the metatarsal bones.