Morton’s neuroma is a painful foot condition that affects one of the nerves between the toes.

In Morton’s neuroma, a nerve in the foot becomes irritated and thickened, which can cause severe pain.

The condition can occur in one foot or both feet. It usually affects the nerve between the third and fourth toes, but sometimes the second and third toes are affected.

Morton’s neuroma can occur at any age, but most often affects middle-aged women or men. This may be because women tend to wear tight or high-heeled shoes that can put pressure on the feet.

It’s also increasingly seen in runners, possibly because of the increased pressure on the toes that occurs when running.

Symptoms of Morton’s neuroma

You may initially experience a tingling sensation in the space between your toes, which gets worse over time. This eventually develops into a sharp shooting or burning pain in the ball of your foot or at the base of your toes. There may also be some numbness in your toes.

The pain is often worse when walking or wearing shoes that squash the feet. Some people describe walking with Morton’s neuroma as feeling like there’s a small stone stuck under your foot. Removing your shoes and rubbing your foot may reduce the pain.

When to seek medical advice

It’s a good idea to make an appointment to see a podiatrist (specialist in foot problems) if you have persistent symptoms of Morton’s neuroma, as the condition is unlikely to improve on its own. You could also visit your GP, who may refer you to a podiatrist.

Your GP or podiatrist may examine your foot and ask you some questions to find out:

• about the pain and what it feels like
• when your symptoms started
• what type of shoes you usually wear
• about your work, lifestyle and sporting activities

They can also suggest simple measures you can try at home to reduce your symptoms, or recommend other treatments.

What causes Morton’s neuroma?

Morton’s neuroma occurs when one of the nerves between the toe bones becomes irritated, which causes it to become thicker. The exact cause of the irritation is unknown, but it may be caused by the nerve being squashed (compressed), stretched or damaged.

The condition has been linked to:

• wearing tight, pointy or high-heeled shoes
• being active and playing sport – particularly running or sports that involve running and placing pressure on the feet, such as racquet sports
• other foot problems, such as flat feet high arches, bunions and hammer toes

It’s not clear if these directly cause the condition or just make the symptoms worse.

Treating Morton’s neuroma

Treatment for Morton’s neuroma will depend on how long you’ve had the condition and its severity. Simple non-surgical treatments are effective for some people. Others may need surgery.

Non-surgical treatments

At first, your podiatrist or GP may recommend:

• changing your footwear – shoes with a wider toe area may help ease the pressure on the nerve in your foot
• orthotic devices – a soft pad for the ball of your foot may help relieve the pressure on the nerve
• painkillers – taking over-the-counter anti -inflammatories, such as ibuprofen may help ease the pain and inflammation
• losing weight – if you’re overweight, losing weight may reduce the strain on your feet
• injections – injections of a steroid or alcohol solution may offer some pain relief

Resting your foot and massaging your toes may also help relieve the pain. Some people also find it useful to hold an ice pack against their foot.

A relatively new procedure called cryosurgery (or cryotherapy), where a small probe is inserted into the foot and used to destroy the thickened nerve tissue by freezing it, is also sometimes used to treat Morton’s neuroma. However, this is still fairly experimental and isn’t widely available in the UK. You’ll usually have to pay for it privately.

Surgery

Surgery for Morton’s neuroma is usually only recommended if you have very severe pain or if the treatments above haven’t worked. In this case, your GP can refer you to a podiatric or orthopaedic surgeon to discuss whether surgery is suitable for you.

During the operation, a small incision is made on the top or bottom of your foot so the surgeon can access the affected nerve. They will then either:

• increase the space around the nerve by removing some of the surrounding tissue, or
• remove part of the nerve – if this is done, the area between your toes will be permanently numb

Most people who have surgery to treat Morton’s neuroma have positive results and their pain is relieved afterwards.

As with all types of surgery, however, complications can occur, such as swelling, infection and pain. You should discuss the risks with your surgeon before having the procedure.

