Foot & ankle nerves
Heel pain: plantar fasciitis or a pinched nerve?
Stretching and new shoes haven’t worked? A small nerve under the heel can cause pain that looks just like plantar fasciitis. Here are the clues.
Blog
Foot and ankle nerve health, explained
Practical, sourced articles from Dr. Efe Ozturk on nerve pain, numbness, tingling and burning in the foot, ankle and leg, and how they are found and treated.
More articles
Foot & ankle nerves
Can a pinched nerve in the foot heal on its own?
Sometimes, when the pressure comes off. What affects recovery of a pinched foot nerve, what you can do meanwhile, and when to stop waiting.
Foot & ankle nerves
Morton’s neuroma injections: what to expect
What a steroid injection can and can’t do for Morton’s neuroma, how long relief lasts, and when surgery comes up.
Foot & ankle nerves
Burning in the ball of the foot: neuroma or metatarsalgia?
A click between the toes is a better clue than burning or a pebble feeling. How a neuroma and a plantar plate injury are told apart.
Foot & ankle nerves
Numb top of the foot? Tight laces and the nerves beneath
Two nerves run just under the skin on top of the foot. What presses on them, what to try first, and when it needs checking.
Foot & ankle nerves
Numbness on the outside of the foot: the sural nerve
The sural nerve runs along the outer edge of the foot. What irritates it, how it is told from a back problem, and what can be done.
Foot & ankle nerves
Pinched nerve in the foot: what to try before surgery
Shoes, padding, orthotics, therapy, medicines and injections: what to try first for a pinched foot nerve, and when to rethink.
Numbness & burning
Burning feet at night: causes and what can help
Burning feet have many possible causes. How doctors sort them out, what can help, and when it needs checking.
Numbness & burning
Diabetic neuropathy in the feet: when to see a nerve specialist
How diabetic neuropathy is diagnosed, how to protect numb feet, and the signs that point to something else.
Numbness & burning
Small fiber neuropathy: burning feet with normal tests
Burning feet but normal nerve tests? What small fiber neuropathy is and how it is found.
Numbness & burning
Numbness in only one foot: what it can mean
One numb foot points to a different set of causes than two. The patterns, and when to get it checked.
Numbness & burning
Cold feet or numb feet? Circulation versus nerves
Numb feet can be a nerve problem, a circulation problem, or both. How to tell them apart.
Numbness & burning
Chemotherapy and numb feet: what to know about neuropathy
What the ASCO guideline says about chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, and how to protect your feet.
Finding the cause
Normal EMG but still nerve pain? Why that happens
Why a normal EMG doesn’t rule out a nerve problem, and what to do when the test is normal but the pain isn’t.
Finding the cause
Ultrasound or MRI for foot nerve pain: which is better?
What ultrasound and MRI can show about a nerve problem in the foot, how they compare, and why a scan isn’t the whole answer.
Finding the cause
When to get a second opinion for foot nerve pain
When a second opinion makes sense, why nerve pain can persist after surgery, and what a fresh evaluation should include.
After surgery or injury
Nerve pain at the front of the knee after knee replacement
When the implant looks fine but the front of the knee burns, a small nerve may be the cause. The clues and the options.
After surgery or injury
Nerve pain after Achilles surgery: the sural nerve
How often the sural nerve is affected after Achilles repair, what it feels like, and what can be done.
After surgery or injury
Phantom pain or a neuroma after amputation: telling them apart
Phantom limb pain and a residual limb neuroma can look alike and can coexist. How they differ and what treatment offers.
After surgery or injury
Complex regional pain syndrome after foot surgery: early signs
Pain that grows instead of fading, with skin or temperature changes, can be CRPS. The early signs and what to do.
How we write these articles
Every article is written for patients in plain language and sourced from published research, guidelines and patient-education references, which are listed at the end of each piece. Articles go live only after Dr. Ozturk has reviewed them, and each one says when it was reviewed. They are general information, not a diagnosis; if something here sounds like your symptoms, call the office or request an appointment.
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An evaluation can clarify what’s causing your symptoms and what your options are — starting with non-surgical care whenever that’s appropriate.