Well, the summer seems to be well and truly over, so what does that mean for your Morton's Neuroma?
In a nutshell, it is probably be going to become more noticeable, simply due to the fact winter shoes are more compressive and often have more of a heel which throws weight forward onto the forefoot.
By and large, we often advise our patients to try and adopt flatter ‘zero degree’ heel shoes. Zero-degree, as the name implies, are shoes where the heel doesn’t sit higher than the forefoot, this in turn reduces pressure in the region of the foot where Morton's Neuroma form, which for many will give some degree of symptomatic relief.
However, there is a big exception to this footwear rule that every Morton’s Neuroma sufferer should be aware of. A pair of zero-degree heel shoes that will help you for walking, will also make your neuroma worse if you run with them. This is because zero-degree heel running shoes offer little to no cushioning under the heel during running. This lack of cushioning forces the user to land more on the forefoot rather than the heel.
Add to this, the fact that during running, when the foot lands and comes into contact with the ground all of the body’s weight is going through one leg. A 2014 study of female runners using shoes with minimal heel cushioning found peak forefoot pressures increased by almost 40% when compared to female runners who used shoes with heel cushioning.
So, the take home message is flat zero-degree shoes are good for day-to-day leisure wear, but for running, a positive-degree heel shoe with heel cushioning should be used to allow the heel region to take pressure.
If you don’t want to be ruled by your shoes for the rest of your life there is no better time to book your cryosurgery treatment.
Patients treated at this time of year are often totally recovered in time for the new year and the winter ski season.
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