Why Does It Feel Like I Have Something in My Shoe All the Time?

Most of us know what it feels like when something gets stuck in our shoes. Suddenly, even the tiniest pebble or stick feels like a giant boulder mercilessly poking into the tender flesh of the sole, making every step a new exercise in pain.

Fortunately, you can relieve this pain: Take off your shoe and remove the offending object, and suddenly, all’s right with the world again. But what if you take your shoes off only to realize there’s nothing there? That’s when it’s time to seek medical care.

At Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC, Joel S Segalman, FACFAS, FACFAO, and Stephen Lazaroff, DPM, FACFAS, help patients get to the root cause of foot pain, using hands-on exams combined with state-of-the-art therapies for long-term relief. If you have persistent pain in the bottom of your foot, here’s what could be causing it.

Common causes of foot pain

Considering the amount of wear and tear your feet are subjected to every day, it’s not surprising that foot pain is common. Many types of foot pain directly relate to your habits and lifestyle.

Runners and other people who engage in high-impact activities that involve repetitive pounding on pavement or other surfaces can develop pain simply from ongoing impacts.  Likewise, regularly wearing high heels or shoes that don’t fit properly or aren’t made correctly for your activity can lead to chronic foot pain.

But when it comes to that uncomfortable sensation of a pebble getting stuck in your shoe, it’s often due to a medical condition called a neuroma. Neuromas can form anywhere but are most common between your third and fourth toes. This type of neuroma is so common that its nickname is Morton’s neuroma.

Understanding neuromas

As the name implies, neuromas involve your nerves. A neuroma is a nerve thickened in a specific area, forming a painful lump or ball. You might have heard a neuroma called a nerve tumor, but these types of growth are not cancerous.

Ongoing nerve irritation causes neuromas. Often, this irritation is caused by the lifestyle factors listed earlier, like repetitive impacts or wearing shoes that are too small, have pointy toes, or high heels. But it can also happen if you have an underlying medical problem involving your feet, like bunions, hammertoes, or flat feet, or if you’ve had a foot injury.

You might not “feel” the neuroma until it gets large, but even a small one can cause problems like burning, shooting pain, or pins-and-needles sensations. Without treatment, the pressure on the nerve can lead to permanent nerve damage, loss of sensation, and problems walking.

Find relief for neuroma pain

The good news is neuroma pain can often be relieved with special shoe inserts called orthotics. These custom inserts are made specifically for your foot shape and feature durable materials for long-term relief. Best of all, you can have orthotics for all types of shoes, including dress shoes and athletic footwear.

Corticosteroid medications and injections around the nerve can relieve inflammation, as well. Our team also offers alcohol injections to shrink the nerve and alleviate compression in the area, as well as surgery for the most complex cases that don’t respond to more conservative treatments. 

If you have any foot pain, we can help. To learn more, request an appointment online or over the phone with the Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists team in Waterbury and Newtown, Connecticut, today.