Nerve Entrapment

With nerve entrapment, you may feel the symptoms in your heel, along the bottom of your foot or the ball of your foot. They may be isolated in one area or spread to your foot arch and toes. In some cases, the symptoms will be associated with a specific activity such as walking or standing for an extended period of time.

A pinched nerve may cause symptoms such as:

• Pain, either aching, sharp or burning
• Numbness in the affected area due to a lack of proper blood supply
• A ‘pins and needles’ tingling experience
• Muscle weakness

Pinched nerves arise as a result of pressure which can be caused by:

• Injury, a fall, car accident, or sporting injury can cause inflammation, which places pressure on your nerves.
• Medical conditions, such as bone spurs, neuromas, ganglion cysts, and varicose veins, can put pressure on a nerve.
• Footwear that is too small or narrow can put pressure on different parts of the foot.
• Obesity, carrying excess weight places additional pressure on the soft tissue in your feet as well as the nerves that surround the tissue.
• Underlying conditions such as osteoarthritis, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis can all put pressure on your nerves.
• If you have high arches or are flat-footed, you are more at risk of nerve compression.
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome, if your posterior tibial nerve becomes compressed, you’ll experience symptoms on the bottom of your foot or the inside of your ankle.
• Baxter’s nerve entrapment, this is the compression of the lateral plantar nerve that can cause pain in your heel or in some cases, the bottom of your foot.

If you have nerve entrapment symptoms that don’t improve (or start to worsen) after a week or so, you should consult with a professional who has experience in treating foot-related conditions. They will be able to diagnose your condition accurately as well as examining the underlying causes in order to determine the correct course of treatment.

In addition to a physical examination and an assessment of your symptoms, they may also perform imaging tests, nerve conduction tests, and electromyography.

If the nerve entrapment is caused by an underlying condition, your doctor may also recommend other corrective interventions such as medication to reduce inflammation, physical therapy, orthotics, and, if necessary, surgery to relieve the pressure that is causing your symptoms.

Our team of experienced doctors will be able to correctly diagnose your condition and determine the best treatment intervention. To get in touch, please give us a call on 847-885-9525 or request an appointment through the website.