Learn About Morton Neuroma
Morton neuroma is an injury to the nerve between the toes that causes thickening and pain. It commonly affects the nerve that travels between the 3rd and 4th toes.
Morton neuralgia; Morton toe syndrome; Morton entrapment; Metatarsal neuralgia; Plantar neuralgia; Intermetatarsal neuralgia; Interdigital neuroma; Interdigital plantar neuroma; Forefoot neuroma; Morton's neuroma
The exact cause is unknown. Health care providers believe the following may play a role in the development of this condition:
- Wearing tight shoes and high heels
- Abnormal positioning of toes
- Flat feet
- Forefoot problems, including bunions and hammer toes
- High foot arches
Morton neuroma is more common in women than in men.
Symptoms may include:
- Numbness and tingling in the space between the 3rd and 4th toes
- Toe cramping
- Sharp, shooting, or burning pain in the ball of the foot and sometimes toes
- Pain that increases when wearing tight shoes, high heels, or pressing on the area
- Pain that gets worse over time
In rare cases, nerve pain occurs in the space between the 2nd and 3rd toes. This is not a common form of Morton neuroma, but symptoms and treatment are similar.
Nonsurgical treatment is tried first. Your provider may recommend any of the following:
- Padding and taping the toe area
- Shoe inserts (orthotics)
- Changes to footwear, such as wearing shoes with wider toe boxes or flat heels
- Anti-inflammatory medicines taken by mouth or injected into the area between the toes
- Nerve blocking medicines injected into the toe area
- Other painkillers
- Physical therapy
Anti-inflammatories and painkillers are not recommended for long-term treatment.
In some cases, surgery is needed to remove the thickened tissue and inflamed nerve. This helps relieve pain and improve foot function. Numbness after surgery is permanent.
Proliance Surgeons
Philip Yearian, DPM, is a board-certified surgeon specializing in the lower extremity treatment of the foot and ankle. He believes that staying on the forefront of treatment involves educating his patients, which leads to better outcomes.While competing as a Division I Track and Field athlete in the 3000 meters Steeplechase and Cross Country at the University of Portland, his own injuries introduced him to some of the very treatments he uses today to get patients back on their way to a non-painful walk or ultra-marathon.His training involved specializing in both bone and plastic reconstructive surgery. After over twenty years in practice in Gig Harbor and Tacoma, Dr. Yearian has improved some of these very techniques, which now allow some patients to shorten their recovery and return to play or work sooner.Dr. Yearian coaches basketball at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School. He also enjoys running marathons, skiing, traveling and teaching for the Franciscan Foot and Ankle Reconstructive Residency program. Dr. Yearian is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Morton Neuroma. His top areas of expertise are Bunions, Flat Feet, Synovitis, and Tendinitis.
Summit Orthopedics
Michael Anderson, D.O., is an orthopedic surgeon at Summit Orthopedics specializing in foot and ankle care, serving patients in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. He completed a prestigious orthopedic foot and ankle surgery fellowship in New York at the University of Rochester. Dr. Anderson was named a Rising Star by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. “I really enjoy treating patients of all ages and all walks of life. A foot and ankle specialty covers a lot of medical ground, and I enjoy it all,” Dr. Anderson shares. “I like sports. I enjoy helping patients with trauma injuries. And my pediatric patients are such a joy. The most rewarding part of my work is getting my patients back to their lives.”. Dr. Anderson is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Morton Neuroma. His top areas of expertise are Achilles Tendon Rupture, Osgood-Schlatter Disease, Osteochondritis Dissecans, Flat Feet, and Hip Replacement.
Fernando Santiago-Ruiz practices in Granada, Spain. Mr. Santiago-Ruiz is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Morton Neuroma. His top areas of expertise are Morton Neuroma, Metatarsalgia, Ledderhose Disease, Neuralgia, and Vertebroplasty.
Nonsurgical treatment does not always improve symptoms. Surgery to remove the thickened tissue is successful in most cases.
Complications may include:
- Difficulty walking
- Trouble with activities that put pressure on the foot, such as pressing the gas pedal while driving
- Difficulty wearing certain types of shoes, such as high-heels
Contact your provider if you have constant pain or tingling in your foot or toe area.
Avoid ill-fitting shoes. Wear shoes with a wide toe box or lower heels.
Objective: To test a study drug, resiniferatoxin (RTX), in people with Morton s neuroma.
Summary: * To evaluate standard clinical sequences for 7 Tesla MRI of the foot and/or ankle to improve detailed depiction of the complex anatomy of this region. * To evaluate various pathologies of the foot and/or ankle (plantar plate tears, Morton neuroma, tendon tears, ligament tears etc.).
Published Date: June 04, 2025
Published By: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Grear BJ. Neurogenic disorders. In: Azar FM, Beaty JH, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 87.
Shi GG. Morton's neuroma. In: Frontera WR, Silver JK, Rizzo TD Jr, eds. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Musculoskeletal Disorders, Pain, and Rehabilitation. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 91.