The most common neuroma symptoms include localized pain, tingling, burning and a numbing sensation in a specific area. While some people may feel these symptoms due to unrelated reasons, most neuroma symptoms differ in that they do not permanently go away by simply resting or massaging the areas where pain is felt. Symptoms can be quite disturbing and severely affect a person’s quality of life. There are some areas where neuromas are more commonly diagnosed, such as the foot, but neuroma symptoms can occur in any part of the body.
A neuroma is a growth on the nerve cells or a thickening of nerve cells. Neuromas tend to occur after surgery or trauma to the affected area. While symptoms are treatable and are often only temporary, they can last for longer periods of time while making a person’s daily life very uncomfortable.
Although a neuroma can grow anywhere in the body, Morton’s neuroma is one of the more commonly diagnosed types. Also known as intermetatarsal neuroma, it affects the foot and can usually be found between the third and the fourth toe. The most common symptoms include pain between toes, the sensation of something being stuck in the ball of the foot or the feeling that something is stuck inside of a person’s shoe while walking. Morton’s neuroma symptoms are further aggravated by walking or simply by wearing shoes.
One of several ways in which a doctor will confirm the presence of a Morton’s neuroma is by using an examination technique known as Mulder’s sign. This technique calls for a doctor feeling for the neuroma while squeezing the entire foot. Examining the foot in this fashion better enables the doctor to manually feel for the presence of an enlarged nerve.
Acoustic neuroma is another type of painful nerve cell growth. This type occurs on the nerves found between the brain and the ear. Acoustic neuroma symptoms begin gradually with many people not feeling anything abnormal in the very beginning. As the growth enlarges, however, symptoms may include inner-ear pain, a ringing sound in the ears, a loss of hearing and poor balance. Left untreated, these symptoms may graduate to facial paralysis and can even become life threatening.
In some cases, symptoms may start out slowly and worsen with time. In others, neuroma symptoms may go unnoticed for a period of time as the neuroma grows. Left unmonitored, however, the pain and discomfort of neuroma symptoms may eventually become unbearable.