Dr. Timothy Young, a board-certified foot surgeon, discusses neuroma treatments:

Our Doctors have been using Alcohol injections for Morton's Neuroma for over 10 years with excellent success.  Most patients have between 6 - 8 injections at weekly intervals.  Occasionally a "mini-series" will be done after 12 months.  For most patients, there is minimal discomfort after the injections and there is progressive relief from the Neuroma symptoms. 

We typically use between 20-30% dehydrated alcohol.  Ultrasound guidance is critical for correct injection technique.  Most frequently we treat the 3^rd intermetatarsal space, and runner up is the 2^nd intermetatarsal space.  This provides an excellent alternative to surgical treatment, and we also treat stump neuroma problems (where there is reoccurrence of the neuroma symptoms after prior foot surgery).  

If you are experiencing foot or ankle pain, give us a call today at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online. 

Neuromas are a common presenting pathology in my office. I see quite a few in the typical week. The majority of patients with neuromas are female between the ages of 40-60. The patient will usually describe burning or tingling in the foot that is worse with shoes. Most of the time on exam one can feel the nerve moving, this is called a “Molder’s click”. I will usually get an x-ray and then help the patient with a long-term plan.

There are a few conservative modalities that work fairly well for a neuroma and I usually recommend trying these before proceeding to surgery. However, often times patients have tried these and are seeing me as a second opinion.

Surgery is relatively straight forward for a neuroma. The majority of us use a incision on the top of the foot that is about 3 inches long and provides great exposure to the nerve. The nerve is removed, and the entire procedure takes about 15 minutes. I let my patients walk after surgery and most are able to tolerate the discomfort from surgery with just an oral anti-inflammatory.

If you have burning or tingling in your foot or have been diagnosed with a neuroma I can help. Make an appointment today and we can review your options and get you back on your feet pain free.

Give us a call at 425-391-8666.

Neuromas refer to a condition where the nerve in the foot often becomes intolerable secondary to pain and discomfort. The majority of people with neuromas will describe a burning or tingling sensation in their foot. This pain is often worse in shoes or after prolonged periods of walking. The majority of neuroma patients are female between the ages of 40 and 60.

Historically neuromas were treated with surgical excision and patients did well with this procedure. However, newer options are available. Alcohol injection therapy and shockwave therapy continue to show increasing success for neuroma patients. The alcohol therapy works by dehydrating the nerve and decreasing the pain signal conduction to the brain. Shockwave therapy works by applying acoustic sound waves to the scarred down nerve and breaking up the inflammatory cycle and increasing blood supply to the area.

The majority of patients we see for neuromas do extremely well with alcohol injections. These alcohol injections have a success rate in the literature up to 90%. The average person needs approximately 4-6 injections 1-2 weeks apart. We have seen incredible success for most of our patients and have had to remove far less neuromas.

Shockwave protocol typically takes between 3 and 5 and often times is done in conjunction with the alcohol injection therapy. Shockwave has no down time and no pain and is one of the most advanced techniques for chronic pain.

If you are currently suffering from nerve pain or neuromas please give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today.

Morton’s neuroma or inner metatarsal neuralgia is a common nerve entrapment of the foot. If left untreated, it can become extremely painful to exercise or wear shoes. There are quite a few nonsurgical approaches to do with the nerve, however not every patient can find relief from these. There are 2 categories of surgical procedures for Morton’s neuroma including decompression and neurectomy. A decompression refers to releasing the structures around the more given more space to decrease inflammation and pain. The neurectomy involves removing portion of the nerve so that the nerve this cannot cause long-term pain. The nerve that is removed is sometimes called is a nerve that provides sensory input, it does not control any motor movement of the toes or foot.

Nerve decompression has been around for quite a long period of time. It is most commonly used for carpal tunnel or tarsal tunnel and has shown good long-term success. This technique was applied to the nerve in the foot and revolves around releasing intermetatarsal ligament to create space for the nerve. The majority of patients to get relief from the nerve decompression have a fairly small neuroma and the long-term data as to whether or not this provides relief has not been ordered.

The traditional surgery or the neurectomy of the Morton’s neuroma involves an incision between the third and fourth metatarsals. Dissection is then carried out in the intermetatarsal ligament is released like with the compression however that a portion of the nerve is removed as well. Long-term success of this procedure has been well established this is considered to be the standard approach for most neuromas.

If you have a Morton’s neuroma and are interested in conservative measures or surgical measures we are here to help. Our on-site surgery center makes it convenient for our patients. Please call us at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today.