The official start of summer has finally begun and all you want to think about is your family vacation, sitting outside with a cold drink in your hand, and enjoying those late evenings with good conversation around the picnic table. Don’t let a pinched nerve put a damper on all of your fun summer plans. Instead, get the treatment you need so the only burn you feel is the sun beating down (but don’t forget the sunscreen!).
If you have a burning, tingling sensation in your foot it could be the result of a pinched nerve, also known as nerve entrapment. Nerve entrapment is usually the result of a trauma to the foot. This doesn’t necessarily mean direct trauma, although that can be the case. Sometimes trauma occurs over time in the form of wearing shoes that are too tight or having your feet swell. Tarsal tunnel syndrome is also a type of nerve entrapment that can create shooting pains from your arch to your soles. Usually the pain and discomfort is worse at night or while you are resting.
Treating a pinched nerve usually requires only conservative treatment methods. It’s important to first figure out what’s causing the nerve to become entrapped in the first place and then go from there. We might start out by adding some padding to your shoe in places where your nerves are being compressed, which is usually towards the top of the shoe. We might also prescribe cortisone shots or anti-inflammatory drugs to help reduce swelling and pain. In some very severe cases we may need to perform surgery in order to release the nerve, but this is often a last resort and not a “go to”.
If you have questions about the burning sensation in your foot or how to treat a pinched nerve please call Dr. Mitchell Wachtel at (978) 794-8406 to schedule an appointment with us in our Haverhill, North Andover, or Lowell offices. Together, we will figure out the best course of treatment to get rid of your nerve entrapment pain.