If you feel like you always have a pebble in your shoe, you might have a neuroma, which is a benign nerve tumor that surrounds the nerve leading to your toes.
Neuromas most often develop between your third and fourth toes, leading to a burning sensation in the ball of your foot, achiness, and pain.
Left untreated, neuromas can affect your mobility and make it painful to walk. If you suspect that your foot pain is related to a neuroma, our podiatrists at Advanced Foot, Ankle, & Wound Specialists may recommend arch supports, orthotics, and physical therapy.
If noninvasive treatments aren’t enough, we also offer corticosteroid injections and even decompression surgery. In this blog, we take a deep dive into corticosteroids and how they can help you relieve neuroma pain.
Sometimes called steroid injections or cortisone shots, corticosteroids injections are anti-inflammatory medications that treat many different conditions, including neuroma pain, arthritis, sciatica, and joint pain.
A corticosteroid injection contains cortisone, a type of steroid that alleviates swelling and inflammation. Steroids help slow the production of inflammation-causing chemicals. Because inflammation is a key factor in neuroma pain, these injections can be particularly effective.
Before you receive a steroid injection, you may need to stop taking certain medications, especially if they have a blood-thinning effect. During your consultation, we discuss any medications that you may need to pause temporarily.
Before we administer the injection, we clean the area to reduce the risk of injection. Then we inject the medication into the third web space δΈ€ the space between your third and fourth toes.
In addition to steroids, these injections also contain local anesthetics to provide pain relief. Together, the steroid and the local anesthetic provide relief from neuroma pain and reduce the inflammation that causes the pain.
Afterward, you may use cold compresses to ease any discomfort, but don’t use heating pads or hot therapy on your injection site. If you have diabetes, you may experience elevated blood sugar levels for a few hours after the injection. Let us know of any concerns you have about side effects before your shot.
Steroid injections complement other therapies included in your neuroma treatment plans. This includes wearing shoes with a wide box, avoiding high heels, participating in physical therapy, and wearing orthotics (if needed).
Avoid any shoes that have:
Wearing well-fitting shoes with proper arch support and adequate space in the toe box doesn’t just help with neuroma pain. It can help you avoid other foot problems too. This includes bunions, blisters, hammertoe, and plantar fasciitis.
If steroid injections don’t provide the level of pain relief you need, you’re not out of options. Our team of board-certified podiatrists may suggest surgical interventions, including decompression surgery.
If neuroma pain is keeping you off your feet, don’t hesitate to request an appointment today at any of our locations in Tamarac, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, Boca Raton, and Hollywood, Florida.
Whether you need corticosteroid injections or decompression surgery, we help you get back on your feet.
