I am scheduled for surgery for Morton's Neuroma

by Melissa
(Midlothian, Va, USA)

I'm not sure I have a neuroma, please help. I explained to the doctor I have terrible pain on the bottom of the foot down the middle when the widest part of my foot is sqeezed. I have no burning, tingling, or pain at any of the toes. That being said I also have terrible pain on the top of my foot. If I hold my foot up and twist my big toe (or the wide part of my foot behind the big toe)OR put pressure on the wide part of the foot behind the small toe there is sharp stabbing pain at the top of the foot towrd the ankle. The top of the foot pain is almost worse then the bottom. The doctor said the neuroma has nothing to do with the pain on the top of the foot and it may be my gait from the neuroma making the top of the foot hurt. After researching on your site I'm not sure I even have a neuroma and surgery is next Wednesday-what do I do? I don't want to have surgery and still have the horrible pain on the top of my foot.
Please help.
Melissa

Hi Melissa,
Not all neuromas will give symptoms "exactly" as they appear in the literature. Having said that, has your doctor tried any other forms of treatment, particularly injections of either cortisone or denatured alcohol?
Before I would consent to surgery I would insist that other forms of therapy be tried.
I find in my practice, even if the particular injection does not rid the patient of the problem, the injections can go a long way in helping my confirm my diagnosis of neuroma based on how the patient responds to the treatment.
Marc Mitnick DPM