Morton's Foot?

[Owlie]

What's the difference between a metacarpal and a metatarsal? My third is longer than my first... (but not my second).

Metacarpals are the hand's equivalent of metatarsals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metacarpal

[kmehrzad]

I've got Morton's foot, actually feet, and have had surgeries on both feet to remove the neuromas (enlarged nerves). I've gone the orthotics route, had the cortisone shots (several times) then finally begged for surgery. All THREE surgeries helped get rid of the pain; however, had to have scar tissue removed from one foot which had a neuroma 10 yrs. prior.

My dr. told me to stop running and switch to exercises that do not involve pounding the pavement. On my bicycles I don't use clipless pedals; I'm concerned that the pressing of my foot against the pedal in a localized spot would cause pain again, so I use toe clips on my bikes. This works best in my case.

[OakLeaf]

Morton's foot and Morton's neuroma are two different things. Just named after the same doctor.

[zia]

Surprising update: I DID wear my newly-configured shoes for a 10K running race yesterday and... no knee pain! This is the first time in YEARS I have had zero knee pain at this distance. Who would have thought 2-3mm could make such a difference?

Next step: configure my bike shoes similarly and see if I notice a difference on the bike. I never feel like I'm striking the pedals with the entire ball of my foot... hmmm....

OakLeaf, I never thought of putting an insert into V5Fs. Seems counter-intuitive, but I'm tempted. I was passed by a speedy barefooter yesterday and was intrigued. Again.

[ginny]

Hi all, I just noticed this thread and I have a few questions. My second metatarsal is longer than my first, but I seem to have retracted tendons in that toe on both feet that brings the toe more in line with my big toe. It also makes the toe perma-bent. It's also super ugly with a hammerhead appearance. The questions are: do you all experience this premabend as well? Do the pads help stretch the tendons and eliminate this strange bend? Do you have some web reading you can refer me to? I have successfully run short and long distance since I was 13 with very few injuries, but I worry this bend will be more pronounced as I get older and I will begin to have shoe-rub issues. Thanks!

[OakLeaf]

Ginny, I wonder if your shoes are just too small.

For years, I wore shoes that were too small for my toes, just because my toes are so long (all of them), and I wanted/felt I needed shoes that fit my feet, i.e. had their arch where the arch of my foot was.

In the past year and a half I've completely revised my idea of what shoes fit and what don't. One of the things I've done is go from a size 8.5-9 to a size 10.5-11. My toes have gradually straightened out, and some of my toenail problems are resolving. (Others of my toenail problems have to do with width, not length, and so far I have yet to find a shoe that's wide enough for my forefoot and narrow enough for my heel - another reason I'm seriously eyeing the VFFs.) Seriously, at 5'3" I have the feet of Daisy Duck.

[NbyNW]

Zia, great to hear that you had a positive result with your run! Looking forward to hearing how it goes with your cycling shoes.

I'm gonna keep an eye out for some metatarsal pads when I'm out shopping this afternoon.

[OakLeaf]

Do you have some web reading you can refer me to?

This is an excerpt from the book we're talking about.

Google brings you other results.


Wow Zia, that's great! I'm adjusting gradually and unfortunately I don't think it's a good idea to run my half marathon this Sunday in the new pads. There's definitely a big muscle adjustment going on in the shorter runs. I'm not 100% sure I've got the thickness and placement spot-on yet, either.

[KnottedYet]

I wouldn't think you'd need to pad the 1st met head in a pair of VFFs.

Don't forget, "Morton's Foot" is a perfectly functional foot. Entire civilizations had "Morton's Feet" (Greeks, Celts) and they were vibrant powerful cultures. They weren't hobbling around on crippled feet.

What they had were shoes made for THEIR kind of foot. (or sandals/soft shoes) Morton's foot only becomes an issue when you try to cram a long 2nd metatarsal foot into a shoe designed by and for folks with long 1st metatarsal feet.

(and, of course, they weren't constantly exposed to flat hard surfaces, which I still swear are the bane of ALL modern tootsies)

Morton's foot isn't just a longer 2nd metatarsal, it's also a differently shaped cuboid bone so the foot really does move a little differently. It's also a longer foot, so it's easy to develop hammer-toe because of shoes that are too short in the toe box.

VFF are enough like barefoot that I'd think they'd let your foot do its natural thing, unhampered by shoes designed for a different kind of foot. I'd just suggest you start your VFF running on dirt trails or grassy fields so your foot muscles have a chance to wake up and gain the strength to support your mets properly before you start running on hard flat surfaces.

Knot-doesn't-have-Morton's-foot (but does have dropped 2nd met head)

[JennK13]

Morton's foot and Morton's neuroma are two different things. Just named after the same doctor.

My husband has Morton's neuroma in his right foot. It seems to have started after he broke his leg 4 years ago in a motorcycle accident. It broke just above the ankle, and they did surgery to put a plate in his leg to hold it together. In the process they pinched a nerve which has since "died" (he has no feeling on the TOP of his foot).
Due to the ankle pain he had while the nerve was dieing, his gait was changed due to limping, and he developed the neuroma. I got sick of his moaning and complaining and told him to go to the doctor or shut up. Our primary care told him he had Gout. I mentioned his pain to my chiro and scheduled an appointment for him. She worked on his foot to "break up" the neuroma. He said he was ready to kick her in the head it hurt so bad and made him cry (he's 6ft, 210lbs)!!! But it felt good after. He goes in every 3-4 weeks and she works that foot to break up the scar tissue, and it's been very successful for him with the pain diminishing with each session. It's been about 4 months now, and he's almost pain free - no shots, no surgery.