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Morton’s Neuroma

MORTON’S NEUROMA HELP WITH EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCKWAVE THERAPY IN THE BAY AREA

WHAT IS MORTON’S NEUROMA?Morton's Neuroma helped with ESWT

If we all just lived at Yoga Source in Los Gatos we would be bare foot and spreading our toes daily but this isn’t the case.  We live in the hustle and bustle of the San Jose area using tight closed toe shoes and this can set the stage for foot problems like Morton’s neuroma.

Morton’s neuroma is an inflamed nerve in between two (metatarsal) bones in the ball of your foot. It is often caused by narrow shoes pushing the third and fourth metatarsals together and causing irritation of the nerve.  There can also be a tractioning of the nerve from nearby fibrotic tissue.  The result is pain and numbness of the involved toes.  It might even feel like you have a rock or lump in your shoe.Morton's Neuroma

By the time Morton’s neuroma is felt, the problem has taken months to evolve and there is a thickening of the tissue around the nerve.  This is where extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) comes in.  ESWT is known to decrease adhesions and thereby decrease the thickness of the affected tissue.  The the desired result is the space between the bones  is returned, inflammation is decreased and the nerve is no longer being irritated.  

“Patients (with Morton’s Neuroma) receiving ESWT exhibited significantly decreased VAS (pain) scores 1 and 4 weeks after treatment [1]”

“And in a 2009 study, extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) was also found to decrease pain in people with Morton’s Neuroma [2].”

Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy and Morton's Neuroma

Here Dr. Adam Fields of San Jose, CA demonstrates the use of ESWT for helping Morton’s Neuroma.

One of the great aspects of the Piezowave 2, which we have in our Los Gatos office, is that you will feel the machine working.  You will have a sensation in the area being treated and, if there is no chance that you will be helped, we will know it on the first visit.  You will, simply, not feel any tingling, pulsing or pain with the treatment.

MORTON’S NEUROMA & COMPLEMENTARY CARE TO ESWTToe Spreaders Used for Morton's Neuroma

  • Use a toe spreader like Yoga Toes
  • Stop using overly narrow shoes
  • Stop high heeled shoes
  • Scale down activities that flare-up pain
  • Do self massage

*NOTE:  Many will say to take anti-inflammatory medication or to ice the area.  When being treated with ESWT, it is better to avoid these.  Inflammation is part of the healing process and will, eventually, decrease with shockwave therapy.

Visit us in San Jose or Los Gatos and let’s get you feeling good again.  (408) 274-2244

 

  1. Seok H, Kim SH, Lee SY, Park SW.Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy in Patients with Morton’s Neuroma A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2016 Mar;106(2):93-9. doi: 10.7547/14-131.
  2. Fridman R1, Cain JD, Weil L Jr.Extracorporeal shockwave therapy for interdigital neuroma: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2009 May-Jun;99(3):191-3.