Heel Neuroma diagnosis and removal
What is Heel Neuroma?
Heel pain has many varieties and it can manifest itself in different forms like the plantar fasciitis, heel bursitis, or heel neuroma. Since the foot is the most overworked part of the human body and suffers the most neglect it shows it revengeful by paining or acute aching. The constant neglect towards the injury of the foot and improper footwear may give one heel pain. In the neuroma there is a swelling of the nerve due to trauma. The common name for this condition is the nerve tumor. But this tumor must not be confused with the tumor in cancer. The swelling in this type of heel pain is actually within the nerve and which can cause permanently damage the nerve. The heel neuroma generally is found on the ball of the foot. The unnatural movement of the long bones, which are located behind the toes and are called as the metatarsals, causes the neuroma. The nerve at the toes gets pinched and the one can have a neuroma it is also accompanied with swelling. Since the nerve is involved in this kind of heel pain one experiences really an acute and unbearable pain.
Diagnosis of the heel neuroma
The heel neuroma is unique than any other heel pain because the nerve swelling hurts really badly. The patient can sense burning, or tingling or numbing pain in his heels. One can actually feel the popping sensation while one walks. The pain in this neuroma comes and goes but it can get worse if the nerve is pinched any further. A puncturing wound or a cut right on the nerve makes an injury to the nerve and the neuroma is there. While diagnosing the heel neuroma the physical examination is the most necessary thing. The history of the suffering patient has also to be taken into account while determining the heel neuroma. An X-ray image cannot detect any heel neuroma on the contrary a specialist physician can actually find the heel neuroma when he examines the foot. Nerve conduction study, MRI, and CT scan can be of little help in finding the heel neuroma. Thus the detection of heel neuroma is a very tricky task and only an experienced physician can detect it correctly.
Removal of the neuroma
The removal of the heel neuroma can be done by cortisone injections; chemically destroying the injured nerve, orthotics, and surgery are some of the common ways of removing the heel neuroma.