Morton's Neuroma.

[beaton]

Hi,I'm feeling gutted today. After 16 years of pain,being told it was arthritis and that I had to live with it. I managed to get both my feet scand. I was told I had Morton's in both feet. At last a diagnosis. Saw my G.P. today,hoping that after all this time I could have an operation and be pain free. No,he said I have to have injections and see if they work before we go down the op. road. This seems so unfair,I could cry.

[Hidden]

I had three Morton;s Neuromas two in one foot one in the other. Never had any injections, I was referred immediately to the Orthopedic surgeons at the hospital. If you are in England, you can demand the referral, despite your GP's objections. It all has to do with budgets of the surgery you attend , it is cheaper to give you injections, than to pay for the surgery out of their budgets. Pardon the pun, put you foot down demand this referral, or better still take yourself to A& E and get them to refer you directly to the Ortho. If you GP has any common sense, he would realise it is cheaper to do this now than have you hobbling in pain and having cortisone injections for the next few year, eventually the injections wont work. How do I know this? I worked in Post Graduate Medical Education

[beaton in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Fidgetsmum, Just shows doesn't it that knowing the "rules" is so important. I ran my consultants secretary this morning. Hoping to speak to him. I was told,"it's only a month since your scan and he's part time,he might have a backlog."Wonder what he does the rest of the time!!

So if I could just check this, If the hospital rhuematoligest has sent me for the scan (not my G.P.) who pays?

[Hidden in reply to beaton]

Your GP, through the primary care trust out of the budget allocated to his surgery

[beaton in reply to Hidden]

Thanks :/

[Hidden]

I have a morton's neuroma in my right foot too. My podiatrist said that if it becomes painful (it just twitches a lot when I touch the ground - the nerve pops - hence my name!) then he could give me steroid injection but mine doesn't hurt yet unlike yours - you poor thing. He said it was nothing to do with my RA - but as I've never worn high heels or had foot problems until the RA started I find this a bit hard to believe.

Part time probably means he works in another rheumatology clinic in a different hospital or has private patients rather than tending to his roses - but I know what you mean!

I really hope you can get this sorted out soon through surgery - foot pain is horrible I know.

Twitchy

[beaton in reply to Hidden]

Hi Twitchy, Thanks for the reply. I have never worn high heels either, I've worked on my feet as a cook and cleaner all my working life. I gave up work seven years ago because of the pain.

I reckon all these consultants do private work,earning an extra few pounds (poor things.) but still can't "afford" to let us use the NHS we paid into.

[Hidden]

I reckon you are right - to earn the money for the most expensive roses with a full time gardener perhaps? (eyes rolling ironically - can't get the smiley for this here!) - heart bleeds for them eh?!X

[beaton in reply to Hidden]

[Hidden]

My neuromas were caused by those stiletto heels and tight toes in the shoes, other contributing factor, no half sized in England, so I would have to go back a size instead of 6 and 1/.2, size 6. Doing rounds in a hospital wearing high heels (vanity in my younger days), then off to the Army, oh goodness, those army boots, not fitting properly so smaller size again..never realising that my feet would eventually protest. Had the surgery and relief. One word if you have the neuroma removed from under the foot, expect scar tissue and some residual pain, nothing tht can't be managed , no medication needed, removed via the top (more skill needed by the surgeon) not a twitch not a pain, left foot oh so good, right foot, requires a regular visit to the beauticians, for a luxury pedicure and of cause callus removal from under the foot, oh the joy of that pedicure and foot massage. Oh I do have osteoarthritis, my daughter has RA

[beaton in reply to Hidden]

[escalade]

Hi Beaton

May I tell you my experience:

I had three steroid injection in each of my four Neuromas and three in the heel over two year period until my feet collapsed because the injections weaken the tendons and ligaments and caused flat feet .

Last Christmas in a different hospital where I went for second opinion I had reconstructive operation on right foot which was successful but takes about a year to recover fully. I will be undergoing similar reconstructive operation on the other foot once I have recovered sufficiently.

May I direct you to a prominent surgeons comments in Daily Mail on this very important issue.

dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...

Surgeon who says avoid steroid jabs in your feet

Andy Goldberg, orthopaedic surgeon at the Wellington Hospital, London.

One of the most common reasons people visit their GP is for heel and foot pain, and an often-used treatment is a steroid injection to reduce inflammation.

It's the bane of my professional life. If an injection goes into or near a tendon, it can cause the tendon to rupture, which can lead to weak or flat feet. And if the steroid goes into the wrong place, it can lead to damage to the fat pad under the heel, which normally absorbs the shock when we run and jump.

If the fat pad is damaged then the patient walks on their heel bone without protection. It hurts like hell and there is virtually no treatment.

If a patient comes to see me with this, my heart sinks.

There are, of course, some times when a steroid can be useful, for example for treating inflammation of arthritic joints. But I would have it only if it were done under ultrasound guidance by a trained radiologist.

Most heel and foot pain can be helped with stretching, changing your footwear or resting. Often, steroids should be the final resort.

surfacehippy.info/cortisone...

[beaton in reply to escalade]

Thank you Escalade, I'm sorry you've had so much trouble but thank you for sharing your story. I hadn't thought about the weakening of the tendons and ligaments. This is of importance to me as with thyroid problems this can happen anyway and is something I think might be happening to me. I have gone from a size 5 to 6 in shoes over the last few years. I shall print off the article from the mail for reference in my fight with the NHS. Thanks again.xx