Morton's Neuroma is a painful growth of nerve tissue in the foot, most commonly found between the heads of the third and fourth metatarsals, the long bones in your feet. When your metatarsals in your feet compress together because of either foot deformities, high-impact activities, or the use of tight shoes such as heels, the nerves between the metatarsals become irritated and swollen.
Morton's Neuromas often feel as if you are walking on a pebble. You may experience radiating, tingling sensations shooting into your toes, typically the third and fourth toes. As a neuroma worsens, it can become extremely painful. Oftentimes, neuromas become one of the more difficult conditions in the foot to resolve.
Here at Gotham Footcare, conservative care is always recommended to treat neuromas. Conservative options include:
Opting for surgery such as a Neurectomy, which involves excising the affected nerve tissue should be the last resort for treatment of a neuroma. Removing the nerve has a 20% risk that the nerve may grow back into a bed of scar tissue and form a stump neuroma which can become even more painful than the original condition.
At Gotham Footcare, instead of surgically excising the nerve, we offer patients a highly effective, alternative option, called Cryosurgery, a minimally invasive office-based procedure that requires no stitches and only takes 15 minutes to perform.
Cryosurgery involves cyclically freezing the neuroma to degenerate the nerve tissue that carries painful impulses to the brain by reducing the irritation and sensitivity of the neuroma. This prevents future irritation and inflammation allowing you to return to your preoperative activities free of pain.
The advantages of Cryosurgery: