Symptom guide
Numbness, tingling, burning and electric-shock pain in the feet
A guide to nerve-type symptoms in the feet: what the patterns can suggest and when to seek care.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Efe Ozturk · Last reviewed
Watch: Numbness, tingling and burning in the feet explained
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Numbness, tingling, or burning in your feet? The pattern is an important clue to the cause. Healthy nerves carry signals about touch, temperature, position and pain. When a nerve is compressed, stretched, inflamed or damaged, it can send too few signals, which feels like numbness. Jumbled signals feel like tingling, or pins and needles. And too many signals feel like burning, stabbing or electric pain. Pain in the ball of the foot, between two toes, often suggests Morton’s neuroma. Burning in the sole of one foot, spreading from the inner ankle, may be tarsal tunnel syndrome. Inner heel pain that has not improved with the usual care may involve Baxter’s nerve. A specific patch on the top or side of the foot may be a nerve entrapment. Both feet, starting in the toes and creeping upward, suggests peripheral neuropathy. And symptoms near a scar suggest nerve pain after surgery or injury. Shooting pain from the lower back or buttock down the leg suggests a pinched nerve root in the lower back. Calf or foot pain that comes on with walking and eases with rest, or cold, pale feet, points to reduced circulation, which needs its own evaluation. Vitamin deficiencies, certain medications, heavy alcohol use, and thyroid or kidney disease can also cause nerve symptoms. Notes like these make your visit more productive. Where exactly you feel it. What it feels like. When it happens. What helps, and what makes it worse. How it started. And your health background. Make an appointment if symptoms last more than a few weeks, are getting worse, disturb your sleep, or affect your walking or balance. Seek emergency care right away for sudden weakness or numbness in a leg or foot, a foot that suddenly drags, new numbness in the groin or inner thighs, new loss of bladder or bowel control, or a foot that is cold, pale or blue. This guide can help you describe your symptoms, but it cannot diagnose them. An examination is needed for that. To learn more, visit our website, or call the office to arrange a visit.
General education only; not a substitute for individual medical advice.
Why nerves cause these sensations
Healthy sensory nerves carry signals about touch, temperature, position and pain. When a nerve is compressed, stretched, inflamed or damaged, it can send too few signals (numbness), jumbled signals (tingling, “pins and needles”), or too many (burning, stabbing or electric pain). Many people notice a mix, and the sensations can change through the day.[2,3]
Patterns and what they can suggest
The table below lists common patterns and the conditions they are often associated with. Many conditions overlap, and more than one can be present.
| Where and when | Often associated with |
|---|---|
| Ball of the foot, between two toes; “pebble in the shoe”; worse in tight shoes | Morton’s neuroma[6] |
| Sole of one foot, spreading from the inner ankle; worse with standing or walking | Tarsal tunnel syndrome[7] |
| Inner heel pain that hasn’t improved with usual plantar fasciitis care | Baxter’s nerve entrapment, alongside other causes of heel pain |
| A specific patch on the top or side of the foot; linked to laces, boots or an old sprain | Nerve entrapment in the foot and ankle[5] |
| Both feet, starting in the toes and creeping upward; often worse at night | Peripheral neuropathy[3,4] |
| Near or beyond a scar, after an injury or operation; a tender spot that “zings” when tapped | Nerve pain after surgery or injury |
| Shooting from the lower back or buttock down the leg into the foot | A pinched nerve root in the lower back — usually evaluated by your primary care physician or a spine specialist |
| Calf or foot pain that comes on with walking and eases with rest; cold or pale feet | Reduced circulation (peripheral artery disease), which needs its own evaluation |
- Medial plantar nerve — inner two-thirds of the sole and the first three-and-a-half toes
- Lateral plantar nerve — outer third of the sole and the fifth and half of the fourth toe
- Calcaneal branches — the heel pad
- Sural nerve — the outer border of the foot and heel
- Superficial peroneal (fibular) nerve — most of the top of the foot
- Deep peroneal (fibular) nerve — the web space between the big and second toes
- Saphenous nerve — the inner border of the foot near the ankle
Other possible causes
Nerve-type symptoms in the feet can also be linked to vitamin deficiencies (especially B12), certain medications, heavy alcohol use, thyroid or kidney disease, and some autoimmune conditions. Anxiety and breathing quickly can briefly cause tingling, too. That is why a good evaluation looks at your whole health, not just your feet.[1,3]
How symptoms are evaluated
At a visit, we’ll ask about your symptoms and health history and examine both feet and legs — sensation, strength, reflexes, circulation, skin, joints, alignment and footwear. When needed, we may recommend imaging or nerve studies, or work with your primary care physician or a neurologist on blood tests. See what to expect.
Keeping a symptom diary
Notes like these make your visit more productive:
- Where exactly you feel it — one spot, one foot, or both feet
- What it feels like — burning, tingling, numbness, electric shocks, aching
- When it happens — time of day, at night, with standing, walking, particular shoes
- What helps and what makes it worse
- How it started — gradually, after an injury, after an operation, after a new medication
- Your health background — diabetes, thyroid or kidney disease, back problems, and a current medication list
When to seek care
Make an appointment if symptoms last more than a few weeks, are getting worse, disturb your sleep, or affect your walking or balance — or at any time if you have diabetes and notice new numbness or a foot wound.
References
- 1.MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Numbness and tingling. U.S. National Library of Medicine. medlineplus.gov (external site)
- 2.MedlinePlus. Peripheral Nerve Disorders. U.S. National Library of Medicine. medlineplus.gov (external site)
- 3.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Peripheral Neuropathy. ninds.nih.gov (external site)
- 4.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Peripheral Neuropathy. niddk.nih.gov (external site)
- 5.Pomeroy G, Wilton J, Anthony S. Entrapment neuropathy about the foot and ankle: an update. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2015;23(1):58-66. PubMed 25538131 (external site)
- 6.Dixon M, Munir U, Tafti D. Morton Neuroma. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; updated 2026. PubMed 29262171 (external site)
- 7.Adler L, Bergman R, Kaiser K. Posterior Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; updated 2026. PubMed 30020645 (external site)
This page is general health information and isn’t a substitute for advice from a clinician who knows your history. Read our medical disclaimer and how we review content.
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