About a week ago, I injured my foot when I was trying on a pair of my heels at my house, it happened suddenly and I immediately took off the shoe. After doing some online research, the Metatarsal injury is definitely Morton’s Neuroma and possibly a stress fracture as well. My question is, I have been seeing a lot of people online recommending gel inserts etc…but I have not been able to walk on this foot except if I walk on my heel. So, my question is whether or not it’s okay to walk on it awkwardly if it doesn’t hurt the nerve too much? Or should I keep off it all together and use crutches? I have been limping and I look very funny walking around on my heel so I have been considering crutches. I want it to heal so that it doesn’t become a chronic condition, so it confuses me that people are saying they walk on it a little or with special shoe inserts. I am wondering if anyone knows why this is or if mine is just more severe? Any insight would be much appreciated. If walking on it doesn’t make it worse I would want to do that especially because of the type of work I do, it’s just easier if I can walk around especially to talk to customers.
And for a little more background information on my injury, the nerve does hurt very badly and sting if I do touch the area or step down on the whole foot. It seems to be getting worse despite icing it and raising it and taking ibuprofen. I have been walking around on my heel and am not sure if that is exacerbating the problem…I also plan to see a doctor if it doesn’t make any healing progress by next week- I just can’t really afford the copay right now.
Hey Richard thanks for your time, I’ve tried the squeezing thing and I can locate it in between the 3rd and 4th toes and it’s about 2 inches in length and feels weird and tingly, sharp when aggravated. I can also see that area is very swollen compared to my other foot. I think I will see a doctor sometime this week but I will definitely try the foam that is a great tip!
First off since you have not seen a doctor the diagnosis may not be accurate. Try this to see what happens. Squeeze the front of your foot up around the toes as hard as you can. What happens? If the pain has increased there is a possibility that you have a Morton’s neuroma but it could also be other things and without an x-ray it is going to be difficult to truly assess. See a podiatrist for this problem as they are the foot specialists. In the meantime go to a pharmacy and get some adhesive foam. Take the foam and measure out a piece that is larger than the area where you pain is located. What you want to try and do is make the piece about 1/2 inch wider on each side than the area of pain. You want to cut the piece in the shape of a large U with the loop end of the U being placed towards the heel. You want a space in between the arms of the U to float the painful area in. You may have to play with the exact placement to get it correct but this will hold the bones on either side of the area up thus taking the pressure off this area. Wear a pair of shoes that is wider than normal to cut down on the sideways pressure and that should also help. Seeing a podiatrist as soon as possible is the way to go with this.