I keep reading everyone problems with Morton's neuroma so I thought I would relate my storey, in the hope that it may help others. I live in teh states but I'm sure you can find the same treatments closer to you.
When I went on a ski trip with my family about eight years ago, I ended up in the ski shop because my foot hurt too much to ski. I thought that my boot was too tight and that was causing the burning pain and tingling in my foot. Luckily, my wife is a Pain Medicine physician and she diagnosed a Morton’s neuroma. For every subsequent ski trip, she gave me a steroid injection into my Morton’s neuroma several days before the trip, which helped.
Eventually, I decided that I wanted a more long lasting and permanent solution. Initially, I had the neuroma frozen (cryoablation), which improved my pain substantially but the Morton’s neuroma still remained. Finally, I just wanted to be rid of it, so I had a sclerosing agent injected into the neuroma under ultrasound guidance. After a few weeks, this procedure was repeated and since that time I have had no further foot pain. I now get to ski with my family without any pain.
I am a doctor (and avid athlete) and spent many years researching treatment options for my Morton's Neuroma before finally being cured. As a result of the many years of frustration that I suffered with Morton's and the general difficulty in receiving adequate treatment, I urged and prompted my wife to open the Center for Morton's Neuroma.
I hope that people like me who suffered from Morton’s neuroma can find the correct treatment for them.
-Mark
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Thank you for this information. However in UK we tend to get the basic treatment under the NHS unless we have a medical insurance taken out before we get any problems with our health, or insurance through our work, or we are very well off and can afford provate treatment. The rest of the time we have to accept what owly treatments we ar given and hope we have a good GP like mine who care enough to get you on the list for a decent consultant.
Thank you for telling us your story, Mark. I am not a sufferer but found this very interesting.
Hello Mark
I have been suffering with Moretons Neuroma's for approx 5 years and I am
pleased to know that you have been cured. You are one of a few people that
have found a cure, so I feel pleased for you.
Could you tell me the name of the sclerosing agent that was used for your
treatment please?
I am a Registered Nurse myself in the UK and have had surgery twice now, the first4yrs ago and the other 6 mths ago.
My surgeon told me my last neuroma measured 1 1/2 inches in length & 1 inch
width, so obviously it was large.
Unfortunately, I'm still having problems and have been told I probably have anotherneuroma between my 2nd & 3rd digits. (The other was between the 3rd/4th digits). My first neuroma was under the arch of the foot.
I feel I am living a nightmare as the pain, burning etc is constant. I have had
cortisone injections previously & acupuncture so I feel I'm at my wits end. I am
willing to try anything that may assist me with a cure but I must admit I don't feel
I will find a cure unfortunately.
I am due to see my surgeon on 15th December and would like to know what
injection you were given in order to be able to discuss it with him.
Thanks for taking the time to read about my problem.
Regards
Carol
I had an ultrasound guided sclerosing injection - the sclerosing agent used was alcohol. The key is the ultrasound guidance. You should also look into ultrasound guided cyroablation and ultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation. Look up the Center for Morton's Neuroma.
Good luck, Mark.
Hello Mark
Thank you for your prompt reply.
I will try to arrange an appointment in a local clinic to see if it is thought that I may benefit from any of the treatments you have mentioned.
Its a shame really that most of the patients who have commented about their
experiences of having suffered with Moretons Neuroma and treatments they've
received, have all been in America, so finding a clinic which is recommended is
quite difficult to find.
Thanks once again.
Regards
Carol
Hi Mark
It was interesting reading your story about the Morton's. I feel mine is getting worse now and I am concerned that sooner or later I won't be able to do the hill walking that I love. My podiatrist seems to want to only control mine with insoles which don't last long. I've not even had a scan to see how big the Neuroma is. Well, this is the UK NHS! If I had money I wouldn't hesitate in going private and sorting this thing out once and for all. Life's too short to suffer unnecessarily especially if one enjoys outdoor pursuits. I will look up what you have mentioned and speak to my podiatrist when I go back in four weeks. It's brillinat that you have found a way around yours, best of luck.
Thanks for this Mark. I have suffered with MN for many years and it took a long while to get diagnosed. I am coping with exercises and specially made insoles after seeing a podiatrist. However I have always been confused as to why I have got it. I have always worn comfortable shoes and never worn high heels in my life. I wondered if ski boots had set it off and you are the first person to mention this as a cause.
I am in the UK and have had a morton's neuroma for about 10 years though it was only diagnosed a couple of years ago. I was a professional ballet dancer and this happened after i retired so i wondered if years of being squashed into pointe shoes and then suddenly not wearing them anymore had caused it, but I actually think it was more likely caused my musculosketal isssues.
I had 2 steroid injections neither of which worked and I wish I hadn't had them as I don't think the steroids had a good affect on me.
I don't want surgery (it will be a lst resort if nothing else works and I can't walk!) but the specialist I was referred to said they were trialing the use of radiofrequency ablation so i could be put down for that if i wanted.
I since discovered it has been in use in America for some time (probably privately) but has taken more tha 5 years to be tried here!
