Title: Morton’s Neuroma vs. Metatarsalgia | Heel That Pain
Headings: Morton’s Neuroma vs. Metatarsalgia
Morton’s Neuroma vs. Metatarsalgia
Common Causes and Symptoms of Metatarsalgia
Common Causes and Symptoms of Morton’s Neuroma
Morton’s Neuroma Vs. Metatarsalgia
Treating Pain in the Ball of the Foot

Content: This pain and inflammation can have numerous causes, including abnormal arches that place pressure on the metatarsal heads, improper footwear, degenerative diseases like arthritis, nerve disorders, diabetes, Freiberg Disease, Sesamoiditis, obesity, or simply the aging process. Symptoms of Metatarsalgia include the following: While pain can be severe and seem to affect the whole foot, the worst pain is concentrated at the ball of the foot. Numbness in the ball of the foot, at the base of the toes
Pain that may be dull, aching, or sharp and increases (rather than improves) during physical activity
Pain that increases when you place weight on the foot, stand on tiptoe, or go barefoot
Pain that increases, rather than improves somewhat, while walking or moving
The feeling that you have a small stone or object underneath your foot while you are walking, even when you are barefoot
Common Causes and Symptoms of Morton’s Neuroma
Morton’s Neuroma is typically understood to be caused by an injury to the nerves in the foot, or strain and injury to the toes that is often caused by wearing high heels or other shoes that place great strain on the toes and ball of the foot. This strain and injury results in swelling, pain, and a mass of tissue that forms around the nerves in the toes. While this mass of tissue and the word “Neuroma’ can sometimes bring a tumor to mind, the mass is not a true tumor, but rather a benign fibroma. Symptoms of Morton’s Neuroma include the following: Tingling, numbness, and pain in the ball of foot
A sore, tender area between the third and fourth toes on the bottom of the foot
A slight or pronounced mass of tissue between the third and fourth toes at the ball of the foot
The feeling that you are standing on a small pebble, or that some foreign object is beneath your skin at the ball of your foot
Pain that improves when not bearing weight on the foot
Morton’s Neuroma Vs. Metatarsalgia
While the differences between Morton’s Neuroma and Metatarsalgia can be subtle–especially when the pain is significant and seems to radiate across the entire ball of the foot–you and your doctor will be able to distinguish between them with the following cues: The pain from Morton’s Neuroma will be located between the third and fourth toes, on the ball of the foot.