What You Should Know About Morton's Neuroma

Morton's Neuroma: What is it?

Morton's Neuroma was named after a Viennese physician in 1876, Dr. Morton. It's a condition when the nerves in the ball of the foot are irritated or pinched between the bones. The long bones that extend back from the toes are called metatarsal bones and there are five of them. Nerves course between these metatarsal bones on their way to providing sensation to the corresponding toes.

The most common are for Morton's Neuroma to occur is between the third and fourth toe, with the big toe being the first toe. Why is this area affect more than the other toes? It's the only area in the front of the foot where two nerves come together, doubling the size of the nerve.

What does Morton's Neuroma feel like?

The sensations can be a sharp pain, a burning feeling, numbness, or pins and needles.

What causes Morton's Neuroma?

Wearing tight shoes increases the chances of Morton's Neuroma since tight shoes squeeze the metatarsals together. Other offending shoes tend to be high heels.

How is it treated?

There are multiple ways to treat Morton's Neuroma. First, pain can be relieved by taking off the offending shoe and massaging the balls of your feet and wearing better fitting shoes. Further options include orthotics, surgery and laser therapy. The Isogard system, which is a procedure that we use, is a new approach to decompressing the nerve by a single small incision. With this method, patients have faster recovery time and it leaves the nerve intact.

Image by LeeLeFever. (2011). The latest in spring fashion. 

Health Tip: What Causes Bed Sores?

Bed sores is a common term for pressure ulcers where the skin deteriorates due to constant pressure on the skin. According to a report done from the National Nursing Home Survey in 2004, 11% of residents in nursing homes had bed sores. Bed sores do not only affect residents of nursing homes. People undergoing surgery who are not mobile for periods of time during recovery can get bed sores.

So what causes bed sores and how can it be prevented? There are many factors that increase the likelihood of getting a bed sore such as being bedridden or in a wheelchair, having diabetes, fragile skin, Alzheimer's disease or just being unable to move certain parts of the body.

What happens is that if a person is in one spot for too long, the pressure from a bed or chair directly in contact with the skin reduces the blood supply to that area. In turn, the tissue dies.

Bed sores start off as patchy red skin and progressively gets worse until it forms a blister, then an open sore, and then can lead to a crater forming in the skin if untreated.

Common spots of the body for bed sores to form are ankles, heels, elbows, shoulders, and back.

Bed sores can be prevented. First, check for pressure sores everyday and pay extra attention to the most common spots where they form. If one finds red spots, apply gentile pressure to see if the spot turns white. Changing position frequently minimizes bed sores as it relieves pressure on the skin. Extra padding also helps since pillows help relieve pressure. Eating well balanced meals, exercising, and daily showers all play their part in preventing bed sores.



Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Publications and Information Products. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/

Image by Joel Kramer. (2006). Big bed. 

What Do Toes Do?

Have you ever looked down at your feet and thought, what function do the toes serve? Feet would look very different without toes, that's for sure! But they do serve a medical purpose while also providing women with toenails to paint.

Toes assist in walking by providing balance, weight-bearing, and thrust during the gait. Since the toes provide balance, if you are having problems with your balance, do some toe and ankle exercises to strengthen the muscles in the feet and toes.

There are at least six sets of muscles that control each toe. Who would have known! Two tendons join the top of the toes and insert into the middle bones of each toe.

Each muscle has a job, and that is to stabilize one of the bones in the toes. If there is an imbalance in the foot, the smaller muscles can be overpowered by the larger flexor and extensor muscles. If a foot is flat, the flexor muscles can overpower the others because as the foot flattens, it also lengthens causing greater than normal tension. If the toes are not strong enough to resist the tension, they become overpowered and can result in deformities.

Photo by Rachel D. (2007). Toes. 

Top 7 Sprained Ankle Facts

1. The ankle is the most commonly sprained joint.
2. If one has ankle pain, it is most likely due to a sprained ankle.
3. A sprain is an injury to ligaments. Ligaments connect bones together.
4. Sprained ankle symptoms: swelling, pain around the joint, bruising.
5. Most common way the ankle is injured: inversion injury, which is when the ankle is twisted inward.
6. Treatment of sprained ankles: taping the ankle or using an ankle brace and rest.
7. Healing time: few weeks to a few months to fully heal.

Image by Heather Bailey. (2006). Sprained ankle. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/nitelynx/89901655/

5 Must Do Foot Exercises

Exercise #1: Toe Exercise

To strengthen your toes and to improve flexibility, pick up objects off of the floor and move them to another pile. Do 3 sets of exercises three times per day.


Exercise #2: Toe Rise

Toe rises will help strengthen your toes and calf muscles.

