Have you ever felt like you have a balled-up sock under your foot or a pebble under your foot, take off your shoe to find there is nothing there? Chances are you have a Morton’s neuroma, or inflammation of a nerve between your toes. Other symptoms can include a burning pain in the ball of your foot that may radiate into your toes or numbness and tingling. Years ago, diagnosis was made by the patient’s history and description. Now with diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound we can visualize and accurately diagnose the inflamed nerve.
Before making an appointment to see your doctor there are several home treatments that can help like icing, anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen or topical Arnica, avoiding high heels or tight-fitting shoes. An OTC insert like Powersteps with a metatarsal pad can be very helpful transferring weight off the ball of the foot onto the arch, alleviating the foot pain. If these recommendations fail to alleviate the forefoot pain, we have advanced laser therapy to treat the pain and inflammation.
Class IV laser therapy is used for the relief of pain to accelerate healing and decrease inflammation. It works particularly well for neuromas. When the light source is placed against the skin, photons penetrate several centimeters in the skin and are absorbed by the mitochrondia, the powerhouse of the cell. This energy results in restoration of normal cell function. The main goal of the laser is to stimulate the cell to perform its natural functions but at an enhanced rate. With laser therapy we can avoid painful steroid injections. We rarely recommend surgery. 90% of our patients get better with 3 laser treatments space one week apart and inserts.
If you are experiencing Morton’s neuroma, or inflammation of a nerve between your toes schedule an appointment with Dr. Kurlanski at Lighthouse Foot and Ankle Center. Dr. Kurlanski offers expert and professional podiatry services in Cumberland County, Maine. Please call us today at 207-774-0028 to schedule your appointment in our Scarborough office.
Sincerely,
Lighthouse Foot and Ankle Center Team