Neuroma vs Neuritis vs Neuropathy for the Runner’s Feet

Flying Pig 4-way with Cheese….because there is a jacket involved.  Not to mention the 5 medals, 5 shirts and some kind of display board…BLING!!  As mileage is cranking up, 13 miles was on the docket this past weekend.  That’s a half marathon (well, almost anyway)…and yet NO medal waiting for me at the end.  Bummer.  Hasn’t the weather been amazing for running this week?? Last night I went out for a long
run again and worked really hard against the wind in about 2 of the 4 directions.

But I was in shorts, in February, in Cincinnati!!!

I was running with a friend Saturday and she thought the following topic would be
of foot-care-interest: neuroma vs neuritis vs neuropathy.

Neuroma–an inflamed nerve at the bottom of the ball of your foot.

• feels like stepping on a lamp chord; sometimes feels like a click occurs
• usually a tingling into the 3rd and 4th or the 2nd and 3rd toes.
• worse w/ tight shoes or shoes w/ a higher pitch.
• often alleviated w/ change of shoe-type and calf stretches.
• rapidly treatable if addressed early on–don’t let symptoms linger.

Neuritis–this usually occurs in BOTH feet simultaneously

• usually feels like a tingling or numbness in the entire forefoot
• frequently occurs during repetitive motions (think treadmill/elliptical)
• symptoms should resolve within 15 minutes of stopping such activity
• this is all about shoe fit/ sock selection/ foot slippage in footwear.

Neuropathy–by definition this is “nerve damage”

• if the cause is systemic (diabetes, alcohol overuse, nutritional issues) then the symptoms are in both feet symmetrically
• if the cause is spinal (herniated disc, degenerative disc) then symptoms are usually in one foot.
• systemic nerve damage feels like a numb, tingling that starts in the great toes and moves then to the lesser toes and up the foot.
• neuropathy is a medical concern that must be diagnosed and treated in the early stages to prevent worsening which could lead to loss of sensation or loss of muscle strength.

If you have a foot-care topic you would like to see in my “blogs”, please let me know….you are likely not the only person wondering about it.  Have a super week and run healthy!