Serving Southwest Michigan since 1978

Morton’s Neuroma Treatment in Kalamazoo, MI

That feeling like there is a pebble in your shoe, or burning between your toes that you cannot shake? Conservative care first, and surgery only when the nerve pain will not quit, right here in Kalamazoo.

Same-week appointmentsMost insurance acceptedConservative care first
The five board-certified foot and ankle surgeons of Kalamazoo Foot Surgery in Kalamazoo, MI
5
Board-Certified Foot & Ankle Surgeons
1978
Serving Kalamazoo Since
3
Hospital Affiliations
8
Non-Surgical Options We Try First

It Feels Like Walking on a Pebble

If it feels like there is a small stone or a bunched-up sock under the ball of your foot that you cannot shake out, you are describing one of the most common symptoms of a Morton’s neuroma. Many people check their shoe, find nothing there, and realize the feeling is coming from inside the foot.

For others it is less of a lump and more of a burn. A hot, electric pain between the toes, usually the third and fourth, that flares when you walk and eases the moment you slip your shoe off and rub your foot. The toes may go numb or tingle. The pain often comes and goes at first, quiet for days, then back again, which is part of why people put off doing anything about it.

By the time most people look for help, they have already figured out which shoes set it off and started avoiding them. If that sounds familiar, you are in the right place.

Common signs of a Morton’s neuroma:

  • A feeling like you are walking on a pebble, a marble, or a fold in your sock
  • Burning pain in the ball of the foot, often between the third and fourth toes
  • Sharp or electric pain that shoots into the toes
  • Numbness or tingling in the toes
  • Pain that gets worse in tight or narrow shoes and eases when you take them off
  • The urge to stop, take your shoe off, and rub the ball of your foot
  • Pain that comes and goes but keeps returning
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Illustration of the ball of the foot, showing the irritated nerve that runs between the third and fourth toes.

What Is a Morton’s Neuroma?

A Morton’s neuroma is a thickened, irritated nerve in the ball of your foot, most often the nerve that runs between the third and fourth toes (your doctor may call it an interdigital nerve). It is not a tumor or a growth, even though the name sounds like one. It is a normal nerve that has become swollen and sensitive from being squeezed and rubbed over time, a kind of slow nerve injury from repeated pressure.

The nerve sits in a tight space between the long bones of the foot. When it gets pinched there, again and again, the body wraps it in extra tissue to protect it. That thickening is the neuroma, and the thicker it gets, the more easily it gets pressed, which is why the pain tends to build over months rather than appear overnight.

Tight or narrow shoes, high heels, high-impact activity like running, and the natural shape of some feet, such as flat feet or high arches, all crowd that space and add to the pressure. The same crowding can go along with other forefoot problems like bunions and hammertoes. That is also why the pain eases the instant you take a tight shoe off: you are giving the nerve room again.

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A labeled forefoot illustration showing the thickened nerve where it passes between the long bones behind the third and fourth toes.

Conditions That Get Confused With Morton’s Neuroma

Ball-of-foot pain has more than one cause, and a few of them get mistaken for a neuroma. Telling them apart matters, because the treatments are different.

Plantar Plate Tear

A small ligament under the toe joint can stretch or tear, usually under the second toe rather than between the third and fourth. It causes pain right under the toe joint and can make the toe start to drift. It is the look-alike most often mislabeled as a neuroma.

Capsulitis

Inflammation of the joint capsule at the base of a toe. It causes a similar ache in the ball of the foot, but without the nerve burning and numbness that come with a neuroma.

Metatarsal Stress Fracture

A small crack in one of the long foot bones. The pain is more pinpoint and worse the longer you are on your feet. Learn about fracture care.

A physical examination, X-rays to rule out a stress fracture, and sometimes an ultrasound or MRI sort these out, so the treatment matches the real problem rather than chasing the wrong one. A heel problem like plantar fasciitis sits in a different part of the foot, so burning between the toes usually points away from it.

You’ve Probably Already Tried…

Most people who come in for a neuroma have already worked through some version of this list:

  • Switching to wider shoes with a wide toe box
  • Over-the-counter insoles, pads, or metatarsal pads
  • Pulling out the high heels and narrow shoes for good
  • Anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen, and ice packs after a long day
  • Custom orthotics
  • One or two cortisone shots that helped for a while, then wore off

These help, and for plenty of people they are enough. Taking pressure off the nerve is exactly the right first move. But when the shoe changes and the pads stop holding the pain back, or when a cortisone shot that worked great in the spring is not touching it by fall, that is the nerve telling you it needs more than offloading. That is the point where it is worth looking at the next step.

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Wider shoes, metatarsal pads, and insoles: the kind of things most patients have already tried.

