Morton’s Neuroma

Discover the causes behind Morton’s Neuroma, plus treatment and prevention tips.

by Brad Walker | Updated June 8, 2025

What is Morton’s Neuroma?

Neuromas are generally benign or non-cancerous growths of nerve tissue, developing in various parts of the body. Morton’s Neuromas are confined to the nerves of the foot, most commonly, between the third and fourth toes. The condition involves a thickening of the tissue around one of the digital nerves leading to the toes and does not qualify as an actual tumor.

The affliction causes a sharp, burning pain, usually in the region of the ball of the foot. A patient’s toes may also sting, burn, or exhibit numbness. Often, the symptoms have been likened to “walking on a marble.”

Morton’s Neuroma is usually confined to one foot, though it can occur in both, particularly in athletes such as runners. For reasons that are not fully understood, the incidence of Morton’s Neuroma is 8 to 10 times greater in women than in men.

Anatomy Involved

When a nerve is pinched between bones, the result is swelling of the nerve. When the condition occurs in the foot, it is known as a Morton’s Neuroma. Morton’s Neuroma is technically not a tumor. Rather, it is a thickening of the tissue that surrounds the digital nerves leading to the toes.

The region of inflammation is located where the digital nerve passes under the ligament connecting the toe bones (metatarsals) in the forefoot. Morton’s Neuroma commonly develops between the third and fourth toes, generally as a result of ongoing irritation, trauma, or excessive pressure. The reason this tends to occur in the third intermetatarsal space, the space (between the third and fourth toes and metatarsals) is that the third intermetatarsal nerve is the thickest, resulting from the joining of two different nerves.

What Causes Morton’s Neuroma?

There are a number of common causes for Morton’s Neuroma, (though the condition can arise spontaneously for reasons still unknown). The Neuroma often occurs in response to irritation, pressure, or traumatic injury to one of the digital nerves leading to the toes.

Abnormal foot movement used to compensate for bunions, hammertoes, flatfeet, and other conditions can lead to irritation and development of Morton’s Neuroma. Pronation of the foot may cause the heads of the metatarsal bones to rotate slightly, thereby pinching the nerve running between the metatarsal heads. Chronic pressure or pinching causes the nerve sheath to enlarge, becoming increasingly squeezed, producing worsening pain over time, if not addressed.

Morton’s Neuroma can be exacerbated when tight shoes, providing little room for the forefoot, are worn. Activities which over-pronate the foot (such as walking barefoot in sand) may increase the pain associated with Morton’s Neuroma, as will any high-impact activity, such as jogging.

Signs and Symptoms

Often, no outward signs (such as a lump or swelling) appear from the condition. All running sports, especially distance running can leave an athlete vulnerable to Morton’s Neuroma, which may appear or flare up in the middle of a run or at the end. Should the Neuroma be of sufficient size, or if footwear is particularly tight or uncomfortable, the painful condition may be present during normal walking.

While the condition may at first only appear during heavy repetitive stress or when wearing particular shoes that aggravate the foot, the Neuroma can become increasingly inflamed and produce more constant discomfort, lasting days or weeks. Runners may experience pain pushing off from starting blocks. Tight or narrow shoes as well as high heels likewise aggravate the Neuroma.

A checklist of symptoms includes:

Treatment

Properly resting the foot, in addition to the use of appropriate footwear, often brings relief from Morton’s Neuroma, without resorting to surgery. A physician may also recommend anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone injections, and should the condition fail to resolve itself, surgery.

The suggestions below are often sufficient to resolve Morton’s Neuroma. However, should the condition persist or worsen despite these efforts, surgery may be recommended to remove the Neuroma. The surgery requires only a short recovery period, though permanent numbness in the affected toes can result, so such surgery is only used as a last resort.

Initial treatment for Morton’s Neuroma may include:

Prevention

Preventing Morton’s Neuroma primarily involves avoiding activities that might lead to increased pressure on the foot. However, there are several other techniques listed below that will also help prevent Morton’s Neuroma.