Any experience/wisdom? It seems that my wife got it in both feet although she has not seen a doctor yet. We keep going to the mountains but it seems to bother her more and more.

I had this issue for many years while skiing. A podiatrist recommended making a small foam pad (thicker in the center,thinning toward the edges) and wearing it on the problem foot. The thinking was that standing on the "hilly" pad tended to seperate the toes and relieved the pressure/stress on the nerve endings. Good luck.

On a hike/backpack of more than ten miles I often get that zingy nerve feeling from the knuckle of my big toe. My current solution is to place a "blister pad" over the nerve knot, and that seems to work quite well. Google: Band-Aid Advanced Healing Blister cushions They also make a version of these for heels, which works very well also if you have ANY tendency to blister there.

First thing is to check her boots. Did her problems start with these boots??

My issues started with a pair of boots that were too narrow around the metatarsal area. This pushed the bones together and started the problems with the electrical shocks.

I since switched to a wider boot and that helped alot. I tried on 10 pair, and went with the Merrel Perimeter.

Next is footbeds. You need to find ones with a metatarsal arch support and cushioning under the metatarsal. The support will actually be behind the metatarsal so that the pressure is relieved and the bones are spread out. I went with Spenco Polysorb total support. you will see they have cushioning and the Metatarsal arch support. Many good brands don't have them, especially the front cushion. I am told that Birkenstock Blue footbeds have good metatarsal support.

I would also say to check her day to day shoes as that might be an issue as well. If she wears heals and constricting dress shoes, get something more comfy.

Mine is better, but I still get some discomfort here and there with a heavy pack. I often walk a bit funny to relieve it, like curling my toes under or walking on the outsides of my feet.

Good luck, and see a doctor and maybe get some custom soles made if these tricks don't help, but definitely check the boots first, that's how mine started.

fluxlib,

It occurs with different hiking shoes (she only uses boots in winter). Best results are with the lightest approach shoes (Patagonia) and also with fairly heavy and rigid mountaineering boots (she has Salomon, similar to LaSportiva Glaciers). Will try all these tricks that you guys/gals suggested, thank you! And I hear your advice regarding the width - will try to find something in an extra-wide category. Any more insights? I'd like to hear.

You really should see a doctor and get X-rays. Morton's neuroma's are notoriously difficult to diagnose and often the symptoms overlap with metatarsal stress fractures (my personal foe). Figure out what's wrong now before it becomes a 1 year in a boot injury and not a 2 months off hiking/major walking injury. Foot injuries are just not to messed with IMHO - I've never gotten through any of my three with less than 2 months recovery time.

I just got back from a 20 miler, 14 of which were done with a heavy pack and my feet are tired, but not all neuroma sore. I did have a couple shock pains here and there, but they were minor and subsided while on the trail.

Like gdrayna suggests, see a doctor. I would never say to blow that off.

My problems started pretty obviously with the bad boot and are ending with the right boots. In my experience it was the shoes. When I got mine fit, I made darn sure that there was very little pressure across the metatarsal and they have broken in perfectly. I also changed out all my day to day shoes with wide comfy ones. I am hoping i headed this problem off early, but if it comes up again i will go to the doctor for sure.

no disrespect, but if you haven't seen a doctor how do you know it's Morton's neuroma? I think for this syndrome, metatarsal "cookies" can be placed just behind the ball of the foot, but I certainly could be wrong!!!

foot problems suck, good luck!