How Your Shoes Can Cause Interdigital Neuroma
Are you a fan of high heels and pointy toe shoes? They may be causing harm to the nerves in your feet.
Interdigital neuroma, also called Morton's neuroma, plantar neuroma and intermetatarsal neuroma, is a nerve condition that affects the nerves between the third and fourth toes. Less commonly, it can affect the nerves between the second and third toes. Mount Sinai notes that women have a higher risk for interdigital neuroma; however, a mechanically unstable foot, injury to the foot and pressure on the foot from sports can also result in the disorder.
Interdigital neuroma is a benign tumor, resulting from nearby bones and ligaments rubbing against each other. This causes a buildup of fibrous tissues on the outer coating of the nerves. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that a patient with interdigital neuroma will have tingling between her third and fourth toes, and cramping in her toes. The patient can also have a sharp or burning pain in the ball of her foot, though this can sometime occur in her toes as well. The pain from the interdigital neuroma gets worse when the patient is wearing shoes, especially high heels that put extra pressure on the afflicted areas. In general, pain will worsen over time. Interdigital neuroma can make walking difficult, even if the patient is wearing flat shoes.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
Add a CommentComments
There are no comments yet. Be the first one and get the conversation started!