Numbness in bottom of feet home remedies

Oftentimes, pain in the feet can be throbbing or sharp in nature, but lack of feeling can be extremely bothersome as well. Numbness in the feet can be one of the first symptoms of something else going on in the lower extremities or body. Here we will discuss some of the common causes of numbness in the feet and how we treat it.

What is numbness in the Feet?

Numbness in the feet is referred to as neuropathy and is a syndrome affecting the nerves. Peripheral neuropathy is numbness that starts in the tips of the toes and can progress to the foot and up through the leg. Numbness is often one of many other symptoms of neuropathy, including tingling, burning, and shooting pains through the feet and/or toes.

Risk Factors for developing numbness in the feet

There are many reasons why you may be experiencing numbness in your feet. Risk factors for peripheral neuropathy include certain medical conditions such as diabetes, vitamin B12 deficiency, HIV, or chronic alcohol use. Even treatments for cancer including chemotherapy and radiation commonly have neuropathy as a side effect.

Another reason some people experience numbness in their feet is trauma to the foot or ankle. The nerves can be directly injured after a break or sprain and can also become entrapped even years after an injury due to scar tissue and inflammation. An irritated nerve can form a growth around it called a neuroma. This is commonly found in the forefoot and causes numbness and shooting into affected toes.

Treatment Options

Treatment of numbness in the feet focuses on treating the cause of the problem. If numbness is caused by conditions such as diabetes, there are prescription medications used to calm the irritated nerves so the symptoms are less severe. Supplements can also help ease the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. These medications, such as neurontin or pregabalin, can be used to treat numbness and nerve pain caused by other ailments as well.  With diabetic neuropathy, prevention is the greatest treatment because the nerve damage caused by high blood sugar levels often cannot be reversed. If a nerve is entrapped or being compressed by another structure in the foot or ankle, a surgery can be performed to free the nerve from the surrounding scar tissue or fascia.

Treatments for numbness in feet or a neuroma can include non-surgical treatments such as steroid injections and offloading the forefoot with padding and/or orthotics. For more long term results, a series of alcohol injections can be used on the neuroma to dehydrate and destroy the nerve lesion.

As always, the doctors at Certified Foot & Ankle Specialists are here to find the root of your problem and get you back to your best self.

Foot numbness, also known as peripheral neuropathy, is a problem that we see very often as foot and ankle specialists. Numbness may occur in the bottom of the feet, top of the feet, the toes or the legs. There are many causes for numbness in the legs, feet and toes. Foot numbness may be painful, but in some cases, it may present only as an annoying sensation or absence of sensation. The most common causes of numbness in the legs, feet and toes as well as treatment for numbness in the feet will be described below.

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Symptoms of Foot Numbness

Patients with peripheral neuropathy, or foot numbness, may describe the sensation as a feeling of leather or cardboard on the bottom of their feet. Some compare the foot numbness to the tingling and swollen sensation we feel after a Novocaine injection during a dental procedure. Others complain of burning, extreme tightness, itching, crawling, weakness, cramping or freezing sensations combined with numbness in the legs, feet and toes. All of these complaints may suggest peripheral neuropathy and warrant further evaluation by your foot and ankle specialist, such as sensation testing in the physical exam, nerve conduction studies, nerve fiber density testing or quantitative sensory testing.

Causes of Foot Numbness

The most common cause of peripheral neuropathy or foot numbness in the US is diabetes. Other things such as thyroid disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, alcohol use, chemotherapy and other drugs may cause it as well. In addition, nerve entrapment at the level of the spinal cord may result in numbness in the legs, feet or toes.

Trauma or entrapment to the peripheral nerves beyond the level of the spine may also result in foot numbness. For instance, common peroneal nerve entrapment results in numbness, pain or weakness on the leg or ankle, or numbness in the top of the foot. Superficial peroneal nerve entrapment causes numbness only on the top of the foot and toes. Deep peroneal nerve entrapment causes numbness only in the toes. Tarsal tunnel syndrome, or posterior tibial nerve entrapment, causes numbness or pain in the bottom of the foot.

Treatment for Foot Numbness

Numbness in the feet, whether it be in the legs, top or bottom of the foot, or the toes, may be treated with certain types of physical therapy, such as anodyne therapy. In diabetics, better control of their glucose levels may diminish the sensation of numbness in the feet and legs.  Supplementation of B vitamins may also result in improvement in foot numbness, as well as alpha lipoic acid. If nerve entrapment is known to be the cause of the numbness in the foot, legs or toes, then surgical decompression of the nerve either at the spinal cord level or in the leg or foot itself may provide relief.

FOOT NUMBNESS

There are many causes for foot numbness. Treatment options are available and are based on the underlying cause. One should see a foot and ankle specialist if they experience numbness in the feet, legs or toes.

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