Mortens Neuroma

This discussion group is for questions about Yin Yoga and other body parts, such as shoulders, feet, wrists, etc.... Also, this is the place to discuss various conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis, etc.
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Wanda Oster
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 6:11 am

Mortens Neuroma

Post by Wanda Oster »

Hi - A student has had Mortens Neuroma, she has had surgery. The 4th metatrasel bone has now dropped and she is walking on the bone. Does anyone have any experience with this condition. I have suggesed she see her doctor and a physio. I am aware that saddle can be helpful for some feet condtions, but not sure about Mortens neuroma.

Thanks
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Morton's Neuroma and Yin Yoga

Post by Bernie »

Let's let everyone know what Morton's Neuroma (MN) is: a neuroma is a nerve that has been pinched or otherwise irritated enough that it becomes inflamed and scar tissue builds up around it, causing chronic irritation and pain. Morton's neuroma always occurs between the third and fourth toe. It can often be caused by flat feet or poor shoes (pinching the toes together), but there are many possible causes and many other conditions that present similar symptoms. In really bad cases, the nerve needs to be deadened or removed surgically.

Can yoga help? Possibly. You were right of course to suggest your student see her health care providers, but there are a few poses that could be very good for her. Since one potential cause of MN is flat feet, Saddle pose could indeed be a great pose for her. Also the Ankle Stretch http://www.yinyoga.com/ys2_2.0_asanas_ankle_stretch.php pose and Toe Squats http://www.yinyoga.com/ys2_2.0_asanas_toe_squat.php could be helpful.

Another thing your student could try is the Zipper: this is a delicious way to open the toes. There is an old Daoist saying that a man with open toes has an open mind, and I am pretty sure this applies to women too! To do the Zipper, take off your shoes and socks, bring the soles of your feet together and interlace your toes. Let your toes marinate for ~ 5 minutes. Juicy! I sometimes ask students to do this while they are waiting for the yoga class to begin. If a student can't interlace (zip) the toes, that is not a good sign! They need to do this more. If she really can't zip up the toes, then tell her to just use her fingers to spread the toes. Eventually, she should be able to do this without any hands! That is really impressive and you can be the life of any party if you show people how to do the zipper with no hands.

Saddle, Toe Squat, Ankle Stretch and the Zipper may all be useful yin poses for someone with Morton's Neuroma.

Cheers
Bernie
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