Numbness or burning after an ankle sprain: when the injury stretched a nerve too

A sprained ankle should swell, bruise and ache. A numb top of the foot, a tingling outer edge or a burning that feels nothing like a bruise are nerve symptoms. A Foot and Ankle Surgeon can usually tell which nerve is involved and what will fix it.

Ankle sprains in the news this week

Two NBA players have missed games with sprained right ankles. The Washington Wizards’ Anthony Davis has missed two games with a right ankle sprain and was listed as questionable for Monday’s game against Detroit.^[7,8] The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Jaylon Tyson was ruled out of Monday’s game against Charlotte, his sixth straight missed game.^[9]

Neither player has been reported to have any nerve symptoms. We have no connection with either player or team and have not examined them. This is based on public reports as of the morning of November 9, 2026.

Can an ankle sprain cause nerve damage?

Yes. In a typical sprain the foot rolls inward (an inversion sprain). That stretches the ligaments on the outer ankle, and it can also pull on the nerves that run down the leg.

• Severe sprains. In 66 people tested with EMG two weeks after a sprain, 17% of moderate (grade II) sprains and 86% of severe (grade III) sprains showed peroneal nerve injury. The tibial nerve was injured in 83% of severe sprains. The authors thought a mild stretch (traction) injury, or bleeding inside the nerve’s covering, was the likely cause.^[1]
• Both peroneal branches. In 22 people, nerve signals were slower in both the superficial and deep peroneal nerves within about a week of an inversion injury.^[2]
• The outer foot. The sural nerve is at risk of traction in severe inversion injuries.^[10]

Each nerve leaves its own pattern. The superficial peroneal nerve gives feeling to most of the top of the foot. It is most often trapped where it comes out of the outer leg muscles.^[5] A trapped deep peroneal nerve typically sends pain into the web space between the big and second toes.^[11] The sural nerve covers the outer edge of the foot. Read more about superficial peroneal nerve entrapment and numbness on the outside of the foot.

Nerve pain or ligament pain: how do you tell?

Ligament pain is usually an ache at the outer ankle that is worse when you stand or walk, with swelling, bruising and sometimes a giving-way feeling.

Nerve pain burns, zings or buzzes like pins and needles. The skin can go numb or become so sensitive that a sock hurts. It often spreads into the foot or toes, and tapping over the nerve may set off a tingle.

Ligament tests don’t answer the nerve question. In the nerve study above, slowed nerve signals did not match the results of hands-on ligament looseness tests.^[2]

A careful exam of strength, feeling and walking is the core of the diagnosis. Nerve conduction studies, EMG and diagnostic nerve blocks can help.^[5] We arrange those with another specialist and review the results with you. Ultrasound can show ligament, tendon and nerve injuries after an ankle injury, and the practice has on-site X-ray and ultrasound.^[12]

Does numbness after an ankle sprain go away?

Usually, yes. Clinical measures were back to normal within two weeks after moderate sprains. After severe sprains, return to full activity took about five weeks.^[1] The superficial peroneal nerve recovered by five weeks, but the deep peroneal nerve was still slow at that point.^[2] Many peroneal nerve entrapments settle with time and activity changes.^[5]

Some don’t. Among 122 severe sprains in children, five led to scarring around the superficial peroneal nerve with symptoms lasting more than three months.^[6] Peroneal nerve weakness can also appear later. Experts advise checking nerve function at follow-up visits, even when it was normal at first.^[13]

Nerve damage after an ankle sprain: when is surgery the answer?

When the nerve is trapped in scar or has formed a painful knot, surgery can fix it. Dr. Efe Ozturk, a double board certified Foot and Ankle Surgeon and podiatrist, performs these operations for appropriate patients.

• Releasing the nerve (neurolysis or decompression). In 17 people with a trapped superficial peroneal nerve (a study not limited to sprains), 80% were free of symptoms or satisfied after surgery to free it.^[3] In five children with scarring after a sprain, releasing the nerve and repairing the ligaments raised foot scores from 57.6 to 98.6 out of 100.^[6] See nerve decompression.
• Removing a painful neuroma. A neuroma is a painful tangle of nerve fibers where a nerve was injured. Across 54 studies of neuromas in the arms and legs (not Morton’s neuroma), surgery gave meaningful pain relief in 77% of people.^[4] When the sural nerve was cut back and its end placed in muscle, median pain fell from 9 to 3 out of 10.^[10] See neuroma surgery.
• Stabilizing the ankle. Giving an unstable joint stability is a first-line step for peroneal nerve problems.^[5] A year after a first sprain, 8.1% of people still felt the ankle was unstable and 15.8% had sprained it again.^[14] In 408 people who had a Broström ligament repair, average ankle scores one year later were 80 to 89 out of 100.^[15] Our surgical center explains chronic ankle instability (external site) and how it is repaired.

What can you do first?

Non-surgical care is the first step and often the bridge to recovery. Exercise and bracing are backed by stronger evidence than other sprain treatments.^[16] Loosen laces or skip eyelets that press on a tender spot. Our main practice covers the ligament side in sprained ankle recovery (external site).

What are the limits?

The EMG study is from 1985, and the release and neuroma studies are small, with no comparison groups.^[1,3,10] The neuroma review found that studies reported results in very different ways.^[4] True nerve weakness (palsy) after a sprain is rare, with few cases reported.^[13] A pooled review of first sprains suggests a longer period of non-surgical care before ligament surgery, since pain and instability keep improving for up to a year.^[14]

Common questions

Is tingling after an ankle sprain normal?

It can happen, especially after a severe sprain. Nerve testing found peroneal nerve changes after most severe sprains.^[1] In one study, superficial peroneal nerve signals were back to normal by five weeks.^[2]

Why are my toes numb after an ankle sprain?

Pain that shoots into the space between the big and second toes points to the deep peroneal nerve.^[11] Numbness on the rest of the top of the foot fits the superficial peroneal nerve.

What is the treatment for nerve damage after an ankle sprain?

Start with rehab, bracing and removing pressure. If symptoms last for months, a nerve release, neuroma surgery or ligament repair can help.^[5,4] See nerve pain after surgery or injury.

When to see a specialist

Book an evaluation if numbness, tingling or burning lasts more than a few weeks after a sprain, keeps coming back each time the ankle rolls, or gets worse instead of better. We see patients in Lyndhurst, Paramus and Millburn. Please call our office at 908-215-5953 to inquire about your insurance.