Stand on a stable surface and rise up onto your toes. Lift your heels off of the ground. Hold for 10 seconds and release back to the ground. You may hold onto a chair or wall for balance in the beginning. Do 3 sets of 10 exercises. Have a goal of 3 sets of 30 exercises. Try to do the exercise three times per day.


Exercise #3: Plantar Fascia Massage

If you are looking to massage the plantar fascia, sit down and cross your leg over your knee. With one hand, pull your toes back toward your nose. With your other hand, massage the area on the bottom of your foot just in front of your feel. Start out doing this for 10 minutes three times a day.


Exercise #4: Ice Bottle Massage

I know what your thinking, ice bottle massage? Fill a bottle with water and freeze it. Once frozen, roll your foot on the bottle for 10 minutes. Do this three times a day for a great foot massage.


Exercise #5: Towel Stretch

This is another calf muscle stretch which also helps increase ankle dorsiflexion. Sit on the floor and straighten your legs. Loop a towel around your foot and pull the towel back until you feel a stretch in your calf muscles. Hold for 30 seconds. Do 3 sets of 10 exercises. Have a goal of 3 sets of 30 exercises. Try to do the exercise three times per day.

Image by Judyth Greenburgh. (2005). feet. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/curlybird/1388427133/

5 Tips For Healthy Wedding Season Feet

Don't let sore, achy feet ruin the upcoming wedding season. The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons offers five tips to healthy feet.

1. If the shoe fits, wear it - When hitting the dance floor or the shopping malls during wedding season, don't compromise comfort and safety when picking the right shoes to wear. Narrow shoes, overly-high-heeled ones or shoes that aren't worn very often, such as dress shoes, can irritate feet and lead to blisters, calluses, swelling and even severe ankle injuries. "To ward off problems, choose a shoe that has a low heel and fits your foot in length, width and depth while you are standing," says Tennessee foot and ankle surgeon Christopher Hendrix, DPM, FACFAS. "Be proactive, protective and preventive with your selection of appropriate shoes for the occasion."

2. Don't overindulge in rich foods and alcoholic beverages - Did you know your feet can feel the effects of what you eat and drink? Certain foods and beverages high in purines, such as shellfish, red meat, red wine and beer can trigger extremely painful gout attacks, a condition when uric acid builds up and crystallizes in and around your joints. "Oftentimes, it's the big toe that is affected first since the toe is the coolest part of the body and uric acid is sensitive to temperature changes," Dr.Hendrix says.

3. Be pedicure-safety conscious - Before you head for your spring and summer pedicures, remember nail salons can be a breeding ground for bacteria, including MRSA. To reduce your risk of infection, choose a salon that follows proper sanitation practices and is licensed by the state. Consider also purchasing your own pedicure instruments to bring along to your appointment.

4. Watch for dance floor mishaps - Dancing can be fun but also dangerous. The ankle joint can be more vulnerable to serious injury. If you experience a fall or twisted ankle, take a break from activities until you can be seen by a foot and ankle surgeon. Use R.I.C.E. therapy (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) to help reduce the pain and control swelling around the injury.

5. "Listen" to your feet- Don't let foot pain ruin your fun; inspect your feet regularly for any evidence of ingrown toenails, bruising, swelling, blisters, dry skin or calluses. "If you notice any pain, swelling or signs of problems, make an appointment with your foot and ankle surgeon," Dr. Hendrix says. "Often, especially for diabetics, what may seem like a simple issue can turn into a larger problem if medical care is delayed."

Photo by WinterStephan. (2011). wedding shoes. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/winters3/5876198689/

What's Your Foot Arch Type?

There are many types and brands of running shoes available. Which pair do you choose? Focus on what type of feet you have first! First, take a look at your foot. Do a fun experiment... examine your footprint by running in the sand or on paper with wet feet.

Most people fall into one of three types of feet.

Flat Feet

Do you have an arch? If not, you have flat feet. The bottom of your foot, from your toes to your heel, is flat. If you do one of the experiments above, you won't see an inward curve. So what kind of shoes do you need? A running shoe that maintains stability. Look for descriptions with the words "motion control" or "stability". Most likely you will also need orthotics.

High-arched Feet

Look to see if you have high arches. If you do the foot test, your print will curve inward, making the middle part of the foot look very skinny. People with high arches need to examine thier feet periodically since running will cause the arches to gradually fall, making the feet longer. What kind of shoes do you need? You need flexible shoes with a soft midsole that absorbs shock. Look for descriptive words such as "flexible" or "cushioned".

Neutral or Normal Feet

Your feet are not flat nor have a high arch. Your footprint will have a noticeable curve inward, but not by more than 3/4 of an inch. People will neutral feet can choose from a wide variety of running shoes but stay away from shoes that have a lot of stability or motion control.

Image by Dave Marcus. (2007). Gateway Arch, St. Louis, IMG_1972. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/davemarcus/502838647/