Understanding Your Treatment Options for Morton’s Neuroma
Feb 12, 2025
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Morton’s neuroma often develops from repetitive pressure or irritation of the interdigital nerve between your third and fourth toes. Common contributors include wearing tight, narrow, or high-heeled shoes, playing high-impact sports, or having structural foot issues like flat feet or high arches.
If you’re dealing with Morton’s neuroma — the inflammation of the nerves between your third and fourth toes — you know how uncomfortable this condition is. Many people describe it as feeling like they’re constantly walking on a pebble. Not only is a neuroma painful, but it can make walking or even just wearing shoes uncomfortable.
Thankfully, there are many treatment options to help you manage the condition. Treatment options for Morton’s neuroma fall into two categories: nonsurgical and surgical.
Our team of providers at NYC Foot & Ankle Center offers both types of treatments here in the Manhattan Valley neighborhood of the Upper West Side.
Our team prioritizes conservative treatments when possible. Nonsurgical, minimally invasive treatments can help alleviate your pain without the downtime of surgery. We may recommend the following:
Corticosteroid injections can help postpone surgery if you’re not ready for it. About 30% of people who receive corticosteroid injections later go on to have surgery. Even with that statistic, these injections can provide the reprieve you need to get through the day.
Corticosteroid injections include both a corticosteroid like triamcinolone to fight inflammation and a local anesthetic like lidocaine and bupivacaine to provide pain relief.
While there are other types of corticosteroids available, triamcinolone is shown to decrease pain by 41% within six months. Methylprednisolone led to a 38% decrease in pain scores.
Cold therapy can:
Regardless of whether you use ice packs or cold compresses designed specifically for your feet, be sure to never put ice directly on bare skin. Always keep a thin piece of fabric — like your socks or a towel — between your skin and the cold compress.
Taking over-the-counter pain medication can help reduce both your pain and inflammation. Take medication only as directed.
Wearing shoes that are narrow or too tight can squeeze your toes and exacerbate your symptoms. Instead, swap out ill-fitting shoes for those that provide plenty of room for your toes.
Shoe pads are small cushions you can stick directly into your shoes. Some pads are made of gel, while others are made of wool — a breathable, natural fabric that’s easy on your feet.
Orthotics can help alleviate foot pain from many different podiatric concerns, including neuromas. Custom orthotics can redistribute your weight and reduce nerve irritation.
Not sure where to start? Custom orthotics aren’t the same as the one-size-fits-all over-the-counter shoe inserts. Our team can create orthotics based on your unique foot anatomy to support your feet where they need it most.
When conservative treatments aren’t giving you the relief you need, you might consider surgery. Our NYC Foot & Ankle Center team implements minimally invasive surgical techniques when possible.
After examining your feet and reviewing diagnostic images, our team recommends the right surgical procedure for you. Surgical procedures to treat Morton’s neuroma include:
The suffix -ectomy means “removal of,” so, in this case, neurectomy is the surgical removal of problematic nerves between your toes. Neurecotomies are the most common surgery for Morton’s neuroma.
According to research published by The Foot, minimally invasive neurectomy can provide relief even when conservative treatment doesn't. As a bonus, the minimally invasive technique leads to a quicker recovery and faster return to physical activity.
Ablative procedures alleviate pain by destroying your nerve’s ability to send pain messages. This includes ultrasound-guided cryosurgery (also called cryoablation), which uses extreme cold to destroy nerve cells and reduce inflammation, and radiofrequency ablation, which uses an electrical current to destroy nerve tissue and prevent pain signals.
Regardless of which type of ablation you have, the goal is to destroy the nerve tissue that’s causing problems.
During this surgery, your surgeon cuts nearby ligaments to alleviate some of the pressure on your nerve.
If you’re ready to explore the treatment option that’s right for you, contact us today. Help is just a call or click away.