Originally Posted by
William Payer
Seriously, I would only take surgery as a last resort after all other treatment have failed. Although I am certainly not healed yet, I anticipate some neurological differences like not quite feeling your toes like the "normal "foot. In my case, since the two neuromas were on either side of the middle toe, I am likely to lose feeling in the tip of that toe (so far that's what I have) Not a real problem to me, as long as I can get the "walking on a stone" feeling and its pain to subside.
If I were you, I would make an appointment with either a Podiatrist (get a good one who people refer favorably) or an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in feet and ankles. Try all the treatments before opting for the knife. Many of these treatments ( orthotics, injections) really are not that bothersome or painful, and if they alleviate symptoms enough to give the quality of life you need, then its a win-win.
As far as the individual toed shoes, I don;t know. My pain was most prominent when the foot was on a hard surface where the ball of the foot came in contact with the floor . The more pressure the more discomfort. I don;t think those shoes would have helped me, but trying them is a lot better than surgery. Your foot doctor should have some knowledge if they are helpful.
My only regret is that I followed the first doctors advice and did nothing to treat ( or identify it as a neuroma)it. Has I sought treatment earlier the surgery might have been avoided.
Somewhere I read that surgery for a MN is effective in about 70% of the cases. I don't know if this is a true statistic or if someone was just shooting off their mouth, but there is a reasonable chance surgery will not be a success. ( a friend of my wife knows someone who has no success with it)