A good amount of you with foot pain may have struggled with not finding a diagnosis. Plantar fasciitis can sometimes be a fall back diagnosis when other things don't make sense. The purpose of this post is to educate you on a foot condition called Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome.
What Is Your Tarsal Tunnel
Many of you may have heard of the Carpal Tunnel in your hand. It is an area on the underside of your wrist (if you are typing) where muscles, nerves, and blood vessels pass through. It is covered by a fibrous tissue called a retinaculum. When things in this tunnel get tight or swollen, you can have symptoms.
Your foot has a similar area. The tarsal tunnel is just behind and below the inside of your ankle. The bone your feel there is called the medial malleolus. This is part of your tibia (shin bone). There are muscles (posterior tibialis) and nerves (tibial nerve) that pass through this area.
The bones of between your ankle and toes are called tarsals. Thus the name Tarsal Tunnel.
What Causes Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
There is no actual cause for tarsal tunnel syndrome, but there are a lot of risk factors. The more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to have tarsal tunnel syndrome.
Tarsal Tunnel Risk Factors:
Direct Trauma (to the tarsal tunnel itself)
Over Use (running, jumping, etc.)
Prolonged periods of standing, walking, or exercising
Training overload
Obesity
Diabetes
Poor ankle mechanics (decreased range of motion)
Weak musculature (ankle, hip, pelvis, midline)
Poor fitting shoes (this comes up in all foot issues)
Uneven running surfaces
Increased dorsiflexion
A recent change in surface that you stand, walk, run, or workout on.
You may have some of these and have no foot issues, and that's awesome. You may also have none of these and have foot issues.
Symptoms of Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
Tarsal tunnel syndrome has a few symptoms that differentiate it from other foot issues.
Pain along the tibial nerve distribution
Pain on the inside of the ankle
Pain in the foot (this is similar to a lot of other foot issues like plantar fasciitis)
Most commonly the pain is shooting, feels like pins and needles, or feels like a burning sensation.
Numbness in the foot or inside of the ankle
Treating Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
The good news for you is that you can do some of these on your own. You can self treat your tarsal tunnel syndrome and continue to be active.
The key takeaways for self treatment are to be diligent and gentle. Too much can aggravate your symptoms.
Here are some things you can do at home to treat tarsal tunnel syndrome:
Work on ankle and foot range of motion
Perform gentle stretches of the foot and ankle muscles
Gentle work to the soft tissues of the region
Strengthen your foot musculature
Nerve flossing for the tibial nerve
Work on your balance
If you feel you may have Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome or any other foot issues, schedule a free discovery call today (info@bodyfixpt.com) and ask for a free discovery call!
If you want to try out some options first, join our Facebook group "Foot and Ankle Pain Relief: Stay Active"
Here is a video about Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome from our Facebook group
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