For all those suffering with Morton’s neuroma - my struggles
Posted , 27 users are following.
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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1 like, 60 replies
concert500 mark74840
Posted
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.
mark74840 concert500
Posted
Wow. That's a tough one.
I would look for experienced clinican who has had considerable success in treating Morton's neruoma (or a center that specializes in Morton's neuroma) and having an ultrasound guided cryoablation or ultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation or ultrasound guided neurolytic injection.
You may also benefit from Platelet Rich Plasma injections and since your case sounds really bad you should look into Stem Cell Treatment.
What ever you end up doing it will be a long road since you've had so much done and it sounds like you have a lot of Morton's neuromas. Good luck.
krista_73 mark74840
Posted
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!
teresas krista_73
Posted
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
krista_73 teresas
Posted
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!!
teresas krista_73
Posted
mark74840 teresas
Posted
Krista,
We don't think that laser really works. Aside from a few anecdotes, I haven't seem a study that shows that laser has any effect.
The best thing is going to an experienced clinican who has had considerable success in treating Morton's neruoma (or a center that specializes in Morton's neuroma) and having an ultrasound guided cryoablation or ultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation or ultrasound guided neurolytic injection.
concert500 mark74840
Posted
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?
laurie347 concert500
Posted
I will be starting laser therapy for the first time this afternoon. Fingers crossed.
andy84407 laurie347
Posted
mark74840 concert500
Posted
We don't think that laser really works. The best thing is going to an experienced clinican who has had considerable success in treating Morton's neruoma (or a center that specializes in Morton's neuroma) and having an ultrasound guided cryoablation or ultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation or ultrasound guided neurolytic injection.
teresas mark74840
Posted
Anniewhereugo concert500
Posted
I feel for you. I had one nueroma removed in October 16 and yes Hallolujah it worked. Now the left foot is screaming and I pray I have the same success in that removal. I also have arthritis in my jaw and had the left joint removed with a disc replacement and the right side is going bad. If it isn't one thing it is another. Grrrr.
shelley_18579 mark74840
Posted
Hi Mark, thank you for posting this. I'm also in UK and am ashamed to say I considered taking an overdose earlier tonight. The pain I am in is unimaginable and has got worse since having steroid injections. Before I could run and ride and was an active mother in some degree of pain. Now I have to lie in bed all day and ventured out today for a walk to cheer myself up and then was screaming in agony all night. Pain worn off a little now but I can't live like this and I have the highest of pain thresholds. My last resort is cyrotherapy and I wondered if you can say how long it worked for? You say it worked but then say it didn't last. I've not hear of lazer treatment but will also ask about this. Dr's in the U.K. Just don't know what to do about it and say no pain killers help nerve damage. Does any or your US pain killers help? Perkaset or tramadol? (Sorry can't spell them). Searching for a miracle or I will be lost as just can't cope any longer.
Dorcas68 shelley_18579
Posted
Hi Shelley, please don't despair. I don't think painkillers will help much, even mega strong ones. I had radio frequency ablation done earlier this year, it was part of trial in Birmingham where it has not been uses before. I was the first person in the hospital to be treated & had several people come to observe. It was done with ultrasound guidance & felt quite weird. The specialist rang me after a few weeks to ask how it was and fill in a questionnaire, but it hadn't improved much. However after about 6 weeks I started to notice an improvement and it is now considerably better. Ask your GP to refer you to a specialist who can perform radio frequency ablation before trying the cryotherapy.
Good luck!
shelley_18579 Dorcas68
Posted
Thank you for taking the time to reply. I went to see a top man tonight but he had no answers. In fact he was very confused by my symptoms but he did say that nothing other than injections or surgery works and that he has a 80% success for surgery. He said not to have it done yet and also not to have a second injection at this stage. He thinks the last injection aggravated the nerves and that this might yet settle. The pain is more nerve pain rather than the neuroma under my foot. So that makes sense ..kind of. I am also wondering if hot water aggravates the nerves which would be why I am
In so much pain in the evening as I always have a hot bath when I get home. I can't find any science about that but I can see now that you wouldn't drink hot tea if you had an exposed tooth nerve playing up. Or cold. Am
Going to start keeping a diary as every day is different. Good luck with yours and I will talk to him about your procedure when I go back end of the month. Thank you
andy84407 shelley_18579
Posted
Surgery for Mortons neruoma is in general fairly risky with reprots showing up to a 30% chance of failure (with considerably more pain afterward) and a much higher failer rate for sugery redos.
You should go to a Morton's neruoma center which specializes in Mortons neruoma or see a clinican who has had considerable sucess in treating Morton's neuroma. Good luck
andy84407 shelley_18579
Posted
Painkilers are only good for the inital symptoms and they can have lots of complications. You should find a center that specializes in Morton's neruoma or see a clinical who has had considerable suces in treating Morton's neruoma and have an ultrasound guided cryoablation or ultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation or ultrasound guided neurolytic injection.
beth911 shelley_18579
Posted
Shelley, I suffer from MN too, have for several years. I know the pain is unbareable and can drive you absolutely crazy. A few years ago my family dr prescribed Gabapentin, very low dose, and that helped to take the edge off. Now I'm up to taking 2 of those. I was also told you can combine with tramadol if necessary. Please don't hurt yourself, or do anything you can not undo. I have researched getting radio frequency ablation for years, and finally have an appointment that I have to fly across the country go get. I did my research by googling which dr's preform that procedure. It is not covered by insurance as it is considered to be exploratory by insurance companies. But I'm praying it helps. So maybe use Google to do some research in your area, wording your searches in several different ways. That is how I stumbled upon some offices that do it here in the States. Good luck to you, and please take care of yourself.