Free 10min tasters and a chance to meet your therapist on the 3rd August from 4-8pm at Rothery Health.Sessions to include-

-reflexology,acupuncture consultations,bamboo massage,osteopathy,pregnancy massage,paediatric  consultations

No need to book just turn up on the night !Bucks Fizz provided and free nibbles

www.rotheryhealth.com

The open day at Rothery Health on Saturday 16th July for Pregnancy massage and fertility acupuncture proved to be a huge hit.Lots of women at various stages of pregnancy turned up to receive a complimentary taster massage by the highly qualified Tracy Povey and to chat with our fertility acupuncture expert Rachel Edney. There was also paediatric osteopath John Rothery on hand to help diagnose any musculoskeletal injuries the expectant mums may be experiencing.

Check out our web site for future offers

www.rotheryhealth.com

On Sat 16th July between 1o-2pm we are having a open day allowing you to try

-pregnancy massage

-consult with our fertility acupuncturist

-speak to our paediatric osteopath if you have any concerns about your toddler /baby

all for £10 with a goody bag

to reserve your space call

07815097473 or visit the web www.rotheryhealth.com

Are you worried about your child’s movement ? Development? Uneven shape of head? Neck tension  since Forceps or Ventouse delivery? Is your baby/toddler unsettled? Or you think they have a problem?

Then come to Rothery Health on Sat 16th July between 10-2pm for a free consultation by one of our paediatric osteopaths who will assess your child for free.

check out our web for further info

www.rotheryhealth.com

1. Carb-load like a pro

Begin your carbohydrate load at lunchtime, two days prior to the race. Start by incorporating grains that you wouldn’t typically consume (i.e. white bread), being careful not to finish meals feeling uncomfortably full. Your main carbohydrate load, however, will take place at breakfast the day before the event. Finish eating by 9 a.m. at the latest, after which you’ll begin tapering off food for the remainder of the day.

Thereafter, choose frequent carbohydrate-rich snacks (i.e. pretzels), and finish the day with an early, light dinner. Eat foods very low in fat and fiber (this means few fruits and vegetables, if any). Aim to consume approximately 10 times your body weight (in kilograms) as grams of carbohydrate.

2. Cut the caffeine

Avoid caffeine during race week and early on the day of your race. This fast will help keep your sensitivity to caffeine high so that you can maximize its effect come go-time. Don’t consume caffeine until at least two to three hours into your race (since it may wear off and make you fatigued when you need energy most); it’s your friend later in the day, helping you maintain a high heart rate and drive proper pacing. (And as a general rule of thumb, try to keep caffeine intake below 200 milligrams per day/1,000 milligrams per week.)

3. Fill your bottles

Use at least 0.6 grams of carbohydrate, per hour, per pound of body weight, on the bike—and half of that on the run. The sodium content of these fuels should be at least 8 milligrams per gram of carbohydrate. Fat and protein content should be absolutely minimal, and fiber even less.

4. Race morning breakfast

Consume a meal three and a half hours before the start of your IRONMAN—yes that’s 3:30 a.m. This meal should contain between 110 and 180 grams of carbohydrate, depending upon your size, and contain very little fat or fiber. A good option would be two-and-a-half cups of unsweetened apple sauce, one scoop of whey protein, one bottle of sports drink and a banana.

5. Sodium wars

Most athletes underestimate their race-day sodium needs. I recommend tallying your planned hourly race day sodium intake, and measuring it against the fact that most athletes lose between 800 and 4,000 milligrams of sodium per hour. To get a reasonable estimate of your specific needs, assume a loss of approximately 500 to 800mg of sodium per 16oz of sweat lost. (If you have experienced muscle cramping in the past, err to the higher side of this range.) Using this sodium concentration and your estimated fluid losses, you’ll get a pretty good idea of your actual sodium needs.

