Why Does it Feel Like I'm Walking on a Rock?

Do you have pain between your toes? Does it feel like you are walking on a rock? It is possible that you could have a swollen nerve between your toes that is causing pain to extend between your toes and can be extremely painful. A neuroma can result from irritation, trauma or pressure. A common cause is a flat foot or a high arch. Each of these can cause particular toe spaces to decrease resulting in less space and more pressure on the nerve.

A neuroma can present with several different types of symptoms.  These can be symptoms such as numbness, tingling, shooting pains and pressure. The neuroma can start out as just a mild issue and can progress to be much more painful. There are also people that can have symptom free neuromas. In order to determine that the pain is actually coming from a neuroma, there are multiple assessments and tests that a podiatrist can perform. So, if you think that this may be an issue that you are dealing with, it is important to make an appointment to see your podiatrist.

So, what can be done for a neuroma? There are several conservative things you can try, including wider shoes, padding and decreasing pressure to the area. All of these things are typically only a temporary help. Another option is an injection that will help relieve the pain and the inflammation in the area. There have been really good results seen with this treatment plan. In some people though, you may need to have a surgery to remove the swollen nerve.

So, if you or someone you know is having pain between their toes, you should seek help from your podiatrist. If you live in the Wilmington or North Billerica, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your pain. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.