Why Does It Feel Like There's a Pebble in My Shoe?

It’s irritating or even painful to walk when you have a pebble in your shoe. When you take the time to take off your shoe to remove the offender, but no pebble presents itself, it might be time to visit Hudson Valley Foot Associates for a foot health assessment.

There are a couple of foot conditions that produce the sensation there’s a small stone underfoot, producing pain from mild to severe, without the presence of a foreign object. We can offer solutions when home care isn’t enough.

Morton’s neuroma

One of the most common reasons for the invisible pebble-in-my-shoe sensation results from a thickening of the sheathing surrounding irritated nerve tissue in your feet. Called Morton’s neuroma, this condition usually results from localized injury, irritation, or pressure on nerves in the balls of your feet.

Often related to footwear, Morton’s neuroma can result from tight fits, high heels, or otherwise poor-fitting shoes. Athletes who participate in high-impact sports or activities like rock climbing or cross-country skiing that feature tight-fitting shoes may also experience Morton’s neuroma more often.

You could also be more at risk of nerve irritation if you have other foot deformities or conditions like:

High arches
Bunions
Flat feet
Hammertoes

Sometimes, you can relieve nerve irritation by taking a break from the footwear causing the problems or by treating the contributing foot conditions.

Metatarsalgia

A similar condition to Morton’s neuroma, metatarsalgia irritates or inflames tissue of the musculoskeletal components of your foot, not nerve tissue. It also targets the ball of your foot, resulting in pain, numbness, or tingling as well as the invisible pebble symptom.

It’s common for multiple conditions contributing to cause metatarsalgia, though in some cases a single reason may be to blame. Contributing factors may include:

Intense activity or overuse: distance runners frequently suffer from metatarsalgia
Excess weight: carrying extra pounds in the form of backpacks or body weight
Poorly fitted footwear
Foot deformities: bunions and hammertoes
High arches
Stress fractures

Morton’s neuroma can also be a contributor to irritation of foot tissue.

Treating your symptoms

Conservative home care is often enough to clear the symptoms of both metatarsalgia and Morton’s neuroma. Use the RICE protocol to guide your self-care.

Rest: discontinue activities that aggravate your pain or contribute to injury and irritation
Ice: apply cold packs to your feet to reduce inflammation
Compression: another inflammation reducer, though it may increase nerve irritation
Elevate: put your feet up when resting to encourage improved blood flow

Avoid tight shoes or those with heels while your feet are symptomatic.

It’s important to visit us if your symptoms persist or get worse during home care. We may add treatments including steroid injections, cryosurgery, and nerve release. In rare cases, surgical removal of nerve tissue might be necessary.

Call or click to book a consultation with the nearest location of Hudson Valley Foot Associates today.