Ouch!

As I briskly walked through the airport, happy to be back in the good ole USA after a month-long vacation in Mexico, I suddenly felt the MOST intense burning, stabbing pain in the toes of my right foot.

It stopped me in my tracks.

My foot was on fire! I stopped for a moment, sat down, pulled off my shoe and sock to see what was happening…

I couldn’t see a thing wrong. Nothing in my sock, nothing in my shoe, nothing on my toes or foot!

I rubbed and massaged my foot for a minute, squeezing each toe to try and identify where the pain was coming from. That didn’t help – and squeezing on my toes didn’t seem to make any difference! It didn’t induce the pain. No twinges…just that steady burn.

I pulled on my sock and laced up my shoes – mind you – they were expensive name brand walking/running shoes, with a Spenco orthotic, and slowly limped my way through the airport to get through customs, baggage and onto the bus.

Why me?

At the time, I was 63 years old and an avid tennis player, pickleball player and I loved to walk. I KNEW how important good footwear was. I had worn the Spencos for years on the advice of my favorite podiatrist in Denver, Colorado, Dr Rosa Montemayor, who had helped me recover from plantar fasciitis and arch pain in the past.

Yes, I was “slightly” overweight…well, maybe more than slightly. To be honest, I was right on the cusp between overweight and obese. I was 5’6″ and weighed in at 182 pounds. However, I was healthy and strong and still able to enjoy my sports at a decent level.

(Of course, my goal for many years…er…decades, had been to get back to a “normal” weight, which I considered 135-145, according to the charts. And, in fact, I am finally getting there…but that’s another story.

I wore a Fitbit, and during my time on vacation, had clocked in 6,000 to 11,000 steps a day, either playing tennis or walking on the beach or golf course at our favorite vacation spot.

In hindsight, I came to realize that many of those steps were NOT in my good Brooks shoes but in flip flops. Sure, they were great flip flops (Merrell), with a modicum of arch support, but not meant for my brisk walk combined with excess weight.

Searching for help

As soon as I got unpacked, I searched for a podiatrist. I no longer lived in Denver, so I needed a local Doctor. I got in and was given a thorough examination, including my shoes, socks and orthotics and was given a diagnosis of Morton’s Neuroma. He said that we could try some conservative treatment; rest, ice, etc. for a few weeks and then check back.

In the interim, I googled the disease and learned that a neuroma is a bundle of nerves between the toes, under the pads of the forefoot bones that gets inflamed, swells and sends painful needles and burning into the ends of the toes. The early warning sign of a neuroma is intense itching. I remembered that itching several weeks to a month before the pain hit me.

What’s strange is that you cannot see or feel the neuroma as it is buried inside the foot structure.

When I returned a few weeks later, there was little improvement. I was advised to get a cortisone shot to see if that would help, and if it didn’t, the next step was surgery to remove the neuroma.

Are shots and surgery the answer?

Now, I had gotten cortisone shots in the past, in my shoulder, from a previous tennis injury. Any relief was mild or ineffective, so I didn’t have a lot of confidence in that method. So…surgery? I didn’t want to go through that. But conventional medicine will tell you that it is the only solution, and the condition does not go away on its own.

I started reading more about treatment and talking to others about it. Two of my friends had had the surgery in the past with mixed results. Some improvement…enough to be able to walk, but also, some persistent numbness and occasional pain.

But I wanted to be able to continue my sports activities at 100% and not be compromised by potential numbness and recurring pain.

Self-healing

So, I searched Dr Google for information. I tried different orthotics, different shoes, minimal walking, ice, reflexology…but no surgery.

I read medical journals, studies and podiatry websites. These sources all confirmed that surgery was the best treatment.

But here’s something you need to know about me; I’m very persistent and I have had the benefit of going to school to learn to be a certified massage therapist. At that school, we were required to learn Anatomy and Physiology. It was so helpful, and I recommend everyone learn these subjects. It is amazing to me that so few people have knowledge about their own bodies! Anatomy and physiology are like a maintenance manual for your body. Everyone should have one!!

That was over five years ago. Today, I can tell you that I was able to heal my Morton’s Neuroma, with various protocols that I designed myself, and that I am back to my sports and activities with no pain!

If you are suffering from Morton’s Neuroma, I know that burning, stabbing itching pain and I want to share how I healed mine. My hope is for you to heal your own Morton’s Neuroma and enjoy your life as you were intended to. I can’t guarantee that you will have the same results as me. What I do know is that our bodies were designed to heal these injuries with the care and support necessary for optimum health.

So, if you would like to learn more about my method and protocols, click here.