Morton Neuroma ( is it to blame) - Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Message Board

dizzydi · 10-25-2003, 06:09 PM

Im just wondering about this Morton Neuroma thing.
After the problem with my daughter operation to have one of these removed I decided to look up some information about this.
It turns out that a morton neuroma as it is known, is infact a benign enlargement of a nerve,a tumor,or new growth largley made up of nerve fibers and connective tissue.....now correct me if im wrong, but it seem's to me that if you cut away part of a nerve,and keep in mind im not a doctor,i would have thought that part of the nerve it was attached to would possibly now have some damage to it ...( perhaps the start of rsd ) who knows maybe im just guessing,or maybe as they say someone who does this kind of thing for a living,may not see whats right under their nose as it were.
anyway if anyone has any thought on this i would love to hear .
Diane ( Scotland )

sharon1030 · 10-25-2003, 06:15 PM

Hi Diane,

Welcome to the boards. I've had RSD for 17 years and I also had neuromas in my knee. I had gotten the neuromas after I had the RSD and after surgery to my knee. What I have learned about neuromas...I had one taken out three times. They grew back every time. Finally, he cut the nerve all the way up to my thigh and figured that if a neuroma grew there, at least it's a fleshier area than in the knee and the hope was that I wouldn't feel it as much which is basically what happened. I know I have another neuroma in my leg, but it doesn't bother me as much as the ones I had in my knee. I hope I've helped to answer some of you questions. I'm sure others here can help some more. Again, welcome.

Sharon

dizzydi · 10-25-2003, 06:40 PM

Thanks for your welcome sharon, and thanks for the information,I didnt mean all RSD was caused by a neuroma, but just wondered if someone like my daughter who didnt have any problems before,could removing this nerve growth have caused somekind of damage resulting in her RSD ?????
all ifo most welcome
Diane

Lizotte · 10-25-2003, 07:13 PM

Diane:

Welcome aboard. I hope you enjoy our board as much as the rest of us do. Please read our thread RSD Migration, your daughter and you might want to join the cruise. I know Donna is going on it with her daughter also. Can't miss a plug for our cruise. Please read it when you have time, it is quite a long thread.

About Morton's Neuroma. I have had two of them both were the same site. On my left foot between the 3rd and 4th toes. The first time the OMD (my first OMD) went through the top of my foot and cut the nerve. You are quite correct a Morton's Neuroma is a benign tumor. It just hurts alot, oh that sharp pain shooting up the foot to the top of my leg. When I went to see him for the post-op visit, I told him that I still had the same pain. He told me it was all in my head. How could I feel pain when he had removed the nerve.

The second OMD that I went to about 4 years later told me that if your neuroma was going to return it would be in the post-op period. My guess is the first OMD knew this and didn't want to do a free surgery, as it was well within the 90 day period after the first incision. The second OMD went through the bottom of my foot and took the nerve back until it receeded into the joint and bone of that foot. I feel so muc better now. Well, now I also had a fibromia in the plantar fascia of the same foot which kept going and was painful, so we decided to do it all at the same time and not come back and do it. That incision where my OMD took out the fibromia is my original site of RSD.

Diane, after you have been on here for awhile you will read so many stories of how people got RSD. At first it seemed that my Morton's Neuroma incision was involved, but I kept at it. If your daughter's site is an incision from surgery, you can rub it two times a day for at least 5 minutes (working up to 10) use Vitamin E oil. It helps the scar heal and getting circulation to the area will help with the RSD. My PMD's FNP told me that folic (what women take when they are pregnant) and Vitamin B-12 (I get a shot every other week, makes so much difference) is great for RSD. All the above mentioned would be good for your daughter, I know I don't want mine on alot of medication. You can also find the Vitamin B-12 in pill form at most stores that carry vitamins.

Sorry I went on so much. But, forgive me I tend to do that. If you don't want a lengthy reply at the beginning of your thread you can ask for responses just not from long winded Liz.

I am so happy that your daughter has such a wonderful mother who is doing research for her. You never know what you will find on the web and I tell you this website has saved me when I had nausea so bad I couldn't think, when all my friends deserted me, I found more here, you'll find great advice and when all fails, you will find lots of humor.

LiZ

AngeInBoston · 10-25-2003, 10:58 PM

Hi Di

Like I just mentioned on your Welcome thread, my Husband Joey's RSD was ALSO triggered by the Morton's Neuroma surgery. The Orhopedist said it was a very rare complication and that it only meant that instead of healing in a few weeks, it would take about 2 yrs! Boy have we found that to be the understatement of the century!

The strange thing is that the site of the Mortons Neuroma is the only part of his foot that DOESN'T hurt! But they do say they grow back fairly often....and I thought operating from the bottom was a big No No!

It's also strange how Mortons Neuroma is another 'rare' thing that no one had ever heard of and I had to constantly explain, and now the RSD has no awareness either! Joey wishes he'd just stuck with the Neuroma pain, he laughs when he remembers how badly he thought that hurt, but compared to his pain now......

When we first found out about this and how it could be a life sentence, I asked the Dr. about amputating his foot, (which freaked Joey out!), but I seriously thought that would be better than living the rest of his life in agony....but they explained that that is the LAST thing we'd want to do, because it would make the RSD explode all through his body and ESPECIALLY at the amputation site, with all the cut nerves!

We must remain hopeful that with the right medicines, blocks, and tough Physical Therapy, that we might be able to stomp it into remission....but his latest Pain Dr. gave him a pamphlet about having a Spinal Cord Stimulator, just to think about for the future! Ugh, personally it gives me the Heebie-Geebies to think about!

Hope your daughter has a low pain day....

~Ange~