Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome (TTS) is a name for a group of problems that includes swelling, pain, tingling and loss of strength in your foot and ankle. This condition will happen when the tibial nerve in your ankle (which runs through the tarsal tunnel) becomes squeezed (compressed) by damaged tissue or bone inside or outside of the tarsal tunnel. This condition is similar to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) that happens in the wrist, but TTS is a lot less common than CTS.
What is the 'Tarsal Tunnel'?
The tarsal tunnel is found on the inside of your ankle and is formed in a similar way to the carpal tunnel. There are 3 major bones in your foot and ankle which form the bottom of the tunnel (inside your ankle). This includes the calcaneus (heel bone), talus (a bone in your ankle) and tibia (shin bone). A thick band of fibrous tissue called the flexor retinaculum is located at the top of this tunnel and acts like a bridge over the tendons that run through it. The flexor retinaculum surrounds the muscles and nerves in your lower leg and ankle to protect them. Your ankle and foot tendons, muscles, nerves, arteries and veins pass through the Tarsal Tunnel to get to the bottom of your foot.
One of the more major nerves that pass through the tarsal tunnel is the tibial nerve. Tarsal tunnel syndrome occurs when this nerve is squeezed by surrounding bone, muscle, tendons or ligaments.
What Causes Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome?
The tibial nerve in the ankle/foot can be squeezed by the following:
One of the more major nerves that pass through the tarsal tunnel is the tibial nerve. Tarsal tunnel syndrome occurs when this nerve is squeezed by surrounding bone, muscle, tendons or ligaments.
What Causes Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome?
The tibial nerve in the ankle/foot can be squeezed by the following:
- Swelling caused by an ankle sprain
- Any soft tissue swelling inside or outside of the tunnel caused by other injuries like a ganglion cyst, swollen tendon or bone spur
- Degeneration in the ankle joint from conditions like arthritis
- Nerve damage already present in your ankle
- Anatomical abnormalities in and around the tarsal tunnel, for example, if you suffer from fallen arches.
- Tarsal Tunnel Neuropathy
- Entrapment Neuropathy Of The Tibial Nerve
- Posterior Tibial Neuropathy
- Compression Of The Tibial Nerve
- Posterior Tibial Neuralgia
How Does Foot or Ankle Tendonitis Relate to TTS?
Tendonitis is a condition where your tendon becomes irritated or inflamed. Usually this irritation, swelling and inflammation happens because of some kind of damage or micro-tear occurring within the tendon. This can happen from overuse of the tendon or an accident of some kind.
Foot and ankle tendonitis (posterior tibial tendonitis) can cause tarsal tunnel syndrome, especially if the tendon affected runs inside or alongside of the tarsal tunnel. If this happens, the swelling and inflammation from the tendinitis will squeeze the tibial nerve running through the tarsal tunnel and trigger a TTS injury.
What's the Difference Between Tendonitis, Tendinosis and Tenosynovitis? Tendinosis is similar to tendonitis but this condition is not caused by an injury. Tendinosis occurs as a result of chronic degeneration (wear & tear) of tendon fibers. This happens naturally as we age.
Tendonitis is triggered due to damage or micro-tearing to the tendon, tenosynovitis is caused by damage or micro-tearing to the sheath covering the tendon. The sheath protects the tendon and is made of synovium (a special type of connective tissue).
It's possible for you to have tendonitis / tendinosis AND tenosynovitis at the same time, creating a more complicated injury.
Foot and ankle tendonitis (posterior tibial tendonitis) can cause tarsal tunnel syndrome, especially if the tendon affected runs inside or alongside of the tarsal tunnel. If this happens, the swelling and inflammation from the tendinitis will squeeze the tibial nerve running through the tarsal tunnel and trigger a TTS injury.
What's the Difference Between Tendonitis, Tendinosis and Tenosynovitis? Tendinosis is similar to tendonitis but this condition is not caused by an injury. Tendinosis occurs as a result of chronic degeneration (wear & tear) of tendon fibers. This happens naturally as we age.
