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Nerve Pain

Arlington/Mansfield Foot & Ankle Centers

Podiatrists, Foot & Ankle Surgeons located in Arlington, TX & Mansfield, TX

When your feet develop nerve pain, it’s often due to nerve compression or diabetic neuropathy. No matter what causes your nerve pain, there’s one thing to remember: Without treatment, damaged nerves progressively worsen. The doctors at Arlington/Mansfield Foot & Ankle Centers have the experience and the diagnostic technology needed to accurately determine the cause of your nerve pain. When you have ongoing foot pain, tingling, or numbness, schedule an appointment online or call one of the two offices in Arlington or Mansfield, Texas.

Nerve Pain Q & A

What is Morton’s neuroma?

Morton’s neuroma occurs when nerves that run between the third and fourth toes thicken. The problem develops when the nerve is compressed by:

  • High-heeled shoes or shoes with a narrow toe box
  • A repetitive movement that stresses the ball of the foot, such as running and tennis
  • Foot deformities such as bunions, hammertoes, and flat feet
  • Injury or trauma to the area

In addition to pain, you may experience tingling, burning, and the sensation that something is inside the ball of your foot. You may also discover that the nerve pain temporarily disappears when you remove your shoe or avoid the activity causing the problem.

What should I know about diabetic neuropathy?

High blood sugar gradually causes diabetic neuropathy, or damaged nerves. When sensory nerves in your feet are damaged, you develop pain that often feels like a prickly, sharp sensation. You may also feel a burning pain and numbness or tingling in the affected foot.

One of the biggest dangers of diabetic neuropathy is that it diminishes your ability to feel a wound on your foot. High blood sugar also damages small blood vessels, which means that wounds are slow to heal.

Slow healing combined with your inability to feel the wound due to nerve damage increases the risk of a wound becoming an infection that spreads. If you’re diabetic, comprehensive diabetic foot care at Arlington/Mansfield Foot & Ankle Centers can prevent serious complications from diabetic neuropathy.

What is tarsal tunnel syndrome?

The tarsal tunnel is a small passageway in your ankle. Blood vessels, tendons, and nerves travel down your legs and through the tunnel to get into your foot. When a certain nerve called the posterior tibial nerve is pinched in the tunnel, you have tarsal tunnel syndrome.

Tarsal tunnel syndrome often develops when structures in or near the tunnel become inflamed or enlarged and compress the nerve. This could happen due to an injury like a sprained ankle, overuse damage, or diseases that cause swelling, like diabetes and arthritis.

When your posterior tibial nerve is compressed, you develop different types of pain such as:

  • Aching pain
  • Shooting pain
  • Burning sensation
  • Pain that feels like an electric shock

It’s important to see your doctor at Arlington/Mansfield Foot & Ankle Centers for nerve pain because nerve damage progressively worsens and can become permanent when it’s not treated. To schedule an appointment, call the office or use the online booking feature.