Treating foot nerve problems early can save your feet!

This post will discuss some of the subtle signs of nerve irritation or damage that many people ignore until it’s too late.

As always, if you suspect something is wrong, come see us and we’ll help figure out what’s going on!

Early Signs of Foot Nerve Problems

Don’t wait until you have weak legs and numb feet to come see us! The first signs of nerve problems are usually mild:

• Tingling in your toes

• Burning at night

• Slightly clumsier than normal

• Sensations that you “just know” something is wrong

But these symptoms don’t sound too bad, do they? That’s because they aren’t serious…yet. These types of symptoms can be the first clue that nerves are being irritated, compressed, or affected by conditions that cause widespread nerve problems (such as diabetes).

If you catch these changes early enough, we can help maintain sensation and strength.

How Do Foot Nerves Get Involved?

There are many nerves throughout the foot that control sensation, movement, and even some circulation and skin changes. When nerves begin to become irritated or involved with other conditions, symptoms can develop slowly.

Patients will either have localized nerve involvement (think tendonitis) or something more widespread. Diabetic nerve conditions or nutritional deficiencies can cause a “length-dependent" neuropathy where both feet become symptomatic slowly over time. These types of nerve problems typically begin in the toes.

Local nerve compression can occur in many places around the foot but will usually cause sharp or activity-related symptoms in a localized region. Tingling in the bottom of the foot that is associated with resting inside of your ankle joint is probably different than tingling in your toes due to wearing shoes that press on your nerves.

When nerves begin to be irritated or compressed, they tend to cause sensory changes first.

Subtle Sensory Changes

Symptoms like tingling, pins and needles, burning pain, or slight numbness are often the first signs of nerve involvement. Another thing to look for is increased sensitivity to touch. It might just feel like you are walking around with invisible socks on, but all of these symptoms can be early signs of nerve irritation.

Patients may also notice symptoms are worse at night. Burning and temperature sensitivity changes are especially common in early nerve problems.

If numbness continues, patients will begin to notice weakness because they can’t feel their foot doing things they normally would. This puts them at risk for unseen trauma to the foot such as ulcers.

Subtle Weakness

When motor nerves become irritated or compressed, weakness can occur. This too can be subtle at first.

You may stumble more or feel “wobbly” when walking over uneven ground. You might also notice it’s just a little harder to pick up the front of your foot off the ground.

Other early signs can include:

• Cramping of the feet

• Difficulty moving your toes up or down

• Decreased push-off when walking

• Small muscles in the feet appearing thinner

These symptoms typically occur gradually, which is why most people don’t notice them until they’ve been present for a while. Many times people will unconsciously change the way they walk because of these subtle changes.

Balance and Walking Changes

Nerves help your brain understand where your foot is at all times. Without proper feedback from your foot, your balance might not be what it used to be.

Patients often notice they don’t feel quite right walking in dark rooms or uneven terrain. Some people even say they find themselves watching their feet more when they walk.

Balance is heavily linked to falls. Even the slightest change in your balance can increase your fall risk.

Skin Changes

Another easy clue that nerves are involved comes from the health of your skin. Have your legs started to get really dry or shiny? Do you notice cuts and scrapes are taking longer to heal?

These can be signs that nerves are involved. Certain nerves affect circulation to the skin. When they become damaged or compressed, it makes the skin more susceptible to damage.

Things that Increase Your Risk

Some people are more prone to nerve irritation than others. Diabetes, B12 deficiency, thyroid issues, and alcohol use can lead to generalized weakness. Patients who undergo chemotherapy or take certain medications may also experience nerve symptoms.

Occupations that require you to stand all day or wear tight shoes may cause localized nerve compression. If you notice tingling or numbness that is getting worse or frequently seek care.

At Treasure Valley Foot & Ankle, we check your feet for this stuff. During your new patient foot exam, we perform a neurological evaluation to make sure everything is working as it should. We want to help you catch these subtle changes before they lead to weakness or non-feeling feet.

When to Make an Appointment

If you have any of the following, come on in and see us:

• Constant numbness or tingling in your feet

• Painful burning that keeps you awake at night

• Weakness or stumbling

• Loss of feeling in your foot or feet

• Any breaks in skin with loss of feeling

We can test your sensation and strength. We can take X-rays to evaluate nerve compression. We can even check your labs to make sure there isn’t an underlying cause that can be easily fixed.

Managing symptoms early may include changing shoes, custom orthotics, physical therapy, medications to help decrease nerve pain, or treating the underlying problem like blood sugar control.

FAQ

Q1: What are some of the first signs of nerve problems in feet? 

A: Burning pain at night, tingling toes, and the slightest numbness are common complaints in patients with early nerve irritation.

Q2: Can foot nerve problems affect one foot and not the other?

A: Both feet typically become involved unless there is a pinched nerve that is only affecting one side.

Q3: Why do nerve problems often seem to get worse at night?

A: There are fewer distractions at night. Also during times of rest, blood flow changes, which may influence certain nerve sensations.

Q4: Is it possible for nerve damage to feet to be reversed?

A: Depending on the cause, yes! If you have a nerve that is being compressed by something and we remove the cause, then yes, your nerves can recover. Early diagnosis will always beat something being too far gone to fix.

Q5: When should I be concerned about numbness in my feet?

A: If the numbness is constant, burning, gets worse, or is accompanied by weakness, you should be evaluated.