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For all those suffering with Morton’s neuroma - my struggles

Posted , 27 users are following.

mark74840
mark74840

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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  • DLH
    DLH mark74840

    Posted

    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.
  • mrsmop
    mrsmop mark74840

    Posted

    Thank you for telling us your story, Mark.  I am not a sufferer but  found this very interesting.
  • carol87156
    carol87156 mark74840

    Posted

    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

    • mark74840
      mark74840 carol87156

      Posted

      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.

    • Anniewhereugo
      Anniewhereugo mark74840

      Posted

      The guidence must be the key because I had several alcohol shots that did absolutely nothing for me.  I finally had mine removed surgically in October 2016 and so far so good. 
  • carol87156
    carol87156 mark74840

    Posted

    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

  • janet44839
    janet44839 mark74840

    Posted

    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.

  • christine679309
    christine679309 mark74840

    Posted

    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.
    • mark74840
      mark74840 christine679309

      Posted

      As far as I can tell, wearing any narrow shoes for any length of time can give you Morton's neuoma.

  • Dorcas68
    Dorcas68 mark74840

    Posted

    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!

    • teresas
      teresas Dorcas68

      Posted

      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
    • Dorcas68
      Dorcas68 teresas

      Posted

      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.

    • teresas
      teresas Dorcas68

      Posted

      Docas I had one laser session    and a second two weeks later. That was seven years ago. Good luck with ablation therapy.
    • Trina55
      Trina55 Dorcas68

      Posted

      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

    • krista_73
      krista_73 Trina55

      Posted

      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 backsad I will let you know if it helps. Take care!

    • laurie347
      laurie347 krista_73

      Posted

      Hi, I had radio frequency done on a couple neuromas 5½ years ago when I lived in Rome.  The doctor explained that there are 2 ways to do the radio frequency – one is to stimulate the nerve so that it eventually heals itself, and the other is to kill the nerve.  He initially did the nerve stimulation, but that just made it worse.  Then he redid it, this time killing the nerves, which worked.  I have another neuroma, which he stimulated just before I moved back to Canada.  It didn’t work and has been bothering me since (often a sudden sharp pain in the toe, depending on how I put my foot down), but unfortunately I haven’t found anyone in Ottawa who does radio frequency.  

      I hope radio frequency helps your daughter.

    • Trina55
      Trina55 krista_73

      Posted

      Thanks for sharing this information Krista. As time has gone on the pain, though not perfect, has definitely improved. As the neuromas have a habit of returning I might well see if the radiotherapy works be there a next time. When it appeared to be worse I went to see a cryotherapist (one of only two experts in the country) who said he could not treat me following my surgery as it would now do more harm than good so with limited options thank goodness it's improved! Good luck with your daughter's treatment and do let us all know how she gets on with it. These alternatives are less invasive and brutal than a full neurectomy so I would have sought consultation there had I known about them earlier.

    • rivka54321
      rivka54321 laurie347

      Posted

      Hi Laurie. Thanks for the very useful Information. I'm considering the radiofrequency ablation procedure. Could you please tell me where in Rome you had this done? The doctor, cost, etc... I live in Israel, and... Rome is closer than The States... Thanks... Rivkasmile

    • rachelle32866
      rachelle32866 krista_73

      Posted

      Hi Krista! Just wondering how radio frequency ablation went for your daughter. I had it done 2 weeks ago and the pain is much worse now than before. I am hoping it is just in the healing phase and will get better with time, but it would help to know other people's recovery process. Thanks!

    • krista_73
      krista_73 rachelle32866

      Posted

      Hi Rachelle,

      The doctor that advertised he did the radio frequency actually didn't do it. Don't ask, I have no idea how that is even possible either. My daughter has since quit ballet (she danced about 30 hours per week). Her neuroma still bothers her, but she is able to live with it at least for now. Sorry that I am not more help.

    • Dorcas68
      Dorcas68 rachelle32866

      Posted

      I had it done ...gosh about 2 years ago and it took over 6 weeks before I realised it was feeling better. By then the hospital had stopped contacting me to follow up on whether it worked and it was only a few months ago when it started to get really bad again that realised how much it had helped. I guess I now have to go back through my GP to see if I can have it again!
    • barry08156
      barry08156 rachelle32866

      Posted

      It usually gets more painful right after the RFA, sometimes for several weeks. Improvement normally is not seen till after about 6 weeks. Often it takes a series of 3 treatments, at 6-8 week intervals to fully eliminate the pain. Hopefully they are using ultrasound to find the nerve before they administer the RFA.
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