When to See a Foot and Ankle Specialist

A neuroma that flares once in a great while in your dressiest shoes is not the same as one that has taken over your daily walks. Here is when it is worth having a podiatrist or foot specialist take a look:

  • The pain has lasted more than a few months despite wider shoes and pads
  • Cortisone shots have stopped working or never lasted long
  • The burning, numbness, or pebble feeling is there during everyday activity, not just in tight shoes
  • You are changing how or how far you walk to avoid the pain
  • The numbness in your toes is spreading or becoming constant

An evaluation is not a commitment to surgery

Getting it evaluated does not mean you are signing up for surgery. Most neuromas are managed without it. An evaluation simply tells you which step on the ladder you are actually on, so you are not stuck repeating the treatments that have already stopped working.

Ready to get to the bottom of your foot pain?

Most new patients are seen within the same week. Schedule your neuroma evaluation with one of our five board-certified foot and ankle surgeons.

Treatment Options for Morton’s Neuroma

Neuroma care is a ladder. We start with conservative treatment, the simplest steps that take pressure off the nerve, and only climb toward surgery when the pain keeps coming back. Surgery is the last rung, not the first.

Most neuromas are managed without surgery, especially when treated before the nerve is badly thickened:

  • Wider shoes with a wide toe box and a low heel
  • Metatarsal pads or insoles that spread the bones and lift pressure off the nerve
  • Custom orthotics built to offload the ball of your foot
  • Anti-inflammatory medication, the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen
  • Cortisone injections, also called corticosteroid injections, to calm the irritation
  • Alcohol sclerosing injections, a series of shots that shrink the nerve over time
  • Physical therapy to loosen tight calf muscles and improve how you load the forefoot
  • Other in-office options that quiet the nerve without removing it, such as radiofrequency ablation or treatments that use cold

The goal of non-surgical care is to take pressure off the nerve and settle it down. Many people get lasting relief here and never need anything more. When the nerve has been irritated long enough that it no longer settles, surgery becomes the conversation.

When the pain keeps returning despite a fair run of conservative care, two surgical paths can give lasting relief.

Nerve decompression. The surgeon releases the tight ligament that is squeezing the nerve, giving it room without removing it. Because the nerve stays in place, you keep normal feeling in the toes, and there is a lower chance of the tender regrowth that can follow nerve removal. It is a good option for the right neuroma.

Removing the irritated nerve (a neurectomy). The thickened section of nerve is removed. This reliably ends the pain, and it is the longest-standing surgical fix for a neuroma. The honest trade-off is a patch of permanent numbness between the toes, which most people adjust to easily, and a small chance that the cut nerve end forms a tender spot later.

Both are outpatient procedures. When a smaller, minimally invasive approach fits your neuroma, your surgeon will talk it through with you, along with which procedure fits based on the exam, your imaging, and how the nerve has behaved so far.

What to Expect After Neuroma Surgery

Morton’s neuroma surgery is done as an outpatient procedure, usually under a regional block that numbs the foot, often with light sedation. You go home the same day. Recovery depends on which procedure you had.

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A stiff-soled surgical shoe protects the foot for the first couple of weeks after neuroma surgery.
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After a Nerve Decompression

Because nothing is removed, recovery tends to be quicker. Expect to walk in a stiff-soled surgical shoe for the first couple of weeks while the incision heals, then ease back into supportive shoes. Most people are back in normal shoes within a few weeks and back to fuller activity by around 6 weeks, with the feeling in the toes preserved.

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After Removing the Nerve

Recovery follows a similar path. A stiff-soled shoe for the first couple of weeks, then a gradual return to normal shoes over the following weeks, and back to fuller activity by around 6 to 8 weeks. The numbness between the toes is permanent, but the burning, shooting pain that brought you in is gone, which is the trade most patients are glad to make.

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Across Both

Keep activity light while the incision heals, then build back up as the foot allows. Your surgeon will give you a timeline built around your procedure and your activity rather than a generic estimate.

Why Patients Across Southwest Michigan Choose Kalamazoo Foot Surgery

Most podiatry offices in the Kalamazoo area have one surgeon. Kalamazoo Foot Surgery has five. Every one is a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (FACFAS), podiatry’s highest credential in foot and ankle surgery. With a neuroma, that experience shows in two places: knowing when a nerve can be saved with a decompression rather than removed, and ruling out the look-alikes that get mistaken for a neuroma.

Serving Kalamazoo since 1978, with surgical privileges at Bronson, Ascension Borgess, and Woodbridge Hills. Patients come in from across Southwest Michigan, including Portage, Battle Creek, Mattawan, Texas Township, Plainwell, Richland, Galesburg, and Paw Paw, to finally get to the bottom of ball-of-foot pain close to home.

