What nerve?

[Jenny]

I just bought new athletic shoes and have been wearing the around the house to see if I’m going to keep them. I've actually just been sitting in my chair, feet up on footstool, and have noticed that the little toe and part of my foot right under it seem to keep going to sleep/getting numb. I've been changing my foot position, and the shoes are laced really, really loosely. I feel no pinching, poking, or anything else, and the toe box is plenty wide - I can spread my toes in the sheoe, while tied.

So, despite not feeling anything being pinched, I assume something is. What nerve handles this area of the foot?

 

[Gloria]

https://www.ebmconsult.com/articles/dermatomes-full-body-anterior-posterior

 

[Obrules15]

I think (not sure) it's the Peroneal.

 

[Jenny]

Lateral plantar seemed possible, but this isn't my area of knowledge at all, so I kind of wanted a doublecheck. The stuff I was googling made my head hurt.

 

[Jenny]

https://www.ebmconsult.com/articles/dermatomes-full-body-anterior-posterior

Thanks, but I don't understand. At all. Found a similar picture of the foot that showed a Sural nerve with an S1 and S2 near it. Your link made me think S4 was something (anterior pic, outside of leg into foot) but then I see all the S things on the posterior pic are near my ass, so are you telling me to get off my ass and my foot will be fine?

Like I said, this is not my area of expertise at all. (Understatement of the year, right?)

 

[Jenny]

Wait, wait - I might be zeroing in on this. The S1 nerve affects those areas, so stuff happening in both your rear and your foot can be because something is going on with just the one nerve. Like sciatica. But that's if something is happening to it way up by the spine, right?

 

[Kimmyt]

CNS>PNS

So, the central nervous system is spinal cord and then it branches out and turns into the peripheral which is all the little nerves that go through our body. The dermatomes map is showing which areas of the body are affected by which vertebrae.

This image is a good one of the nerves in the foot, so I would call that a 'lateral plantar nerve'? But I'm also gonna add that I'm no expert in this stuff.

 

[Gloria]

Thanks, but I don't understand. At all. Found a similar picture of the foot that showed a Sural nerve with an S1 and S2 near it. Your link made me think S4 was something (anterior pic, outside of leg into foot) but then I see all the S things on the posterior pic are near my ass, so are you telling me to get off my ass and my foot will be fine?

Like I said, this is not my area of expertise at all. (Understatement of the year, right?)

Lol. No you don’t have to get up, a nerve can be compressed anywhere along its path. The dermatones show the affected areas of each nerve. I think you are correct in suspecting lateral plantar though.

 

[Jenny]

Oooh, KimmyT's pic shows the lateral plantar looking like maybe it goes under the ankle bone? If so, I think that's it, as one of my concerns with these was whether my ankle bone was too low and was hitting the shoe too much. It didn't necessarily hurt when I was wearing them, but I was aware of hit touching the shoe and that's has been an issue all of my life. And, it was sore for a little while after I took off the shoe. This is the foot in which I have a bigger problem with plantar fasciitis, too.

Thanks for the help ladies.

 

[VickiK]

I have a pair of hiking boots that do that. I've already used them so it's too late, but can you return the shoes?

 

[Jenny]

I have a pair of hiking boots that do that. I've already used them so it's too late, but can you return the shoes?

Oh, I can. I've only worn them inside for a couple of days, and this store even lets you return them if you've worn them outside. Trouble is, I really want them to work! They're soooo cushy comfy - you know, other than this pesky numbness issue! I may go back and ask them about lifting me up just the tiniest bit in them to see if that does anything.

 

[volklgirl]

Many of my hikers (and my ski boots) hit my ankle bones in the wrong place. I ended up buy several pairs of heel lifts/arch supports that lift my ankles up out of the lower edge of the pocket. Maybe try that cheap and easy solution first?

 

[Jenny]

Many of my hikers (and my ski boots) hit my ankle bones in the wrong place. I ended up buy several pairs of heel lifts/arch supports that lift my ankles up out of the lower edge of the pocket. Maybe try that cheap and easy solution first?

I'm going to the store tomorrow to see what they have to say, but I’ve worn them a little more now, including a full day at work, and it hasn't happened again, so maybe I just had something weird going on those nights. Or a sock issue, who knows. But I’m liking the little bit of heel lift idea - something minimal I can put under the footbed, so it doesn't interfere with the cushiness.

 

[volklgirl]

The ones in my low top hikers are Sof Comfort from Wal-Mart. 3/4 length. I have others I like better, but I'll have to wait until I get home to see what they are. I found them at TJ Maxx in the sport section. They were marketed as "comfort and support for tired feet after your workout", or some other such drivel.

 

[Jenny]

I stopped in at Gazelle and the guy there fashioned some for me out of another pair of insoles. They seem to have done the trick, too, so I’m keeping the shoes.