Morton’s neuroma can cause you pain and discomfort in your everyday life. One of the most significant factors in alleviating pain is wearing the shoes for morton’s neuroma or using supportive insoles.
Besides wearing proper footwear for morton’s neuroma, learning how to tape can also be extremely helpful in reducing your pain.
You can use athletic tape or Kinesio tape, and the simple act of wrapping your foot can minimize discomfort whether you’re sitting or on your feet.
Here’s the information you need about Morton’s neuroma and a few taping techniques to try.
What Is Morton’s Neuroma?
Morton’s neuroma is a painful condition that affects the ball of your foot.
It occurs when the nerve tissue surrounding the plantar digital nerve between your toes thickens, compresses, and irritates the nerve.
The bones and ligaments around the nerve place more pressure on it as it becomes more inflamed and begins to cause inflammation in the surrounding tissues.
This causes you to experience persistent pain in the ball of your foot, most commonly between your third and fourth toes.
The condition tends only to affect one foot. You may feel a strange discomfort as if you are standing on a pebble in your shoe. It can also feel like your sock has folded up under your foot.
You may also experience a burning sensation, numbness, or tingling in the third and fourth toes.
Does Taping Help Morton’s Neuroma?
Yes, taping can help relieve the pressure on the nerve, which will alleviate pain.
Depending on the taping technique you use, it can also improve your range of motion while reducing pain.
This allows you to go about your day-to-day activities without placing your nerve under pressure or pain.
Taping for Morton’s neuroma can promote healing, provide additional support to the nerve, and prevent further injury to your foot.
How to Tape for Morton’s Neuroma
1. Option With Non-Stretch Zinc Oxide Tape
Preparation
This taping technique helps reduce the amount of pressure placed on the nerve.
You’ll need a 1-inch section of non-stretch zinc oxide tape and 1 to 2 inches of soft padding, cut into a teardrop shape.
For the padding, you can use a metatarsal pad. But keep in mind that you’ll need to cut it smaller into the teardrop shape.
Then, cut a piece of tape that’s the length of your forefoot. You’ll need to cut two additional pieces of tape that are about 5 to 6 inches in length. The tape should be long enough to wrap around your foot.
Round the corners of all three strips of tape after cutting them. This will prevent any edges that could catch on your socks or shoes and cause the tape to lift.
Clean the ball of your foot before applying the tape by using a cloth with a drop of rubbing alcohol on it.
Start To Tape
Use your fingers to identify the tender spot on the ball of your foot, between your third and fourth toes.
Once you’ve found it, place the teardrop-shaped padding just below the painful area and hold it in place using a small piece of tape.
Lift your toes slightly and spread them slightly. This will help to prevent you from inadvertently applying the tape too tightly around the foot.
Then place your first piece of tape over the entire width of the ball of the foot, covering the padding completely.
Take your second piece of tape about an inch lower down to cover the first strip. Wrap the tape around the entire ball of the foot and partially around the top of the foot.
Repeat this step for the third piece of tape as well.
You don’t want to have the two ends meet on the top of your foot, as you may tighten the tape too much. The ends should both be on the top of the foot but not touching.
Make sure that the three strips of tape completely cover the teardrop-shaped pad.
When you walk, you should be able to feel the tape gently spreading your foot bones—metatarsals—apart.
2. Option With an Athletic Tape
Preparation
Prepare the athletic tape by measuring a piece of tape between 5 and 6 inches in length.
It should be long enough to wrap around the ball of your foot, with the edges ending outside of your foot.
Round the corners of the strip of tape after you’ve cut it.
Start To Tape
Start by applying one end of the tape to the base of your big toe joint, with the excess tape hanging downwards to wrap underneath your foot.
Make sure that there’s no stretch or tension in the tape and begin to wrap it underneath the ball of your foot, just below the painful area between your third and fourth toes.
Then wrap the end of the tape at the base of your fifth toe.
Rub the tape for about a minute to ensure that the tape’s adhesive sticks properly. This should prevent the tape from moving when you wear socks and shoes.
When you put your foot down evenly on the floor, you shouldn’t experience any pain.
3. Option With KT-Tape
Preparation
You’ll need two pieces of pre-cut KT tape.
Take your first piece of tape and fold it in half. Then cut two triangular-shaped holes in the middle of the fold.
Break and remove the paper side of the KT tape just above and below the triangular-shaped holes.
Remove the middle section of adhesive backing.
Start To Tape
Gently spread your toes wide and then slip your second and third toes through the triangular-shaped holes in the tape.
Then apply a light stretch of about 15 percent to the tape as you remove the adhesive backing and apply it to the top and bottom of your foot.
Rub the KT tape for 30 to 60 seconds so that the heat can create a better hold.
Take your second piece of pre-cut KT tape and break the backing of the one edge. Then create an anchor point just below the base of your big toe.
Wrap the tape around the ball of your foot, over the painful spot on the bottom of the foot.
The two ends of the tape should overlap on the top of your foot as you lay the tape down on your foot
