Nerve Dysfunction & Nerve Pain Treatment
Many patients with foot and ankle pain suffer from nerve dysfunction and injuries. These conditions include, but are not limited to, tarsal tunnel syndrome, Morton’s neuroma, Baxter’s nerve entrapment, neuropathy, radiculopathy, trauma, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), and diabetes. In addition to our foot and ankle specialists, our team of experts also include board certified physiatrists and nerve specialists, who have extensively trained at prestigious institutions including Kessler and NYU. Through a comprehensive examination, medical history review, and in house testing including X-ray imaging and nerve conduction/electromyography testing, our team can not only diagnose your condition but also develop an appropriate treatment plan that suits the needs of our patients and their lifestyles.
Types of Nerve Disorders
We treat nerve disorders of the foot and ankle such as:
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Morton’s neuroma
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome
- Baxter’s nerve entrapment
- Foot drop from traumatic nerve injury
- Compression neuropathies
Learn more about these nerve disorders below.
Peripheral Neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy is a form of distal nerve damage that can present in various ways: weakness, burning, numbness or tingling distally, or a feeling of abnormal sensation in the feet and/or hands. The differential diagnosis is extensive, which includes but is not limited to: diabetes mellitus (most common), thyroid or kidney disease, vitamin deficiencies, HIV, alcoholism and cancer. This condition generally starts in your toes and fingers and can ascend up your extremities gradually. Many forms of testing that we perform in-house are available to capture this diagnosis early and intervene appropriately in order to stop progression of these symptoms.
Morton’s Neuroma
Morton’s neuroma is a painful condition that affects the ball of the foot. It involves a thickening of the tissue around the nerves leading to the toes. A common symptom of Morton’s neuroma is a persistent pain in the ball of your foot, or the feeling that you are “walking on a marble.” You may also experience a burning pain in the ball of your foot that radiates to the toes. While nearly 80 percent of cases of Morton’s neuroma are treatable with nonsurgical methods, some may require surgery to resect a small portion of the nerve to release the tissue around the nerve. Accurate diagnosis is key to appropriate treatment. If non-surgical methods are not effective, our team of foot and ankle specialists can release pressure from the nerve with a minimally invasive technique.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
Tarsal tunnel syndrome is compression of the posterior tibial nerve as it travels through the tarsal tunnel. The tarsal tunnel is the canal between ligaments that stretch across the foot and the bump on the inner side of the ankle; it contains the tendons, nerves and arteries that allow the foot to flex and move. It is similar to carpal tunnel syndrome of the hand. Symptoms of tarsal tunnel syndrome include numbness, burning, or a shooting pain. If the condition is severe, surgery (tarsal tunnel release) may be considered.
Baxter’s Nerve Entrapment
This nerve disorder occurs when the first branch of the lateral plantar nerve becomes entrapped in the heel. This can result in numbness and pain in the heel and the bottom of the foot. This nerve is commonly inflamed in runners and may account for up to 20% of overall cases of heel pain. Is it often misdiagnosed as plantar fasciitis as such our team of specialists can help to determine the source of your heel pain.
Foot drop from traumatic nerve injury
The peroneal nerve is a nerve that develops from the sciatic nerve and is found around and below the knee. Issues with the peroneal nerve can cause pain, tingling or numbness at the top of the foot. It may also become difficult to raise your toes, your toes or ankle may feel weak, or you may notice your foot dropping or dragging when walking. To help determine the source of your condition, whether it is compression at the spine, knee, or ankle - our team of nerve specialists can perform EMG/NCV testing to determine the sites of compression and formulate a treatment plan accordingly.
