Orthotics for Morton’s neuroma

Custom orthotics for Morton’s neuroma are a widely successful and commonly used treatment. Here at Ace, we have plenty of experience in treating Morton’s neuroma and designing custom orthotics to treat it.

What is Morton’s neuroma?

A neuroma is an enlargement of the nerve that runs between the bones of the foot. It can develop inflammation around the area which puts even more pressure on the nerve. It can cause a numbness and tingling sensation in your toes, be sore and painful, and sometimes feel like you are walking on a stone.

Orthotic prescription for neuroma

When designing custom orthotics for Morton’s neuroma it’s important to pay attention to a few things. The first thing is your arch height. The lower the arch the more pressure will go through the ball of the foot when walking. Therefore to reduce pressure through the forefoot we need to lift up or prevent the arch from lowering any further. When designing the orthotics we will adjust the arch height and the flexibility of the orthotics to help treat this.

If the foot has a very high arch this can do the same, increasing the pressure on the ball of the foot. This time rather than pushing up the arch, we want to make contact with the arch to redistribute more pressure under the arch and away from the forefoot and neuroma.

If the neuroma is still sore after adjusting the arch height then we add a metatarsal dome onto the orthotics. This helps splay fore bones between the toes and reduces irritation on the neuroma even further.

Shoes for your orthotics

When treating the neuroma you will need to make sure your shoes are the right size. Shoes that are too small and narrow with cause more pressure on the neuroma and cause further irritation. Your orthotics are only as good as the shoes you put them into, and so having your podiatrist recommend some good shoes is very important.

If you think you have Morton’s neuroma give us a call and book an appointment with our podiatrist. In the meantime check out this taping method that might provide you with some relief.