I am having the radio frequency ablation procedure on friday so fingers crossed it will work!
Hi Dorcas, sorry that you are going through so much pain. I too have a mortons neuroma for probably twenty years. I did have steroid injections which used to last for about 3 months. I never had surgery, however what has worked for me very well for past 7 years ( I was totally incapacitated) I had laser treatment and I only wear Fitflop shoes and sandals and life is good. I walk miles every day. I feel that the radiofrequency might be similar so worth a try. I would urge you to try the fitflops, a bit pricey but the last. Good Luck Teresa
I haven't tried fitflops but I wear either crocs or sandals in the house & I found my North Face walking boots are very good. I tried to wear wellies once in the winter when walking the dog & could hardly get home I was in so much pain!
I've not read about laser treatment, have you had to keep having it?
I'll try & remember to post again about the ablation once it is done.
Docas I had one laser session and a second two weeks later. That was seven years ago. Good luck with ablation therapy.
Hi Dorcas,
following my second MN surgery (and accompanying painful stumps) I found the Neuroma Center website in the US which is where I discovered radiofrequency ablation and decided to Google this for the UK. That is how I found your blog.
I can see that this was 5 months ago but I am very interested indeed in how this worked out for you? Please can you let me know if it helped and whereabouts in the country are you situated that had this trial?
Many thanks,
Trina
So I've read your post and I believe I have more severe cases which I believe was brought on in my hour long cross training boxing class. January 2015 I completed my 220th class ....three hours /class per week for two years when I first felt the neuroma. After three months of injections and treatment I opted for the removal surgery. By the time I could put weight on my foot it had grown back plus several new ones. Again with months of painful injections including alcohol I repeated the surgery but this time they gutted my foot. Well, they returned again. Since then we've tried two procedures where they attempt to kill them with high heat (225C) and they return. I continue to get injections every ten days but I have one neuroma that is over an inch in diameter. It feels like it's taking over my foot. I'm lost on the next move forward. I've considered a foot transplant....if only it were an option.Do you have any advise? My life feels as if it's on hold. It's been almost two years since my last exercise boxing class. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing your story.
My daughter is 15 and was diagnosed with a Mortons Neuroma a little over a year ago. She is a ballet dancer and dances about 25 hours per week, 12-15 of those hours is en pointe. She had 7 schlerosing injections which seemed to cure her neuroma, but after about 6 months it was back. The podiatrist did not use ultrasound. Now that it is back he wants to do surgery and said there is a 30% chance he will cut the ligament while removing the neuroma. For an aspiring ballerina this is not an option. He even said he wasn't totally sure that it was a neuroma, but he would go in and look around! We decided not to do the surgery and continue searching for treatment.
Do you think going to a doctor who will do the injections guided by ultrasound would be an option that might give her relief? We are also looking into radio frequency ablation treatment. To say we are feeling desperate is an understatement. If she wasn't truly gifted and in love with ballet she would quit, but she believes it is something she was born to do.
We have HMO insurance, so most of the treatment options we are seeking must now be paid for by us and we are a single income family. She recently had a diagnostic ultrasound to the tune of $360 to ensure the diagnosis was correct. What he found was that she has a neuroma in her other foot as well, it just hasn't progressed to the same degree as the other one yet.
Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. I unfortunately do not have the money to pay for cryogenic.
Thank you and God bless!
Hi Trina! I wanted to let you know that a friend of mine, her husband got the radio frequency ablation and for him it worked. He had it done about 6 or 7 times and has been pain free for over a year. I just made an appointment for my daughter who is 15 and has 2 neuromas from doing ballet to get this done. She did the alcohol schlerosing injections which did relieve most of her pain, but it is back
I will let you know if it helps. Take care!
Krista, I had Mortons Neuroma for a number of years and I did have cortisone injections every 3 months which worked for the 3 months. Finally, I got a referral to a Doctor who did laser therapy, truly it has changed my life. i had 2 sessions via ultrasound about 6 years ago and I have no issue since. I am a nurse and need to be on my feet daily and I have such relief. Success rates for Nuroma Surgery are not great and I certainly would not be recommending it for my child. I believe that I developed the neuroma because I ran quite a bit, perhaps ballet might be causing your daughter's. Best of luck with whatever you choose to do. Teresa
Thank you for your response Teresa! Yes, they believe ballet is what has caused the neuromas. Where did you get the laser therapy done at? Is it painful? Was it done by a podiatrist? Sorry for all the questions. I have spent hours upon hours researching treatments and don't recall seeing laser therapy. Doesn't mean I didn't come across it, just don't remember with all the information that I have read. Thank you again!!
I have had two surgeries and two sessions with high heat. I get alcohol and lidocaine injections every ten days only in my right fo I think brought on by boxing. I have a few neuroma's. One is bigger than a Famous Amos cookie. I Take lyrica, meloxocam [sp].....Two years I've been debilitated. Now I'm getting planters fasciitis in my other heel....cry cry.
Where do I find a Laser Doctor?