so you all know my bad-luck with inuries? strikes again.

so i finally went to the doc for my foot. it had been bothering me for a while, but i didn't go to the dr because i knew i was having surgery soon and would be off the foot for a while. well, as soon as i got back on the ice, the pain came back just as bad. i finally sucked it up and went to the doctor.

the doctor was really nice. she figure skates too! but she pokes around and says "ok, well, you are really young for this, but there is this thing called a neuroma. usually it's between the third and fourth toes, but i think you have it between the second and third. wait. actually, i think you have it in the common spot too."

so basically i seem to have TWO morton's neuroma's. let me tell you, they are not fun. i figured i had tendinitis or stress fractures. but now that i've looked them up, i do seem to have all the symptoms. it's the horrible burning, cramping pain along the balls of my foot.

she gave me a cortisone shot (which hurt like a B****). i've had them before, but this one was especially painful. we're just gonna wait and see. she mentioned surgery, and i couldn't help but laugh.

the cause seems to be my skates--they are a liiiiiittle too narrow in the midfoot/forefoot area. i kept putting off getting them stretched. well not gonna put it up any more.

i'm gonna see the group's foot/ankle specialist when he comes back to town (he fixed my ankle for me). hopefully no surgery will be needed, but at least it is a minor procedure.

so yeah. that's my rant.

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So sorry to hear you are having more problems! Get those boots stretched pronto - or get new ones!

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I too have Morton's Neuromas in both feet. Not fun. However, with taking quite a bit of ibuprofen, I'm dealing with it. The docs just have me have my liver checked annually to make sure I'm not messing it up.

I've been having the cortisone shots on and off for about 3 years. I just go and get them when the pain gets too much. My doc didn't say that the skates were causing it. Some people just get them.

As to surgery, I'm trying everything else. Because what they do is take out the neuroma. Which means cutting your nerve. That means loss of feeling in your toes. Not sure what that would do to spins. And, many people then continue with phantom pain for the rest of their lives.

As you know, currently your feet are both numb from the balls forward, as well as getting the nice shooting pains from the toes back. What helps me is icing the feet. Just putting my feet on ice packs, and then 800 mg of ibuprofen with each meal.

Also get sturdy shoes and some nice insoles to wear most of the day. REI has some nice insoles as well as foot.com. Your doc can also try having you wear insoles with metatarsal pads. They didn't work for me, but have helped lots of people.

Good Luck with it.

Rob

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"I'm too old to die young, and too smart to be happy" - Kinky Friedman, The Mile High Club

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things for the reply. makes me feel a little better. it's just frustrating to have this hit me right after coming back from hip surgery. the weird thing with me is that i have TWO in one foot. and i'm 17! i'm pretty good about dealing with pain. however, i definitely trust the judgment of my foot/ankle surgeon (he's an orthopedist who did extra training to specialize in the foot/ankle, not just a podiatrist). he did an absolutely brilliant job fixing up my right ankle. also, while many other surgeons would have jumped to do a second surgery to fix my peroneal tendon subluxations, he put my through physical therapy and everything first. i will probably end up seeing him within the next couple weeks.

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Yeah I'd go with getting new ones too, didn't you say earlier you were poster girl for gel pads? Doesn't sound like they fit well.
Sorry to hear you're having such a rotten luck. If it helps any, I've had 3 serious injuries over the past year, 2 of them to my landing ankle, so you're definitely not the only one having a bad year... Oh and Emma's had a hard time too I think?

Yeah I know, doesn't comfort much does it? Well I wish I could say something that would, but I'm drawing a blank here. I just hope you can get this sorted out.

I had neuromas too in my left foot caused by too tight boots!! I was in my 30's at the time. I wound up having it surgically removed. I don't have any phamtom pains or anything. I was off the ice for about 3 weeks though if I remember correctly.

I know I've told this story before, but a few years ago I have a very bad problem with my pinky toe. My podiatrist saw no other solution then to amputate my toe. I went for a second opinion to a podiatrist who was also a skater. She told me to bring my skates with me to the appointment. Just like you, she told me my skates were too narrow (I was training in Reidell Silver Stars at the time.) I bought Edmonton Special Grafs, the problem cleared up in a matter of weeks, and I still have my pinky toe, and I'm still training in Grafs. I would highly recommend purchasing new boots, and trying this, before anything invasive, such as surgery. Sounds like you've had enough surgery for the time being.

sadly, getting new boots is out of the question. i'm in quite new custom klingbeils...got them in september (but didn't skate in them january, feb or half of march). right now i can't even afford new blades (which i need desperately). hopefully stretching them will do the trick, as they are great other than this. i do wear bungas, but only ankle sleeves (or the boot bumper). i think the problem might have to do with the way my foot expands when i stand in skates. i had the exact same problem with my custom harlicks, and was fitted for both by very good fitters.maybe the foam is just a little too soft to show how much they expand? i stretched them out myself using shoe stretchers, which did help a bit. i hope our local go-to skate guy can fix them.

if i need new skates i don't know what i'll do. i will probably have to stop skating til i can afford them. or at least wait til graduation and hope that i get lots of cash gifts...

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My future SIL had surgery on both feet at the same time - one was a neuroma, I forget what the other foot was. About six months ago I had symptoms of a morton's neuroma, and I freaked out. Went to a podiatrist, he told me I had capsulitis (similar symptoms to a neuroma). I got a cortisone shot (felt like I was walking barefoot on ice when he numbed my foot - eeowwchh!) and he had me wearing ball of foot pads. I couldn't skate for around a week, and it did get better.

Just wanted to tell you I feel your pain - and I hope it gets better - WITHOUT surgery!!!

Have you told Klingbeil about the problem? From everything I've heard about them, they will adjust them for free until they fit perfectly.

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Something else I thought about. You said you got your Klingbeils in Sept and only wore them till Dec/Jan. I don't think that's enough time for the neuromas to form? It is my understanding it takes quite a while. But I could be wrong. And I agree with Doubletoe, Klingbeil will adjust for free.

The problem began developing in my old boots. my harlick's were also a little too narrow in the same way the Klingbeils are. but at least the Klingbeils only fit too snuggly in my right foot, my harlicks were too narrow in both feet!

even tho Klingbeil will adjust for free, i might get them fixed around here. first of all, i assume shipping skates to new york from los angeles would be a little pricey. also, i don't want to be without skates! all things considered, i think it will probably be better to take them to a shop here. there is one person around here who has a very good reputation--my coach and a number of other coaches use him for stretching, rebuilding etc.

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yuck, I'm sorry to hear that! Hope the cortisone shots help.

I think I have something similar, but I've never gotten it checked out.

You're probably right about the shipping and it can't hurt I guess to have someone else stretch them.

Try logging on to Hapad.com where you can get Morton's neuroma pads. They are small arches designed to be worn in your shoes or skates and create more room between the metatarsals so the nerve is not so compressed. I've used them with my patients with moderate success. they have to stick down to your skates, so you'll need to open your laces considerably wider than usual to get your foot in, but they're worth a try.