After several weeks of discomfort involving a “burning/poking of a needle sensation” and “walking on marbles” feeling, my mother was diagnosed with Morton’s neuroma – an enlarged nerve between the 3rd and 4th metatarsals that’s become entangled enough to resemble a tumor.
The condition targets athletes mostly, but can also come from wearing high heels – – my mother does/did neither.
The podiatrist fitted her with an orthotic – basically a glorified metatarsal pad – which she was told to wear for a month before she felt relief.
Relief never came.
A shot was next. Again, no relief ever came.
Upon doing research for a more holistic approach to treating this seemingly unresolved condition, I came across an anti-inflammatory enzyme which yielded amazing results for other Morton neuroma sufferers: serrapeptase.
After checking with her pharmacist and primary care doctor, my mother began a dosage of one pill every morning. Having already been a patient of acupuncture, she went two times a week for three weeks then down to one time a week thereafter with the focus being on the neuroma.
In conjunction with these approaches, a weekly reflexology session began. The following maps out the protocol used:
Week 1:
Regular session, avoiding any pressure other than a gentle touch on the neuroma and any warm up techniques involving the metatarsal heads on affected foot. Emphasis on the spinal and sciatic reflexes.
Week 2:
Regular session with emphasis again on spinal and sciatic reflexes. This week applied a moderate pressure by a thumb walk around the neuroma, not directly on it.
Week 3:
Repeat of previous weeks on session. Moderate pressure by thumb walking around the neuroma. Moderate pressure on neuroma, with circular motion with light pressure.
Week 4:
Repeat of preview weeks on session with emphasis more on neuroma since more pressure can be had without much pain from client.
Thumb walked entire neuroma with vertical and lateral thumb walks. Thumb walk around the neuroma, then thumb walk diagonal and horizontal towards the lateral aspect of the foot.
Moderate pressure with a hook and back-up for several repeats, depending on pain tolerance. Finished with gentle circular motion and a thumb slide towards the lateral aspect of the foot.
Week 5 – Forward:
Regular session with more emphasis on the neuroma. Neuroma sequence as follows:
- Thumb walk neuroma with upward and medial and lateral side walks
- Rotation on the neuroma point (the very center of the neuroma) with pressure tolerable to a 3. Pause on point for a count of ten. Rotate on point for a count of ten. Repeat five times
- Butterfly around neuroma (thumb walk with both thumbs walking on point alternatively – – fluttering effect)
- Butterfly on neuroma in a lateral and vertical fashion with as firm pressure as tolerable
- Thumb slides towards heads of metatarsals
- Thumb slides towards lateral aspect of foot
- Thumb walk neuroma
- Medium to firm pressure on neuroma point for count of ten
- Inversion – Eversion
Each week past the fifth week, the pressure used was more firm and became increasingly more tolerable by the client. The neuroma size began to shrink and may have moved to the fourth metatarsal, bordering the fifth (the possible effect of thumb sliding towards the lateral aspect of the foot).
Along with the daily wear of an orthotic shoe, my mother’s holistic approach of the reflexology as sequenced above, the daily dosage serraptese, and acupuncture began around November 20, 2011 and had the following results:
*By December 10, the burning sensation common with Morton’s Neuroma had subsided greatly, along with the feeling of walking on marbles. My mother, who had previously been unable to walk a mere two blocks to the supermarket, was at this point able to walk and do some grocery shopping.
*By January 1, 2012 she was able to take the train into Manhattan and walk around with very little pain at the end of the day in her foot.
*By January 29, I felt the neuroma “moving its’ way out” between the 3rd and 4th metarsals and felt smaller in size.
*On February 23, after a check-up with her podiatrist she was prescribed to “keep doing what you’re doing” – though he equated her healing with the orthotics and suggested she be the poster child for them. Ha!