Can Morton’s Neuroma Get Worse?

Does Morton’s neuroma get worse over time?

Short answer: Symptoms can fluctuate, stabilise or progressively limit footwear and activity. A neuroma does not inevitably require surgery, but persistent nerve irritation may become harder to settle.

Early symptoms may appear only in particular shoes. Later, pain can occur in wider footwear or with shorter walking distances, and numbness may become more persistent. Symptom severity does not always match neuroma size.

Assessment is worthwhile when pain repeatedly returns, affects normal activity or no longer responds to footwear changes. Earlier diagnosis also helps avoid treating another cause of forefoot pain as a neuroma.