Have you been experiencing pain in the ball of your foot? Feel like your stepping on a stone? And is it affecting your ability to undertake normal daily activities?
Then you may be experiencing one of the following conditions known as Morton’s Neuroma or Bursitis!
Both conditions affect the ball of one’s foot, though they tend to relate to different areas of the feet. Typically, neuromas tend to affect the 3rd and 4th toes and often feels like you are standing on a pebble. There is often a thickening of the tissues which surround the nerves within the toes that causes the pain. The symptoms that are associated with a Morton’s neuroma include: a sharp, burning sensation which can lead to the toes to sting, burn or feel numb.
Risk factors that are associated with neuromas and some bursitis include:
– wearing high heels
– Ill- fitting shoes
– high impact sports such as running
– repetitive trauma
– foot deformities such as bunions, hammer toes, high arches and flat feet
A bursitis occurs due to inflammation of the bursa, which contains small fluid filled sacs. They typically occur between two structures such as muscles, tendons and bones. Bursitis can cause pain and restrict movements due to inflammation. Quite often shoulders, hip, knee and heel are the most common locations.
A person who experiences a foot bursitis will often experience at least one of the following:
– localised pain
– warm temperature
– increased pain at night
– pain worse during movements
– redness of the skin
Both a Morton’s neuroma and bursitis occur as a result of continuous pressure, friction, injury and overuse. In order to determine the difference between the two, an ultrasound is usually undertaken. In order to determine the exact cause of your pain medical imaging is often required. Once an exact diagnosis has been made we will be able to provide you with an appropriate treatment option to get your feet healing.
This article was written by Lauren, one of our skilled Podiatrists. To book in with Lauren either give us a call or book online and select ‘Lauren’ as your practitioner.
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