SHARP PAIN after Morton's Neuroma Surgery

I really wished I had read this post before my surgery in May, 2010. A neuroma was removed on my right foot between the 2nd and 3rd toes. Prior to the surgery the pain was tolerable, but annoying. With a 3 year-old daughter and a son on the way, I figured I should fix the problem so I could be there for them. Fast forward 11 months, my daughter is now 4 and my son is 6 months, and daddy is in pain 60% of the day. I never fully recovered from the surgery, although the real pain didn't start for about 4 months after the surgery, and then everything spiraled down hill.

At it's worst, about 6 months after the surgery, it felt like a red hot 2" diameter knife blade was randomly being driven through my foot. Unbearable, and enough to knock you over. Imagine having that happen while trying to change your baby who has awaken at 1:00 AM crying and needing a bottle?!

i tried physical therapy, which helped to a point, but things turned around about 6 weeks in and essentially I'm able to walk about 100 yards without pain. After that, the game is up and it starts hurting. Some times the flare-ups are mind numbing, other times just bearable.

I'm lucky that I have a job that lets me take my shoes off occasionally, as I can only wear them for about 2-3 hours at a stretch, and no dress shoes.

Gabbapentin doesn't work. Icing works temporarily, and amazingly I can swim without a problem and bike ride up to a point (30 minutes).

I've been depressed, suicidal, my wife has been at her wits edge, I've lost my patience with my kids for no reason, and everything else that comes with constant pain. It's the worst way in the world to live, trust me.

Tomorrow I'm off to my primary care physician to request the best neurologist he can find. Unfortunately my orthopedic surgeon who didn't do the surgery said that if the surgery is not done correctly the first time, there's less than a 50% chance it can be corrected .

Too bad I didn't read this website before letting that quack podiatrist cut my foot open and essentially taking my life away.

DON'T GET THE SURGERY UNLESS YOU'VE EXHAUSTED ALL OTHER OPTIONS! It may well ruin your life.

This is the 1st time I am reading these comments. I had found another site where there seemed to be more success stories. So I went ahead with my surgery. I had my neuroma removed between 2nd and 3rd toe, left foot, 2 weeks ago. He went in through the top of my foot. He said he put the nerve in a muscle in my foot to keep it from growing back. It was quite large 2.0 x 1.5 cm. I tried cortisone, alcohol injections, custom carbon fiber orthotics, chiropractic, acupuncture and nothing but wide toe box shoes. I am a nurse and a runner. Being on my feet all day was really taking it's toll. 

I, too, read more success stories on some other sight, and had the surgery done on my left foot in January, 2012. Went through the top of my foot, said it was the biggest neuroma he'd ever seen, 1-3/4 of an inch x almost 1 inch. (11 mm x 7 mm). Podiatrist from hospital scrubbed in just to see it. Strange. However, wasn't in too much pain until a few days ago. I now can't stand to put any pressure at all on my foot!!! Scheduled to have surgery on my right foot in less than 2 weeks. That neuroma is supposedly bigger than the one they already took out of my left foot. Now I'm a nervous wreck! Should I have the surgery or if I do, will I be able to walk @ all afterwards? Was really happy with the results until a few days ago. I need @ least 1 good foot. I'm having a panic attack now over this! Hope you all do better!

I had a traditional Morton's neuroma surgery 1 month ago with complications of swelling, stitch left in, pain radiating to my 4th toe when I put any pressure on the ball of my foot and difficulty with the incision healing. The stitch (that was left in accidentally) worked it's way out like a splinter and the wound began to heal. I went to a great physical therapist that knows about nerve sensitivity. I am currently on a regimen that seems to be working great. It's called desensitization and do it 3-4 times a day. 1. massage foot including wound, calf (toward hear)t and inside of ankle for 1/2 hour 2. moist heat to foot for 20 minutes 3. moist heat to calf for 20 minutes. 4. Rhus tox C200 homeopathic tabs for pain 5. Quercetin with Bromelain 2 tabs per day on an empty stomach for nerve pain.

I'm curious as to how many acupuncture sessions you had. We often expect a quick fix because that's what pain pills give us...a quick fix to mask the pain. Sometimes it may take up to 10-12 acupuncture sessions or even ART = Active Release Technique may need 5 or 6 sessions before finding any relief. I'm a massage therapist and specialize in helping people out of pain and have had a couple folks who had the surgery and were in constant pain ever since. Coming to see me regularly helps them tremendously, but they have to do their part as well on exercising/stretching the foot. When it comes to nerves and cutting them out...I'd opt for anything BUT cutting.