Tendonitis is triggered due to damage or micro-tearing to the tendon, tenosynovitis is caused by damage or micro-tearing to the sheath covering the tendon. The sheath protects the tendon and is made of synovium (a special type of connective tissue).
It's possible for you to have tendonitis / tendinosis AND tenosynovitis at the same time, creating a more complicated injury.
What is a Sprained Ankle? How Does a Sprained Ankle Relate to TTS?
A sprained ankle is a stretch and/or tear affecting one or more of the ligaments in your ankle. This common injury occurs after the foot twists, rolls or turns inward beyond the normal range of motion.
Thousands of people suffer from the pain of a sprained ankle every day. There are 7 different kinds of ankle sprains:
How Severe is Your Sprained Ankle Injury? Sprains are usually categorized according to severity:
You should seek medical attention if you suspect that you've ruptured a tendon or ligament in your ankle, can't move the affected joint and have numbness in any part of your ankle.
So you have Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. What’s next?
The good news is that most cases of tarsal tunnel syndrome will heal with simple at home, conservative treatments and surgery is often not needed!
Reduce Regular Activities & Rest Your Foot Allowing your foot to rest is always recommended following injury. Avoid all activities that may have caused the injury or irritation and begin cold compression treatments as soon as possible. Immediate and continuous treatment with cold compression will reduce the pressure being placed on the nerve in your foot, thereby reducing the symptoms of your tarsal tunnel syndrome.
When you have your pain, swelling and inflammation under control you can actually start to apply treatments with tools such as the Blood Circulation Boost T-shellz Wrap that will encourage healing in your foot.
Anyone in the health-care business knows that your blood supplies the oxygen and much needed nutrients required to heal foot injuries. This is why for years, doctors, trainers, and other medical professionals have recommended RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) to treat the pain and swelling, chronic pain from injury and after any re-injury
Use Cold Compression/ Ice:
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Thousands of people suffer from the pain of a sprained ankle every day. There are 7 different kinds of ankle sprains:
- High ankle sprain
- Lateral sprain
- Inversion sprain
- Eversion sprain
- Syndesmosis sprain
- Anterior talofibular ligament sprain
- Anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament sprain.
How Severe is Your Sprained Ankle Injury? Sprains are usually categorized according to severity:
- MILD (Grade 1): 1 or more ligaments in your ankle are stretched in a mild sprain, but there is no joint loosening.
- MODERATE (Grade 2): 1 or more ligaments in your ankle are partially torn, producing joint instability and some swelling.
- SEVERE (Grade 3): 1 or more ligaments in your ankle are torn completely, separated from the bone and causing you excruciating pain. This is a complete rupture of the ligament(s) and can make your ankle joint nonfunctional.
You should seek medical attention if you suspect that you've ruptured a tendon or ligament in your ankle, can't move the affected joint and have numbness in any part of your ankle.
So you have Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. What’s next?
The good news is that most cases of tarsal tunnel syndrome will heal with simple at home, conservative treatments and surgery is often not needed!
Reduce Regular Activities & Rest Your Foot Allowing your foot to rest is always recommended following injury. Avoid all activities that may have caused the injury or irritation and begin cold compression treatments as soon as possible. Immediate and continuous treatment with cold compression will reduce the pressure being placed on the nerve in your foot, thereby reducing the symptoms of your tarsal tunnel syndrome.
When you have your pain, swelling and inflammation under control you can actually start to apply treatments with tools such as the Blood Circulation Boost T-shellz Wrap that will encourage healing in your foot.
Anyone in the health-care business knows that your blood supplies the oxygen and much needed nutrients required to heal foot injuries. This is why for years, doctors, trainers, and other medical professionals have recommended RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) to treat the pain and swelling, chronic pain from injury and after any re-injury
Use Cold Compression/ Ice:
- 24 to 72 hours after your initial injury or when you first notice pain and swelling to relieve pain and decrease swelling.
- After exercise, workouts or activity of any kind to prevent re-injury
- Anytime you feel your foot / ankle starting to get tender, painful or swollen again.
