Neuroma pain is classically described as a burning pain in the forefoot. It can also be felt as an aching or shooting pain in this area. You might feel like you want to take off your shoes and rub your foot. It may occur in the middle of a run or at the end of a long run. If your shoes are quite tight, it may occur very early in the run.

Causes of Neuroma Pain

The source of this pain is an enlargement of the sheath of an intermetatarsal nerve in the foot. This usually occurs in the space between the third and fourth toes and metatarsals, which is where the intermetatarsal nerve is thickest.

Pronation of the foot can cause the metatarsal heads to rotate slightly and pinch the nerve that runs between the metatarsal heads. This chronic pinching can make the nerve sheath enlarge. As it enlarges, it becomes more squeezed and increasingly troublesome.

Treating Neuroma

Treatment of this condition is mostly practical, having a lot to do with your shoes. It includes wearing shoes with a wide toe box, not lacing the forefoot part of your shoe too tightly, and making sure your feet are in supportive shoes but not being squeezed. If this doesn't relieve the pain, work with a doctor to decide on these treatments: orthotics, an injection of steroids, or surgical removal of the neuroma, preferably in that order.