Morton's Neuroma

[melpied]

New to the forum and this condition I wondered if someone could give me some info. My daughter is a dancer and has developed what the Dr says is Morton's Neuroma The problem arose when she went to dance school and was suddenly doing a lot more work on pointe. Between her big toe and second toe it swells, feels very stiff and painful. Last October I took her to an orthopaedic consultant who made the diagnosis and gave her a steroid injection into her foot. After a couple of days extra pain it subsided and was ok for a while but over the next couple of months the cold and extended use caused a recurrence, held at bay for a while by oral steroids. Another injection followed. The consultant suggested that while these injections continue to work for 3 months at a time then we can go on repeating the procedure, however, it is only working we believe because she is avoiding the kind of work she would normally do. Should we opt for surgery and that will be the end of it or are there really a lot of risks involved that would end her dancing career? She has worked very hard to be faced with this sort of end to her dancing. Please help if you can. Any advice welcome.

[Unhappy Golfer]

As an active though ageing sportsman I have real sympathy for your daughter.Nothing is worse than not being able to do the things you love to do. I belive the steriod injections are just delaying the inevitable.That being the surgery that is required.I after months of playing in pain finnally had my op this week.Should have done it months ago.

Good luck

[melpied]

Thanks very much for the reply. The orthopaedic consultant has said we may end up with surgery and was quite optimistic but many of the posts on forums are very negative. Nice to hear a success story!! Hope it helps you enjoy your game!!

[camperfan]

Like Unhappy Golfer, I'm not in the first flush of youth, tho' used to being very active and incredibly frustrated by not being able to do much for some time now. I've had problems with the MN suregery, but keep trying to remind people that I'm in the minority. Recently my podiatrist sent me to a specialist sports shoe shop and the staff there were telling me about a runner friend who had a MN at 19 because the shoes she was wearing were too tight. She was terrified of the surgery as she thought it would stop her running but apparently she is now absolutely fine. And wearing the right fit of shoe.

[melpied]

Thanks for your reply. My daughter has been somewhat more careful with her foot wear recently, ditching high heels, using better insoles and not doing the fashionable thing of tying her sports shoe laces on the inside! As a result, I think, the injection she had is staving off the pain more effectively. Fingers crossed. I hope your MN problems lessen over time.

[bonfire]

As a former gymnast/ballerina who was devastated at having to quit those sports due to injury, and now as a biker/hiker with a morton's neuroma, I empathize all over the place with your daughter! At 28 now, I look back and appreciate the experience--as heartbreaking as it was at the time--since I learned so much from the struggle and discovered proclivities and passions for other arts and academic affairs. Then, at 16, it was ankle trouble, which has left me completely. The action on the foot in pointe is awful for a neuroma. I would be wary of cortisone shots--they are not benign. Consider letting a doctor suggest she quit (not you--and only if your doc really does think that's the only option as I'm afraid it is), and then open yourself to hearing and accepting your daughter's grief at quitting ballet. When her foot improves, another form of dance might work for her?

My neuroma prevented much of my constantly-athletic activity until I used metatarsal pads, made sure never to wear constrictive shoes, regularly massaged the area, and visualized its cooling and healing. Maya Angelo has a beautifully sad description in _I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings_ about a little kid who tucks his pain away, maybe under his toes, maybe in his back. After reading that I started to consider and notice how I physically responded to emotional stressors. It's just a theory, and I don't always buy it myself, but I began to notice how I held my anxiety in my feet so to speak.
I wonder if there's anything she's holding in, not acknowledging, worried about, that's not physical, but in her personal life. Encourage her to tell you anything she needs to tell you, and give her a great foot massage every night. Or get her a foot massage and ask the masseuse if you can get a lesson at the same time.

Best of luck.

[Designeer]

STOP PLEASE !!!!!!

Please consider mending the damaged, stretched ligaments in your daughters foot, it takes time but is permanent. I am doing it.

Google prolotherapy.