A neuroma is an inflammation of a nerve in the ball of the foot. Because the nerve is composed of soft tissue, it is not visible on X-ray. X-ray is useful to image bone and does not provide much diagnostic benefit for a Morton's neuroma. Even so, your podiatrist in Houston will likely order an X-ray to be taken, since it is important to rule out other issues, such as a stress fracture.
An MRI is very useful in imaging soft tissue structures, such as neuromas. An MRI is not always necessary if the clinical evidence for a neuroma is overwhelming. In fact, an MRI can produce a false negative for Morton's neuroma, meaning not finding one even if a neuroma is present. This happens when the neuroma falls between the "slices" that the MRI takes.
One thing you cannot do is diagnose a neuroma yourself. Contact our Houston podiatry office for an immediate evaluation to properly diagnose the cause of the pain in the ball of your foot.
