Nowadays it is very common for people to go to their doctor complaining of pain in the front part of the foot and in some cases, such is the severity that they have had to undergo surgery without it really being necessary.
Many of these patients would have had a solution, had they known the difference between metatarsalgia and Morton’s neuroma.
In our podiatry clinic we have experts in diagnosis and treatment for the pathology you are suffering.
Here we will show you the basic differences between these two conditions.
What is Metatarsalgia?
Metatarsalgia involves inflammation of the front part of the foot.
This is due to an excess of load that, after some time, causes inflammation in the metatarsals with the consequent pain.
What is Morton’s neuroma?
Morton’s neuroma is a thickening of the digital nerve. This nerve runs between the fingers and causes disabling pain of greater severity in fingers 3 and 4.
How are Metatarsalgia and Morton’s Neuroma similar?
When the front part of the foot hurts, we usually do not know what is happening.
We let the days go by and the pain persists. It is then that we turn to our trusted physician to make the appropriate diagnosis.
Anterior skin pain can be due to many factors such as metatarsalgia lesions, neuromas, sesamoiditis, helomas, plantar warts, bunions, paresthesias and many other pathologies.
What are the differences between Metatarsalgia and Morton’s Neuroma?
The main symptom in metatarsalgia is a pain in the front part of the foot due to an overload of the foot.
The pain referred to Morton’s Neuroma has its origin in a neurological pathology and in many occasions it is not limited to act between the metatarsals, but it reaches the fingertips.
This type of pain is felt as a burning, stinging or numbness that is very limiting for the sufferer.
Where does the confusion between these two pathologies come from?
The function of the foot is to move. Most diagnostic tests currently in use perform the examination with the foot still.
There are cases in which both lesions coexist together and upon receiving the results of the MRI it is indicated that we must undergo surgery.
Here is the mistake.
Biomechanical study for metatarsalgia and Morton’s neuroma
If you suspect that you may suffer from any of these pathologies, you should perform a biomechanical study that properly assesses the health of your foot in motion and once it is stationary.
Living with metatarsalgia for a long time can lead to digital nerve entrapment due to the inflammation produced in the metatarsal heads. This may be the reason for developing a Morton’s neuroma.
For a correct diagnosis we must know the origin of the lesion.
It is very common to receive patients who have undergone surgery for Morton’s neuroma and continue to live with pain in the forefoot area. Pain that increases in the last hours of the day or during the course of sports practice.
A common mistake that in many occasions would have been solved by treating metatarsalgia first hand.
If you feel this type of pain, you have been waiting too long for it to subside and cannot find a solution:
Contact us, we willWe will study your case and look for the solution.
Article prepared by Clínica San Román 6/04/2021
