Why Are My Feet Numb & Tingley – Ask A Podiatrist!

Foot Numbness: Symptoms, Causes, & Treatments

Losing the sense of feeling in your feet and toes can be disturbing, stressful, and unsettling. The loss of feeling can affect your everyday responsibilities and activities such as work, exercising, walking, and standing. Though numbness and tingling in your feet and ankles might be nothing to worry about, it can also be an indication of a more severe foot illness.

Numbness in the feet and ankle can be caused by trauma from an injury or any damages to a nerve in the foot, ankle, or leg. Keep reading to discover all of the various reasons why you need to see a foot specialist today!

Symptoms of Numbness in the Feet

When you took your last step, how did it feel? Could you feel anything? If not, then you may have foot numbness. Not only is it disorienting, stressful, and uncomfortable, numbness in the foot can be a sign of a significant health issue.

Your foot is prone to injury, but did you know it is not the only part of your body that can be damaged and lead to foot numbness? There is a diverse list of potential culprits of foot numbness, but regardless of the reason, any loss of sensation in a part of the body, including your foot, needs to be monitored.

Common Symptoms of Foot Numbness

Discomfort while standing or walking
Loss of sensation in the foot
Tingling in the foot
Pain in the foot, ankle, and toes

The ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves of the feet work together to help us get around, but they also are connected to the rest of the body. Symptoms surrounding foot numbness are not always directly related to the foot, and that is why it is essential that when you experience numbness in the foot, you see an expert Podiatrist.

Foot Pain & Tingling Caused by Neuromas

If you aren’t familiar with a neuroma, simply put, they are also known as pinched nerves. Foot pain & tingling, caused by neuromas, can be due to a growth of nerve tissue found at the bottom of the 3rd and 4th toe.

What are the causes of neuromas in the feet? Well, they can be from:

Wearing tight shoes
Over-exercising
Having other foot problems such as flat feet and bunions

You may have a neuroma in your foot if you feel a stabbing or burning pain. You may also feel like there is a small pebble under your foot while you are walking. Some of the things you can try at home to ease the pain are:

Raise your foot

Every few hours, hold an icepack against your foot for up to 20 minutes

Wear well fitted comfortable shoes

Use soft insoles in your shoes

Peripheral Neuropathy

This is described as damage to the communication network that sends information from your brain and spinal cord to the entire body. The most common causes of Peripheral Neuropathy are:

Diabetes
Alcoholism
Chemotherapy
Medications

Those with diabetes are at a higher risk of experiencing Peripheral Neuropathy as diabetes reduces the blood flow to parts of the body. In turn, the lack of oxygen and nutrients reaching the feet can lead to nerve damage. Peripheral Neuropathy needs to be identified and treated by a specialist. After a treatment plan is set in place, the numbness caused by Peripheral Neuropathy will fade away.

Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome

Similar to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in the hand, Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome affects a large nerve that runs down from your leg to the foot. Tarsal Tunnel is usually caused by trauma to the leg or foot.

After an accident or injury, Tarsal Tunnel may not be noticeable, but over time as the injury worsens, tingling and numbness can occur. We at Vittori Foot & Ankle Clinic strongly recommend that if you have recently suffered an injury to your foot or leg, come to the clinic so that an expert foot and ankle specialist can diagnose any abnormalities right away.

Herniated Disks

A herniated disk isn’t any damage directly to the foot. When experiencing a spinal injury, the rubbery cushions between the bones in the vertebrae are affected. In turn, this can lead to leg and foot pain alongside numbness and tingling.

In most cases, all that needs to be done is a physical test accompanied by a description of your medical history. If you have been diagnosed with a herniated disk, it is critical that you tell your podiatrist so that they can run proper tests to see if it is the culprit to the constant numbness in your feet.

If you are suffering from frequent numbness, tingling, or pain in your feet, schedule an appointment with the best podiatrists in the Chicagoland Area at Vittori Foot & Ankle Clinic today.

When to see a doctor for foot numbness

Home remedies are useful to ease some pain, but they are not a permanent solution. It is critical that you contact Vittori Foot and Ankle Clinic if you have experienced the following:

Trauma to the leg, ankle, or foot
Ongoing or recurring numbness
Underlying health issues such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or fibromyalgia

If you are experiencing foot numbness and can relate it to a particular event, you can contact the clinic directly for advice on what you should do and for useful home remedies. If the numbness is unexplainable, advanced treatments may be necessary.

Foot Numbness – Podiatric Treatments at Vittori Foot and Ankle Specialists

Each patient’s foot and ankle pain is unique, and your podiatrist will undergo a series of tests to determine the best option to treat the numbness in your feet —depending on the severity of your case, physical therapy, medication, small lifestyle changes, or surgery might be recommended.

Constant or recurring numbness in the foot needs to be treated by a specialist. Our foot and ankle specialists will work with you to ensure your condition is treated with the utmost care! Keep your feet feeling healthy and happy, and contact Vittori Foot and Ankle Specialists Clinic in Homer Glen or New Lenox, today.