What Causes Neuroma? Recommended Exercises & Treatment
Your feet are some of the most overlooked muscles in the body, yet strong, healthy feet are essential for posture, stability, balance, and overall performance.
A neuroma can cause significant pain, making even simple daily activities uncomfortable. But what leads to this painful condition, and how can it be treated? Here are key exercises and treatment strategies recommended by physical therapists to relieve neuroma symptoms and help you get back to your daily life.
What is a Neuroma?
A neuroma is a benign (non-cancerous) nerve growth, where nerves become a ball and grow excessively. One of the most common types is Morton’s neuroma, which affects a nerve in the ball of the foot. This condition can cause significant discomfort, impacting daily activities like walking, running, or standing for long periods.
With a neuroma, you may experience pain in the ball of your foot and along the nerves. Symptoms can vary based on the neuroma’s location, but in Morton’s neuroma, they commonly include:
A burning pain in the ball of the foot that may radiate into the toes
Increased discomfort when wearing tight or narrow shoes
Sharp or tingling pain that worsens with activity
Numbness or other unusual sensations
A clicking or popping feeling when walking
Pain that persists even after removing shoes
Risk factors like age and gender can impact chances of neuroma, typically adults ages 30-50, and women are more prone.
3 Causes of a Neuroma:
Several factors can contribute to the development of a neuroma, but the most common include:
Narrow or tight shoes – Shoes with a tight toe box can compress the nerves in your foot, increasing the risk of neuroma.
Repetitive pressure on the ball of the foot – Activities like running, jumping, or regularly wearing high heels can place stress on the forefoot.
Weak foot muscles – Insufficient foot strength can alter your gait, placing extra pressure on nerves and can contribute to neuroma development.
Treatment and Management
Several nonsurgical treatments can effectively manage a neuroma, often by addressing footwear, movement patterns, and muscle strength:
Switch to wide-toe box shoes – A wide toe box shoe is designed with extra space at the front, allowing your toes to spread naturally rather than being squeezed together. Wearing shoes with a wider toe box reduces pressure on the forefoot, helping to relieve pain and irritation around the affected nerve.
Improve arch and foot stability – Strengthening the muscles of the foot helps distribute weight more evenly. For those with a neuroma, increased support can reduce pressure on the ball of the foot and ease nerve irritation. Targeted exercises may also help align the toes and improve gait mechanics, lowering the risk of aggravating the sensitive area. Over time, better stability can lessen discomfort during daily activities and support long-term foot health.
Focus on ankle mobility – Limited ankle mobility can cause early heel lifts during walking or running, increasing pressure on the forefoot. Improving ankle flexibility shifts weight more evenly through the foot and reduces strain on the area where neuromas develop.
Interdigital noritis pad - a niche product that helps balance the foot and takes away pressure where the neuroma is on the foot.
Neuroma Exercises Recommended By a Physical Therapist:
These exercises may reduce symptoms and support the recovery of a neuroma:
Toe Spreads
Toe Press Downs Curls
Gastroc-Soleus Stretches
Single Foot Balance
1. Toe Spreads
Doing toe spreads helps to strengthen the small muscles between the toes, improving toe alignment and reducing nerve compression.
Exercise instructions: Sit or stand and actively spread your toes apart as wide as possible, hold for 3–5 seconds, then relax; repeat 10–15 times.
2. Toe Press Downs
Toe Press Downs help treat a neuroma by strengthening foot muscles to reduce pressure on the affected nerve and relieve pain.
Exercise instructions: Stand facing a cable machine with a low pulley and attach a foot strap to one foot. Press your toes downward against the resistance while keeping your heel on the ground, then slowly return to the starting position.
Exercise instructions:
3. Gastroc-Soleus Stretches
The Gastroc-Soleus Stretch loosens calf muscles, reducing forefoot loading and preventing early heel lifts that worsen neuroma pain.
Exercise instructions: Stand facing a wall, place one foot back, keep the heel down, and lean forward to stretch the calf; hold 20–30 seconds, repeat 2–3 times per leg.
4. Single Foot Balance
This exercise enhances proprioception and foot stability, decreasing abnormal stress on the ball of the foot.
Exercise instructions: Stand on one foot for 20–30 seconds, keeping your knee slightly bent; switch sides and repeat 2–3 times, using a wall for support if needed.
How Physical Therapy Can Help With Neuroma
A physical therapist can design a program to improve ankle mobility, strengthen the foot, and reduce pain.
A physical therapist will use targeted exercises and manual techniques to relieve pressure on the affected nerve and improve gait mechanics. Over time, consistent therapy can help prevent recurrence, enhance mobility, and support long-term foot health.
For active individuals—whether playing sports, running, cycling, or doing CrossFit—a neuroma can be particularly painful and may affect daily activities from walking to exercising. Addressing underlying issues with a professional physical therapist can make a significant difference.
When to See a Doctor and Medical Interventions
If you experience persistent pain, numbness, or worsening symptoms that do not improve with conservative care, it’s important to seek medical evaluation.
While physical therapy can manage symptoms and improve foot mechanics, some cases may require treatments such as corticosteroid injections, alcohol or sclerosing injections, or surgery (neurectomy) to address the underlying nerve issue.
Take Control of Your Foot Health
If you’re struggling with a neuroma, physical therapy can help strengthen your feet, improve flexibility, and correct alignment to reduce pressure on the affected nerve. At Alpha Project Phyzio, we offer personalized care to reduce your symptoms, allowing you to get back to doing what you love. Visit us at any of our three Maryland locations: Gaithersburg, Frederick, or Columbia.
