Morton's Neuroma: Why the Ball of Your Foot Burns
Morton's neuroma is a thickening of tissue around a nerve between the toes, usually the third and fourth. It causes burning, tingling and the classic sensation of standing on a pebble.
What Morton's neuroma is
Morton's neuroma is not a true tumour but a benign thickening (fibrosis) of the tissue surrounding a plantar digital nerve in the forefoot. As the nerve is compressed between the metatarsal heads, it becomes irritated and enlarged, producing pain that radiates into the toes. It most often affects the space between the third and fourth toes, though the second-third web space can also be involved.
Symptoms
- Burning or sharp pain in the ball of the foot
- A feeling of a fold in your sock or a pebble underfoot
- Tingling or numbness in the affected toes
- Pain that eases when you remove your shoe and massage the foot
Symptoms typically worsen with tight or high-heeled shoes and with weight-bearing activity, and improve with rest and wide, flat footwear.
Causes and risk factors
Anything that compresses or irritates the forefoot nerve raises risk: narrow toe-box shoes, high heels, high-impact sports such as running, and foot shapes like bunions, flat feet or high arches that alter forefoot loading. Women are affected more often, largely because of footwear style.
Treatment and self-care
First-line care is mechanical: switch to shoes with a wide toe box and low heel, and add a metatarsal pad placed just behind the painful spot to splay the bones and offload the nerve. Reducing high-impact activity and icing after exercise both help. If conservative steps fail, a podiatrist may offer corticosteroid or local anaesthetic injections, and surgery is reserved for stubborn cases. The Mayo Clinic notes that most people improve with footwear changes and padding alone.
When to see a podiatrist
See a professional if pain persists beyond a few weeks of self-care, disrupts walking, or is accompanied by numbness that is spreading. A clinician can confirm the diagnosis with a squeeze test and ultrasound, and rule out stress fracture or capsulitis.
Frequently asked questions
- Will Morton's neuroma go away on its own?
- Mild cases often settle with wider shoes, metatarsal pads and activity changes, but an established neuroma usually needs ongoing footwear management.
- What shoes are best for Morton's neuroma?
- Shoes with a wide, deep toe box, a low heel and a stiff but cushioned sole reduce nerve compression.
Sources & further reading
- Foot and ankle health, Mayo Clinic
- Foot problems, NHS
- Patient resources, American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA)