Morton’s Neuroma – Intermetatarsal Neuropathy
Why do people get nerve-calluses?
The bones of the foot are divided into 2 columns, the inner/medial and outer/lateral. The inner column of bones is allowed to have a slight amount of motion. The outer column of bones should have little to no motion. That slight amount of motion between the inner and outer columns allows the foot to handle an uneven ground surface. Ankle bone instability, the partial dislocation of the ankle bone in the heel bones leads to excessive inner column motion. So, what does all of this have to do with forming a nerve callus? Everything. Where do we see the most common location of the nerve callus? Between the 3rd and 4th metatarsal bone. This is between the inner and outer columns of foot bones.
Ankle bone instability pushes the inner column of foot bones away from the outer column of bones. The excessive motion, even a slight amount, is going to put a strain on the ligaments between the heads/necks of the 3rd and 4th metatarsal bone. That strain is the micro-trauma that is inflicted on the nerve. That strain happens with every step taken and constantly when standing. That’s thousands of times per day.
When do people start developing pain from the nerve callus? It is usually when they are over 40 years old. At that point in life, they have taken over 72 million steps. That’s 72 million times the nerve had micro-trauma. Imagine tapping your finger on the table 72 million times. Eventually, you will develop a callus and then an ulcer due to the repeated trauma.
Why is intermetatarsal neuropathy a bad thing?
What is the best form of treatment?
The best way to treat a nerve that is being compressed and strangulated is to cut the noose that causing the damage. It is better to cut that tissue than to cut out the nerve. The only issue with cutting the noose is that it can grow back, and the ankle bone instability is still present. So, it would make sense to have a combination of procedures. First, stabilize the ankle bone with HyProCure to prevent the excessive metatarsal motion, then cut the noose.