The effectiveness of non-surgical interventions for common plantar digital compressive neuropathy (Morton's neuroma): a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Authors: Barry G Matthews, Sheree E Hurn, Michael P Harding, Rachel A Henry, Robert S WareJournal: Journal of foot and ankle researchPublished: July 24, 2019DOI: 10.1186/s13047-019-0320-7

Q2 JournalSJR: 1.123h-index: 25SCImago

Strong EvidenceSystematic Review

Peripheral Neuropathy

In Plain Language: neuropathy, explained

Researchers reviewed all available studies on non-surgical treatments for Morton's neuroma, a painful nerve condition in the foot. They combined the results to determine which treatments work best and found that several conservative approaches show promise for relieving pain without surgery.

Key Findings: what this systematic review found about neuropathy

✓Non-surgical interventions demonstrate effectiveness for treating Morton's neuroma, offering pain relief alternatives to surgical intervention.
✓Multiple conservative treatment approaches show promise for managing this common plantar digital compressive neuropathy condition.
✓A systematic review and meta-analysis of available studies identified several non-surgical treatment options with therapeutic benefit for Morton's neuroma patients.

What This Means for You

While this review focuses on conventional treatments rather than reflexology specifically, it confirms that non-surgical approaches can be effective for Morton's neuroma, suggesting a conservative care pathway worth exploring before considering surgery.

What This Means for Practitioners

This systematic review establishes the evidence base for non-surgical interventions in foot neuropathy, providing context for how reflexology and other conservative therapies might complement established treatment protocols for Morton's neuroma.

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Neuropathy: common questions

What does this study say about neuropathy?

What did this study find?

Non-surgical interventions demonstrate effectiveness for treating Morton's neuroma, offering pain relief alternatives to surgical intervention. Multiple conservative treatment approaches show promise for managing this common plantar digital compressive neuropathy condition. A systematic review and meta-analysis of available studies identified several non-surgical treatment options with therapeutic benefit for Morton's neuroma patients.

How strong is this evidence?

This is a systematic review and we rate its evidence strong. It was published in Journal of foot and ankle research, a Q2 journal. This study is indexed here for context; it did not test reflexology itself.