post operative pain following neuroma removal in right foot

sgard · Guest

I recently had a mortons neuroma and nerve removal in my right foot. The surgery was almost 4 weeks ago. I did everything I was told to do post op. I am able to hobble around on my foot, but it now feels like there is a large golf ball in the ball of my foot (prior to surgery it felt like a marble was in there). My second and third toes are numb as I was told they probably would be. Now I have another problem. I am getting VERY painful spasms/sharp pain in my shin/calf area. Sometimes it is so bad that I have to use crutches and cannot take another step. Maybe it is because my gait is altered? What do you think is wrong and do other people have this happen post operatively?

Guest · Guest

The pain in your calf and shin is most likely muscle pain due to the change in your gait, since you have to 'hobble'. If you can't reach it to do massage, get someone (a professional!) to do it for you. You need compression in the 'belly' of the calf muscle and small, deep, work on what is basically a 'shin split'. There are good stretching exercises that you can do for these muscles, but if your foot is still healing, you probably aren't able to do the stretches. Alternate cold and heat for 20 minutes each on the calf will help a lot too. I'm a massage therapist who has suffered the same problem, so I really do understand. Good luck!

Arlon · Newbie Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 2

I had 2 nueromas removed from each foot between 2nd and 3rd and 3rd and 4th toes-- 8 weeks ago. They are healed but my symptoms are worse than before the surgery! Have worn oversized shoes for a week, but the phantom pain, even though I'm getting a bit used to it-- it's totally hell on earth! Pain pills do NOT work, strongest available by prescription. Really in a dilema! Know what you are going through times 4!!

darhon · Newbie Joined: 20 Jan 2007 Posts: 3

My guess is that you may be getting the calf spasms because you are actually walking on your heel with a flexed calf muscle constantly to avoid putting pressure on the ball of the foot that had the surgery.

Does the pain subside when you are not walking on the foot? Does it subside with massage? This may be a clue that you are heel-walking.

I had the surgery 8 weeks ago. I am finally able to walk on the foot if I wear a very good supportive oxford-type shoe. However, I still have pain at the incision site, mild swelling and am still limping. The foot swells, in particular, if I stand on it too long in one spot.

I have two friends who had the same surgery by the same podiatrist and they were walking normally in four weeks! However, one of the friends says that five years later, the foot still bothers her occasionally....but it is not as painful as the neuroma was.

My podiatrist says that it will take at least a year for the foot to completely heal.

Darhon

discouraged · Newbie Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 2

I am 6 weeks post-op for neuroma surgery--I did have an infection near the incision at about week 2. I finally returned to work this week. but my foot still hurts--burning, tingling in toes, sharp pains every now and then. I wake up at night with my foot hurting. I started PT last week too. Am I just trying to rush getting rid of this pain? Will more time help?? I am very discouraged--Thanks for ANY comments on how long it takes to get back to "normal"

cldietl · Newbie Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Posts: 1

It has been 5 months since I had my neuroma surgery and I am still having tingling and burning in my foot, it still feels like I am walking on a marble, and I can still walk no farther than 1 mile at a time. I used to be a walker and would walk appx 4 miles per day. Needless to say I am very frustrated. Has anyone else had this problem for this long of time too?

jakatak · Newbie Joined: 07 May 2007 Posts: 4

I had neuroma surgery on both feet over a year ago, and I continue to have swelling on the bottom of both feet where the nerve was removed. The swelling on my right foot...that became infected....is the size of a golf ball...before it was a marble. I've had neurologists tell me I have peripheral neuropathy, but neurontin and lyrica do nothing for the pain. Ice and ibuprofen do more. It is so exasperating.

Guest · Guest

I have had bi-lateral Morton's neuroma pain for over two years since the initial surgery. I am still in terrible pain - worse than before the surgery.

Are there any new procedures for this? It is wrecking havic with my life.
Is there anyone out there who knows what I should do?

Thank you.

Guest · Guest

I originally tried sclerosing a neuroma between my 3rd and 4th toes. After the full 5 shots, the pain became unbearable so I decided to have the surgery. I'm about 4 weeks out from the surgery now, but the pain has not been bad for me. I still have some swelling on the pad of my foot below the two toes, but I ran 2 miles yesterday with little discomfort. The "burning pain" was a little noticeable this morning, but I've been very pleased thus far with the procedure.

I have heard of stump neuromas that may form after neuroma surgery which are supposed to be more painful than the original. I have also read the maybe additional surgery is required if they develop.

LissaJ · Newbie Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 3

Can give both good and bad news on here I'm afraid.
I had 2 neuromas in left foot and 1 in right. In December last year I had the one in my right foot excised completely and in my left foot 2/3 excised and 3/4 decompressed.
The pain in my left foot never completely went, although my right foot recovered fine. In February I returned to the surgeon, who wanted to wait for a year before looking into the pain. In April he injected cortisone into the space. In May I went for an ultrasound which showed that the mn in 3/4 was 1.2cm, so in June I had it removed. All 3 ops were from the top (both into the left foot through the same place, 2/3).
On a positive note, 10 months after surgery I have next to no pain from my right foot, although it is untested and I haven't been able to run on it (apart from some slow jogging when I thought my left foot was getting better...).
On a negative one, I am in extreme pain from my left foot. Driving is near impossible, unless I borrow an automatic, walking is limited. I have custom orthotics to support both feet and these only fit into wide, deep toed shoes - thankfully the NB shop in Keswick and Shap have found me a couple of pairs of shoes which don't look too much like trainers and which I can wear day to day with jeans.
I've had xray and u/s on left foot now - I believe my forefoot to be destabilised. My 4th metatarsal head has clearly dropped, my 2nd and 3rd toes (which were slightly clawed before) are now really clawed and 'floating', I have a 1cm burning bursa in my 2/3 interspace, calcification beneath my 4th mt head and an extreme 'stabbing' pain when I walk from behind my 4th mt head which travels across the arch. This is truly extreme and nearly unbearable - it feels like a nail or shard of glass is being pushed into my foot. I'm waiting to have an MRI scan to see what this is. It isn't a stump neuroma as it is in the wrong place - nothing shows on u/s, so I imagine its a nerve.
For those of you approaching surgery - it doesn't always work... My right foot is fine - the scars are almost invisible. My left is proof that the surgery has a 90% success rate. If you're in the 90% this is great - if you're the 1 in 10, not so good...
Any of you who've put on about the stabbing pain - have you managed to trace it?
I'm hoping that I can have further corrective surgery to stabilise my left foot and remove the pain - I'll go through nearly anything if I can spend quality time with my son like we used to, I'd love to be able to join him kicking through the leaves at the moment...
By the way - no-one on here seems to mention the long term effects of all these pain killers. Mood swings, raised blood pressure (from diclofenac sodium), and the fact that they not only numb pain... Sad

post operative pain following neuroma removal in right foot

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