Ankle & Foot
Morton's Neuroma
Also called: Intermetatarsal neuroma
Thickening and irritation of a nerve between the forefoot bones (classically between the 3rd and 4th toes) from compression — narrow shoes, heels, and high-impact forefoot loading. Feels famously like 'walking on a pebble' or a bunched sock that isn't there.
Common signs
- Burning or sharp pain in the ball of the foot shooting into two toes
- Numbness or tingling in adjacent toes
- The pebble/bunched-sock sensation
- Relief removing the shoe and massaging the forefoot
Seek help now if
- Constant numbness spreading beyond two toes (think broader nerve issues)
- Trauma, swelling, or bone tenderness (fracture screen)
- Systemic neuropathy signs (both feet, stocking pattern — see Peripheral Neuropathy)
Any of these: call 911 or get to an emergency room first. Everything else can wait.
What to do first
- Change the shoe environment today: wide toe box, lower heel — this alone settles many
- A small metatarsal pad placed behind the ball of the foot spreads the bones and decompresses the nerve
- Trim forefoot-impact volume temporarily
If it's become chronic
- Persistent cases: manual therapy for foot mechanics, intrinsic foot strengthening, gait review
- Escalation options exist (injections; surgery rarely) — but the shoe/pad/strength combination resolves most
- Recurrence prevention is footwear philosophy for life
Natural healing options we use
- Footwear and metatarsal-pad strategy
- Manual therapy and chiropractic care for forefoot joint mobility
- Intrinsic foot muscle strengthening
- B-vitamin and omega-3 nerve support
About imaging
Clinical; ultrasound can confirm when the diagnosis is uncertain.
Daily self-care
- Wide-toe-box shoes as the new default
- Daily toe-spread and foot-intrinsic exercises
- Metatarsal pad in the loading-hours shoes
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Please read: this page is education, not a diagnosis. A proper examination is how a condition gets confirmed and a plan gets built. See our medical disclaimer.