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morton’s neuroma Exercises
Body Part:
Foot
Equipment:
Osteopressure Tool Set & Mini Foam Roller
Level:
Beginner
Step on Your Toes With These Morton’s Neuroma Exercises
Ouch! Every time I take a step, it feels like the ball of my foot is landing on a marble… but there’s nothing in my shoe. What’s going on?
Don’t worry. You’re not losing your marbles. It sounds like you have a condition called Morton’s Neuroma.
Morton’s Neuroma? What’s that?
A neuroma is a growth of nerve tissue. A Morton’s Neuroma is not a true neuroma, but a thickening of the nerve tissue.1) It’s your foot’s reaction to pressure or irritation. The condition causes pain in the ball of your foot, usually between your second and third toes or your third and fourth toes.
Oh. How did I develop Morton’s Neuroma?
Before we talk about how your Morton’s Neuroma developed, you should know how your foot is designed. Short and feet: the front of your foot is made up of phalanges (the bones in our toes), metatarsals (five long bones that run from the base of each toe to the middle of our feet), and two sesamoid bones (embedded in the tendon of our big toe.) If the nerves between the metatarsals — these are the nerves that provide your toes with feeling — thicken, there is a loss of space. The nerves are compressed and become irritated. The invisible marble appears, and the pain starts.
So, what causes Morton’s Neuroma?
That burning sensation in the ball of your foot might be caused by your shoes. High-heeled shoes or tight-fitting shoes can squeeze your toes and put pressure on the nerves. You may also develop a Morton’s Neuroma if you regularly play high-impact sports. Running and court sports like tennis, basketball, and squash expose your feet to repetitive strain. You may be at a higher risk of developing a Morton’s Neuroma if you have flat feet, bunions, or hammertoe (a condition where one of your toes looks like it’s bent in half.)
Good to know. What about the symptoms of Morton’s Neuroma?
If you have Morton’s Neuroma, you may experience:
- a burning pain along the ball of your foot that travels to your toes,
- foot pain when you stand or walk,
- tingling or numbness in your toes,
- foot pain that decreases when you take your shoes off.
You might have changed the way you walk, turning your affected foot out slightly, so you don’t step directly on the area of your foot that hurts. In most cases, Morton’s Neuroma doesn’t manifest as a bump on the foot.
How can Liebscher and Bracht help?
We have an exercise program for you that can help relieve your pain and increase foot strength. Our targeted routine includes stretches, foam rolling massage, and our pioneering Osteopressure therapy. All you need is our Pain-Free Package with the Mini Foam Roller and the conical handle with the soft pointed attachment from our Osteopressure Tool Set. If you don’t have either, don’t worry. You can use a rolling pin and a carved cork. To maximize the benefits of our routine, stretch, massage, and press intensely and intelligently. Challenge yourself to exercise at a high intensity that may produce an uncomfortable sensation. (This is a sign that the exercise is working.) However, do not exercise to the point that your breaths become short and shallow, or you find that you’re holding your breath or clenching your teeth.
No tools? No problem.
Buy your Mini Foam Roller and Osteopressure Tool Set in our online shop. While you’re there, check out our full range of pain-relieving tools and products.
Take me to the shop.morton’s neuroma Exercises
Exercise 1: Calf Stretch
- Place your hands against a wall, so they are shoulder’s distance apart.
- Step forward with your healthy foot until your toes are touching the wall, and slide your affected foot back as far as you can.
- Bend your front leg slightly. Keep your back leg straight, and your heel on the floor.
- Rotate your affected foot until you stretch the exact area that hurts.
- Bend your back leg slightly. You’ll feel a stretch in your calf muscles, Achilles tendon, and the sole of your foot.
- Bend more to intensify the stretch.
- Hold for 2 to 2.5 minutes.
- Slowly release and repeat on the other leg if necessary.
Exercise 2: Plantar Fascia Stretch
- Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you.
- Slide your affected foot back until your leg is bent at a 90° angle and lift your foot so that the sole is parallel.
- Grab your toes and pull them back until you feel a stretch along the sole of your foot.
- Pull your toes further back to intensify the stretch.
- Hold the stretch for 2 to 2.5 minutes.
- Slowly release and repeat on the other foot if necessary.
Exercise 3: Fascia Roll Massage
For this exercise, you’ll need our Mini Foam Roller.
- Start from a neutral standing position and place your Mini Foam Roller in front of you.
- Grip the Mini Foam Roller with the toes of your affected foot.
- Apply as much pressure as you can to the foot and slowly roll in the direction of your heel. When your toes touch the floor, continue rolling by crawling the floor with your toes.
- Roll slowly for about 1 to 1.5 minutes until you reach the edge of your heel, then repeat.
- Repeat on the other foot if necessary.
Exercise 4: Osteopressure
For this exercise, you’ll need the conical handle with the soft pointed attachment from our Osteopressure Tool Set.
- Start sitting in a chair.
- Place your affected foot on top of the conical handle so that the tip is pressing directly into the area that hurts.
- Press for about 1 minute, or until you feel the tension release.
- Search for other tender areas by gently poking around your foot. When you find one, press the area until the tension releases.
- Repeat on the other foot if necessary.
Lose Your Marbles for Good.
We recommend exercising 6 days a week and leaving one day for rest. You can adjust the frequency of your exercising as the marble feeling in your step or burning sensation in your foot goes away.
Our Tip to Keep You on Your Toes.
Changing your shoes can help ease your foot pain. Wear wide-fitting shoes that leave enough room for your forefoot and don’t squeeze your toes.
Sources & Studies
- ↑1 Bhatia, M., & Thomson, L. (2020). Morton's neuroma - Current concepts review. Journal of clinical orthopaedics and trauma, 11(3), 406–409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcot.2020.03.024.
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