Therapeutic Massage Provides Pain Relief to a Client with Morton’s Neuroma: A Case Report

[Sid]

What's interesting about this is that more research has not been performed. Case studies are typically published only when stronger studies are not available.

Surprisingly few case reports and research studies are available that focus on the effect of manual soft-tissue manipulation by a health care professional to manage pain associated with Morton’s neuroma. Despite the high incidence of Morton’s neuroma, reviews of current research in 2004 and 2007 concluded that there is insufficient evidence in randomized control trials to determine the efficacy of either surgical or nonsurgical interventions ... While the findings will only describe the efficacy of massage with one person, this massage therapist hopes it will add to the literature leading to a larger and more comprehensive study of massage and Morton’s neuroma.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3390214/

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I know that (deep tissue) massaging my neuromas caused them to fire and brought on great pain. This was done to help break up scar tissue (which is basically what a neuroma is--an enlarging of the nerve sheath due to scar build up). She broke up a lot of the scar tissue, and the fat pads to boot.

From Wiki: Despite the name, Morton's Neuroma, the condition was first correctly described by a chiropodist named Durlacher,[1] and although it is labeled a "neuroma", many sources do not consider it a true tumor, but rather a perineural fibroma (fibrous tissue formation around nerve tissue).

Thanks for sharing the article, Sid!

 

[Sid]

I know that (deep tissue) massaging my neuromas caused them to fire and brought on great pain.

It seems that MT avoided that in this article.

These techniques included myofascial release and trigger-point therapy to the tibialis posterior, flexor hallucis longus, and flexor digitorum longus, longitudinal stroking of the gastrocnemius and soleus, passive calf, and Achilles tendon stretches, and cross-fiber friction of fibularis longus, gastrocnemius, and soleus attachments.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

The article said she experienced stabbing pain ... from the first session but by the third it was dull. Not the case for me. Every session was torture. My massage therapist used tools to break up the scar tissue, and it hurt like hell. She said I tolerated it pretty well though because she has seen men with tears swelling in their eyes and one that begged her to stop. She did work my legs from time-to-time too. I went to her once and sometimes twice per week for an hour each time for almost three months straight. Too much apparently.