Dr. Rick Tiller, DPM, FACFAS, foot and ankle surgeon at Kalamazoo Foot Surgery

Dr. Rick Tiller
DPM, FACFAS
Foot & ankle surgery since 1991

Dr. Andrew Robitaille, DPM, FACFAS, foot and ankle surgeon at Kalamazoo Foot Surgery

Dr. Andrew Robitaille
DPM, FACFAS
Forefoot & reconstructive rearfoot surgery

Dr. Douglas Brewer, DPM, FACFAS, foot and ankle surgeon at Kalamazoo Foot Surgery

Dr. Douglas Brewer
DPM, FACFAS
26+ years of experience

Dr. Elizabeth Horton, DPM, FACFAS, foot and ankle surgeon at Kalamazoo Foot Surgery

Dr. Elizabeth Horton
DPM, FACFAS
Reconstructive surgery, trauma & sports

Dr. Jessica Patterson, DPM, FACFAS, foot and ankle surgeon at Kalamazoo Foot Surgery

Dr. Jessica Patterson
DPM, FACFAS
Wound care

What Our Patients Say

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Patient testimonial coming soon. A back-to-walking-pain-free story will go here once patient stories are collected.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Will a Morton’s neuroma go away on its own?
Usually not. Once the nerve has thickened, it rarely returns to normal by itself, though the symptoms can quiet down for stretches. The good news is that taking pressure off the nerve early, with wider shoes, pads, and orthotics, often controls the pain well without anything more invasive. The sooner it is addressed, the easier it tends to be to manage.
How many cortisone shots can I have before surgery?
There is no single number, but most surgeons limit cortisone injections because repeated shots in the same spot can thin nearby tissue and lose their effect over time. If a shot helped at first and then stopped working, that is useful information: it usually means the nerve needs a different approach rather than another injection. We will talk through where you are before repeating one.
Will I lose feeling in my toes after neuroma surgery?
It depends on the procedure. With a decompression, the nerve is left in place, so feeling is usually preserved. With a neurectomy, the irritated section of nerve is removed, which leaves a patch of permanent numbness between the toes. Most people adjust to that numbness easily and find it a fair trade for ending the burning pain.
What is the recovery time for Morton’s neuroma surgery?
Most people are walking in a stiff-soled shoe right away, back in normal shoes within a few weeks, and back to fuller activity by around 6 to 8 weeks. A decompression often recovers a little faster than removing the nerve. Your exact timeline depends on the procedure and how your foot heals.
Can a Morton’s neuroma come back after surgery?
After removing the nerve, the original neuroma cannot return, but in a small number of cases the cut nerve end forms a tender spot called a stump neuroma. After a decompression, the nerve stays in place, so there is a small chance of ongoing irritation. Both are uncommon, and your surgeon will choose the approach that gives you the best odds of lasting relief.
What is the difference between decompression and removing the nerve?
A decompression releases the tight ligament squeezing the nerve and leaves the nerve in place, so you keep feeling in the toes. Removing the nerve, a neurectomy, takes out the thickened section and trades a patch of permanent numbness for reliable pain relief. Which one fits depends on your neuroma, and your surgeon will explain the reasoning for your foot.
Why does the pain get worse in certain shoes?
Tight, narrow, or high-heeled shoes squeeze the long bones of the foot together and press on the nerve that runs between them. High heels add to it by shifting your weight forward onto the ball of the foot. That is also why the pain eases the moment you take the shoe off and give the nerve room again.
Will I need special shoes after surgery?
For the first couple of weeks you will wear a stiff-soled surgical shoe to protect the incision. After that, most people return to normal supportive shoes. Wider, roomier shoes are a good long-term habit either way, since crowding the foot is what irritated the nerve in the first place.
Is the surgery done under general anesthesia?
Most neuroma surgery is done under a regional block that numbs the foot, often with light sedation rather than full general anesthesia. It is an outpatient procedure, so you go home the same day. Your anesthesia team reviews your health and chooses the safest option with you before surgery.
Can both feet have a Morton’s neuroma at the same time?
Yes. Neuromas can occur in both feet, and some people have more than one in the same foot. When both feet need treatment, conservative care can be done on both at once, while surgery is usually done one foot at a time so you can stay comfortable on the other.
Do alcohol injections actually work?
For some people, yes. Alcohol sclerosing injections are a series of shots that gradually shrink the nerve, and they help a portion of patients avoid surgery. They do not work for everyone, and they are usually tried after simpler measures and before surgery. We will be straight with you about whether you are a good candidate.
Does insurance cover neuroma treatment?
Most insurance plans cover neuroma treatment, including injections and surgery, when conservative care has not solved the problem and the pain is documented. Coverage details vary by plan. Our team verifies your coverage before anything is scheduled.
How quickly can I be seen?
Most new patients can be scheduled within the same week. If the pain is severe or the numbness is spreading, call the office and we will do our best to fit you in sooner.

Schedule Your Neuroma Evaluation

How you move forward depends on where you are.

Ready to schedule

Request an appointment online or call. A neuroma evaluation includes an exam, a check for the look-alike conditions, imaging if it is needed, and a clear plan that starts with the least invasive option that fits.

Have questions first

Call the office and our team will answer them, or schedule a short evaluation visit before committing to a full consultation.

Not sure it is a neuroma

Schedule an evaluation. We will figure out whether it is a neuroma, a plantar plate problem, or something else, and match the treatment to the real cause, without pushing you toward surgery.