Try wearing Flitflop shoes. They are the only thing that leaves me painfree. They are expensive but worth every penny.

Same here,more pain than ever,since ive had the surgery. been 5 months and can no longer take the pain. Doc never gave me any pain meds after surgery and wont now.

New treatment is Voltaren gel and Cynbalta 30mg daily. Voltaren is an anti inflammatory gel used 2-3 times per day to decrease the swelling that seems to accompany post surgical complications of Morton's Neuroma surgery. Cymbalta is for depression, but also for neuropathy or nerve pain. The combo 3.5 months after surgery was prescribed last week and is the only thing that has worked so far.

I am sorry you are going through this. I feel your pain literally! I replied to your post because you mentioned your kids. All I ever wanted to be was a mom, a good mom. Present and involved. I didn't have neuroma surgery, my issue was a little wart that grew where I had cut my foot (tiny cut). Went to a quack that convinced me that warts don't hurt ( Yes they do especially on the ball of the foot). I was o Nieve! He said he would remove the wart and make a small incision to make sure there was no glass in there. He sliced the whole front of my foot. I was moving in 3 weeks and he knew it. Im thinking money from surgery. Any ways I had constant pain on the ball of my foot. Debilitating. I went to a podiatrist in the state i live in now and he said I had a neuroma under the scar tissue (oh and a wart grew back on the scar tissue). He said oh a cortizone shot. It did nothing for the pain on the bottom. He said then I needed the nerve kill so if the scar tissue and wart pushed on it it wouldn't hurt. He gave me the first sclerosing injection and it hurt up my leg. He said it would away. But I then read online about others and their experiences and told him i didn't want to continue. I told him let just remove the wart and it will feel better. ( the right way to remove a wart just the wart not 1 and half inches of the foot like the other doctor). Well are your sure you can't damage any other nerves. NO he says it is only skin deep.Well at numbing he hit some thing! A nerve I suppose. Then I began to feel weird tingling and pain a night. Like a semi was on my foot not just the ball of the foot. My the days are so painful and the nights are torment. I have 5 kids and the younges is 2 . I try to be present for them but the pain is overwhelming and now is moving up my leg into my thigh. and am going to neurologist tomorrow. What seemed like my life flying by seems so long that I understand the thoughts fo suicide, but I couldn't do that to my kids. So I have to hope, unto faith. That there will be relief somehow. It has affected my family to see me like this. Like they say. kids feel everything. No more hiking on weekends with my kids and the active happy life we led. Just a sad aching mother.

I had a horrible fracture on my left arm in 3 places. My arm had to be placed back with tons of plates and metal screws that cut into my ulna nerve that left me with hot pain up and down my arms to my fingers. I had at least 30-40 physical therapy sessions after my second operation to pull all the metal parts that were hitting my nerve. The physical therapy helped a little but trigger point acupuncture really helped at about 12 sessions. It helps heal nerves and breaks up scar tissue.

I am now 5 weeks post op. and things are starting to heal. The only bad thing I have found after my mortorns neuroma surgery is the electric shock I seem to get a night if I have walked too much. I did find putting soft foam in the bottom of the post op shoe cushions the foot and you can walk with 1 crutch. I do have to step lightly the first couple of steps because that nerve pain but it stops after those first steps. It did take 4 weeks for the last 3 stitches to come out but it is healing fine now. I have not gone back to work yet, 8 weeks out of work for me I stand alot on my job and want to be healed correctly before I try and go back. I so hope tho I can get into a shoe by that time with no needle like feeling in my foot. btw goes all the way to my ankle at times.

Hope I dont have long lasting pain from this and the swelling goes down in my toes but I think I am doing better than some.

 

Here is an informative video on how to proceed when Neuroma surgery fails

Try wet cupping it held aliy

HelloTeresa was wondering if you happen to live in Ontario, and if so, who your doctor is in case I can get a referral thanks Girdon

I have been on lyrica 300 mg ever day for neuropathic pain 3 months post op for morton removal
My recovery has been awful my legs swell I have terrible pain and burning that is unbearable. The lyrica makes it tolerable for short periods. Beware ut does not come without side effects. Weight gain. Blurred vision. Forgetfulness
Ortho told me too early for stump neuroma six months is the time to evaluate
We'll see.