If sometimes you feel yourself “as walking on a ball" and if there is a continuous pain at your metatarsus, it may be a matter of a situation called Morton’s neuroma. Neuroma is a benign tumour of the nerve. Morton’s neuroma is not a real tumour. But there is a thickening in the tissue which enrols the digital nerve which extends to the toes. Neuroma emanates while the nerve being about to connect to the bones of the toes (metatarsus) passes under the ligament.  Morton’s neuroma is a response most frequently to trauma or high pressure irritation seen frequently between the third and fourth toes. The incidence rate of Morton’s neuroma in women when compared to men is eight to ten times more probable.
Signs and symptoms: normally there are not external signs such as tumour, because this is not a real tumour.

It is a burning pain at the foot sole which spreads as a ray between the toes. The pain generally intensifies with activity or when wearing shoes. The night pain is rare.
There may be toe laziness or a disagreeable sensation.  

The runners may feel a pain when they start running by pushing the starting block. Shoes also with high heels which put the foot in similar positions by pushing it may worsen the situation. At the same time, compact and narrow shoes also aggravate this situation by making a pressure on the bones and compressing the nerve.   

Diagnosis and Treatment: during the consultation the doctor may hear the sound of a bulk felt with the hand between the bones or a rattling sound. In order to search the callus or imitate the pressure fractures which may cause the pain, the doctor makes a pressure between the bones of the toe. The tests of movement aligning will exclude the arthritis or articulation inflammations. The radiographies are needed to exclude the stress fractures or toes arthritis. The starting treatment is not surgical and is proportionally simpler when compared to the surgical treatment. These treatments involve one or more of those listed below.

• Change your shoe wearing. Avoid narrow shoes and those with high heel and wear more large shoes with lower heel and soft sole. These possibilities provide time to the nerve to reduce the pressure on the nerve and the spreading of the bones towards outside.
  
• Orthoses:  the traditional interior supports and pads of the shoe lighten the irritation by lifting the bones and by separating them from each other and may help to reduce the pressure on the nerve.  
• Injection: The injection of one or more corticosteroids may reduce the tumour and inflammation of the nerve by providing some relief.
  
  Many researches have proved that the combination of wearing larger and very comfortable shoes, the use of accustomed orthoses and cortisone injection provides relief to 80% of the patients suffering from Morton’s neuroma. If a conservative treatment does not reduce your symptoms, your orthopaedist may discuss the operation with you. The operation is to cut one part of the nerve or to free the tissues which are around the nerve and generally it includes a short period of convalescence.