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Soap Eases Foot Pain

Q. For over 15 years, I have suffered from a foot condition known as Morton’s neuroma. It is a ganglia of nerves centered in the ball of the foot between the third and fourth toes.
The problem begins with intense itching and progresses to stinging sensations like being stung by an insect. Each attack lasts about an hour. This condition has limited my life and shoe choices all these years.
I had surgery for this, which was painful in itself. The Morton’s neuroma came back. I couldn’t find any cure.
My mother-in-law lived for many years with a bar of soap under the bottom sheet of her bed. She swore it prevented nightly leg cramps. My cousin just attended her 53rd high school reunion, and a classmate who is an internist told her to put a bar of soap under her bottom sheet to cure her nightly leg cramping. I thought, if soap cures leg cramps, would it hurt to try it on my neuroma?
I cannot believe it, but soap absolutely stops any neuroma attack. When the attack begins, I put my foot on a bar of soap and it stops. I keep a bar in my purse; it doesn’t seem to matter what kind of soap I use. I wanted to share this with other neuroma sufferers.

A. Although we know of no scientific evidence that soap can prevent or reverse leg cramps, this remedy is safe and inexpensive and has legions of satisfied people testifying to its usefulness. We were pleased to learn that soap helped ease your painful condition.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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