6. Salty insurance

Always carry extra sodium with you on race day. Whether you have your fueling plan set in stone or have no idea what you’re doing, it’s foolish to not have this insurance. Your sodium supplement should contain at least 200 milligrams per capsule. (Some brands on the market do not.) If at any point you feel a muscle twinge or stomach bloating, no matter how slight, take one.

7. Easy on the H2O

I encourage my athletes to avoid water during an IRONMAN. We’ve found that water only increases the probability of developing a sloshy stomach, due to a lack of sodium, and tends to put a hole in your steady blood sugar response. We stick to sports drinks, with the appropriate sodium concentration, as discussed above.

8. Put the “P” in pedal

You should aim to pee at least twice during the bike portion of an IRONMAN. Athletes who fail to do this will not typically run to their potential. A good rule of thumb for 70.3 races is to pee at least once during the bike.

9. Pacing panacea

Even your best-laid nutrition plans can backfire if you mispace the race. Start with a steady pace—no harder than you are able finish with. Too much stress too early can shut down the gut and render your fueling plan useless. Bloating and sloshing generally occur for one of two reasons: not enough sodium or too much stress. If gut issues creep up, slow down and back off of your pace, allowing things to clear up. Few athletes have the courage to do this before it’s too late.

10. Listen to your heart (rate)

At the end of the day, IRONMAN fueling and pacing is all about being able to keep your heart rate elevated during the later portions of the run. If you’re a geek about one thing, make it this. Any mistakes made with your fueling and pacing will be illustrated by a lower heart rate toward the end of the run.

Good luck to all athletes and if you want to speak to any of our Osteopaths,Acupuncturists or massage therapists on the lead up to race day or post please find us at:

www.rotheryhealth.com

Rachel Edney (acupuncturist) is the latest addition to Rothery Health Saundersfoot and has been a big hit over the last few weeks offering free 30 min acupuncture consultations.She specialises in fertility acupuncture,migraines,lower back issues and bowel issues .She can be contacted at www.rotheryhealth.com to book a free consultation

Rachel Edney (acupuncturist) is the latest addition to Rothery Health Saundersfoot and has been offering free 30 min consultations which have been a huge hit over the past few weeks.Rachel specialises in fertility acupuncture and relief from migraines,lower back pain and digestive issues.She can be contacted on 07815097473 or www.racheledney.co.uk to book your free consultation

As part of my CPD I will be attending a two day Paediatric Osteopathy course in London in two weeks time allowing me to diagnose, examine and devise management plans for children and toddlers. This is an area of osteopathic clinical work that is becoming increasingly popular and I’m thrilled to be on the course.

The inability to get a good nights sleep hurts-literally.Chronic back pain prevents you from sleeping well and not getting enough sleep makes you more sensitive to pain.So what do I need to do?
-minimize stress by exercising
-eliminate caffeine
-avoid eating heavily before bedtime
-sleep on your side rather than on your front as this worsens your back pain
Did you know a good nights sleep?
-decreases your sensitivity to pain
-lifts your mood
-decreases anxiety
-improves cognitive function
-increases anti-inflammation

On the Sat 16th July at Rothery Health we are hosting an open day for pre and post natal women.The day will start at 10am and finish at 2pm and will include pregnancy massage and fertility acupuncture consultations all for £10 for half an hour and participants will receive a goody bag. To book your place call Rachel 07815097473
Or Tracy 07971393714

Thanks to all the therapists who gave there time up today on the Saturday 18th June 2016.Patients tried acupuncture,bamboo massage,reflexology and of course osteopathy.In 3 weeks time there will be a pregnancy massage demonstration day.

Really looking forward to the open day this Saturday at Rothery Health from 10-2pm. Come and join us for a glass of bucks fizz or a free 10 min treatment of Thai foot massage,reflexology,bamboo massage or talk to one of our Osteopaths or Acupuncturists.

www.rotheryhealth.com