What happens if a Morton’s neuroma goes untreated?

If a Morton’s neuroma goes untreated it will likely continue to cause you pain, which could get worse, and could cause permanent sensory nerve damage to your toes. That being said, many get better without surgery, and all you may need to do is change the type of shoes you wear. This is almost always what I first recommend in my orthopedic surgery practice in Colorado Springs. 

Does Morton’s neuroma go away?

A Morton’s neuroma will not go away on its own. A neuroma is a benign nerve mass that forms, and like most soft tissue masses, once it’s there it isn’t going away. Females get Morton’s neuromas about 10 times as often as males, and the cause is thought to be microtrauma to one of the foot nerves from wearing narrow toe box shoes (high heels). Just because your Morton’s neuroma won’t go away on its own, doesn’t mean that you have to worry. Oftentimes, you can get the pain to go away without surgery.

What causes Morton’s neuroma to flare up?

Pain from a Morton’s neuroma can be made worse by wearing narrow toe box shoes such as high heels. Wearing narrow toe box shoes will squeeze the front of the foot thereby squeezing the Morton’s neuroma. With any sort of nerve mass, squeezing or pulling on them often makes the pain much worse.

What can be done for Morton’s neuroma?

The first step in treating a Morton’s neuroma, is to stop wearing shoes that have narrow toe boxes. If wearing shoes with narrow toe boxes is something that you absolutely must do, then you may want to think about having surgery to remove your Morton’s neuroma. Note that the surgery to remove the neuroma also removes the nerve, which provides sensation to the area in between your toes. After a Morton’s neuroma removal, the pain is usually gone, but the numbness will be permanent. To avoid surgery, it is best to get shoes with a wide toe box and metatarsal pad. Massaging your foot can also help. If you are still having pain, then a steroid injection can be a good bet to get inflammation around the neuroma to diminish, and hopefully decrease your pain. If all else fails, and you are still having pain from your Morton’s neuroma, then surgery would be a good choice.

I hope I was able to answer some of your questions about what happens if a Morton’s neuroma  goes untreated. If you would like me to treat your Morton’s neuroma, contact us below to make an appointment if you are in the Colorado Springs area. I also am available for virtual consults.

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