Royal House Doña Letizia, diagnosed with a Morton's neuroma in her left foot
In addition to the chronic metatarsalgia that she has suffered for years, Queen Letizia was diagnosed last June with a Morton's neuroma, a problem that affects women much more than men, among other causes, due to the use of high-heeled shoes and more narrow.
What is Morton's neuroma?
Morton's neuroma (also called interdigital neuroma or plantar neuroma) is a
painful condition that affects the metatarsal bone
, most often the area between the third and fourth toes.
Sometimes it can occur between the second and third (less than 20% of cases) and very rarely in other positions.
The Mayo Clinic describes it in simple words: "It can feel like you're leaning on a pebble in your shoe or a sock crease."
This is a
thickening of the tissue around one of the nerves in the toes
that can cause a sharp burning pain, even numbness in the affected toes.
Causes and symptoms
It seems to occur in response to irritation, pressure, or injury to one of the nerves that go to the toes.
This irritation or pressure can be caused by mechanical overload, that is, for example
by the way of stepping
.
También ciertas deformidades del pie pueden favorecer el desarrollo del neuroma de Morton, como los
juanetes, el dedo martillo, un pie cavo o plano
...
Actividades deportivas de alto impacto como correr
pueden llevar a tener lesiones repetitivas en los pies, o los deportes where tight-fitting shoes that press on the toes are worn.
Tight heels and shoes
put extra pressure on the toes and bottom of the foot.
Diagnosis is not easy and an X-ray is not helpful.
Squeezing the neuroma from above and below
It can be confused with other pathologies
or that several come together in the same area (in the case of Doña Letizia, chronic metatarsalgia).
The patient has no visible signs, such as a lump for example.
Note
pain that is accentuated if you stand for a long time
or as a kind of electric shock that increases in the afternoon.
They may also feel like they have a stone in their shoe and
tingling or numbness in the fingers
.
Which is the treatment?
As in other musculoskeletal problems, it is advisable to start with conservative methods.
To begin with, wearing
wider shoes with less heels
(what mothers used to say 'look to see if she squeezes your toes').
You can relieve pain with pain
relievers and anti-inflammatories
prescribed by your doctor, and wear a
custom insole
designed by your podiatrist.
Physiotherapy
can help and in some cases, injections
.
If all this does not work, as a last resort,
surgery
is used , with which good results are obtained, but it is always better to resort to less invasive techniques first.
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