Dr Rosemary: Kick troublesome foot pain into shape

Q - I suffer from a sharp, cramp-like pain every few days in the sole of my left foot, under my tiniest two toes.

It can be good for days and then the pain returns for no reason.

A - A Morton's neuroma is the most common reason for this type of pain.

In this the nerve becomes thickened and inflamed in the sole that supplies the toes, causing pain.

The most frequently affected nerve is the one between the third and fourth toes but sometimes it affects the nerves between other toes.

Most often, the condition is seen in middle-aged women, especially those wearing high-heeled shoes which put extra pressure on the football.

Often the condition can be helped by wearing wider, flatter shoes, along with pads for the football to take some pressure off the affected nerve.

It can be done as a last resort surgery to increase the space around the nerve, or to remove part of the nerve if necessary.

This results in permanent loss of sensation in the nearby part of the toes.

None of these will affect either the thyroid gland or a thyroid cyst.

Q - I suffered with pain in and around my right ankle for many years.

A - There are several joints inside the ankle, but one that is most commonly affected by arthritis is between the lower leg's main bone, the tibia, and the ankle's large bone, the talus.

A fusion operation removes the bones from damaged parts and fuses the talus to the tibia.

The bones are initially held together with screws but gradually new bone grows across, creating one large bone where there were two previously.

This procedure normally takes 12 to 14 weeks and you should be pain-free once the bone has healed.

After surgery, you'll need to wear a cast on your lower leg for up to 12 weeks.

Read the original article "Dr Rosemary: Kick up troubled foot pain" at https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/712383/Dr-Rosemary-foot-pain-Morton-neuroma-health-question-answer