Blog topic
Finding the cause of foot nerve pain: sciatica versus a foot problem, nerve tests, and talking about pain.
Nerve pain can start in the back, the buttock, the knee or the foot, and it can start in more than one place at once. These articles explain how doctors work out where a problem sits, what nerve tests involve, and how to describe your symptoms so they get to the right answer faster.
Related guides: back or foot?, nerve testing, sciatica and nerve compression overview.
Finding the cause
A 10-gram monofilament pressed on the sole shows whether your foot can feel an injury. A failed test means loss of protective sensation, and fixing deformity or a trapped nerve can lower the risk that follows.
Finding the cause
Numbness and weakness come from different nerve fibers, and the pattern points to the cause. A trapped nerve causing foot drop can often be fixed with surgery, while slowly spreading weakness without numbness needs a neurologist.
Finding the cause
The words you use are real clues. What to say about burning, tingling and electric pain, and how to prepare for your visit.
Finding the cause
What the tests measure, what they feel like, how to prepare, and why a normal result doesn’t always rule out a nerve problem.
Finding the cause
Where it starts, what triggers it, and what a tap on the nerve does: five clues to whether your foot symptoms come from the back or the foot.
Finding the cause
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
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 a second opinion makes sense, why nerve pain can persist after surgery, and what a fresh evaluation should include.
Appointments
An evaluation can clarify what’s causing your symptoms and what your options are — starting with non-surgical care whenever that’s appropriate.