- Anytime you have swelling, sharp throbbing pain or inflammation
So what do you do when you need to increase blood flow, but you can't move without re-injuring your tarsal tunnel? Go to Shop.Tshellz.Com
Types of Ankle Sprains
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What is Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome in the feet
Tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) is a condition that occurs when there is pressure on the ligament at the back of your foot, resulting in pain and numbness in one or both feet.
👉🏽The tarsal tunnels are narrow spaces in your ankle where nerves and tendons pass through from inside your leg to attach to bones on their way down to each toe.
👉🏽The nerve that controls sensation for part of your sole can become compressed if it becomes enlarged due to inflammation or injury, which may cause pain and/or numbness along with swelling in your foot or ankle area.
Common Causes of Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
Tarsal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the tarsal tunnel, which is a passageway for nerves and blood vessels that run from the heel to the toes.
👉🏽It's a common condition that affects about 2% of adults aged 50 or older.
👉🏽The tarsal tunnel is located in your anklebone (the talus).
👉🏽The surrounding tendons are attached to this bone and help control movement in your foot as you walk or run. If you have tarsal tunnel syndrome, these tendons may become inflamed or swollen due to injury or overuse (for example, if you have flat feet or arthritis in one of your knees). This makes it difficult for them to glide smoothly back into place after each step; as a result, they rub against other structures within the tunnel instead of moving freely, as we move around each day!
Symptoms of Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
When you have tarsal tunnel syndrome, you may experience pain in one or more of these areas:
Tarsal tunnel syndrome can be treated with rest and ice, as well as other treatments from your doctor. When these treatments fail to alleviate your symptoms, surgery may be recommended.
🧑🏿⚕️If you have tarsal tunnel syndrome, see a podiatrist who can examine your foot, diagnose the cause and recommend appropriate treatment.
🧑🏿⚕️ The doctor will examine the foot and look for signs of tarsal tunnel syndrome. He or she may also order X-rays to rule out other causes of nerve pain in the feet (such as arthritis).
👉🏽The podiatrist might recommend treatments to relieve the pressure on the nerve if there's no obvious reason why your foot pain is getting worse over time.
👉🏽If this doesn't help, surgery may be necessary to remove scar tissue near nerves in order to decompress them - this can help relieve symptoms by allowing more space around them so they don't get compressed anymore
Tarsal tunnel syndrome is a common condition that can be treated. If you have tarsal tunnel syndrome, see a podiatrist who can examine your foot, diagnose the cause and recommend appropriate treatment.
👉🏽The tarsal tunnels are narrow spaces in your ankle where nerves and tendons pass through from inside your leg to attach to bones on their way down to each toe.
👉🏽The nerve that controls sensation for part of your sole can become compressed if it becomes enlarged due to inflammation or injury, which may cause pain and/or numbness along with swelling in your foot or ankle area.
Common Causes of Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
Tarsal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the tarsal tunnel, which is a passageway for nerves and blood vessels that run from the heel to the toes.
👉🏽It's a common condition that affects about 2% of adults aged 50 or older.
👉🏽The tarsal tunnel is located in your anklebone (the talus).
👉🏽The surrounding tendons are attached to this bone and help control movement in your foot as you walk or run. If you have tarsal tunnel syndrome, these tendons may become inflamed or swollen due to injury or overuse (for example, if you have flat feet or arthritis in one of your knees). This makes it difficult for them to glide smoothly back into place after each step; as a result, they rub against other structures within the tunnel instead of moving freely, as we move around each day!
Symptoms of Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
When you have tarsal tunnel syndrome, you may experience pain in one or more of these areas:
- Ball of foot
- Arch of foot
- Ankle (behind your ankle bone)
- Calf muscle (the back of your leg)
- Heel
- Sole of foot
Tarsal tunnel syndrome can be treated with rest and ice, as well as other treatments from your doctor. When these treatments fail to alleviate your symptoms, surgery may be recommended.
🧑🏿⚕️If you have tarsal tunnel syndrome, see a podiatrist who can examine your foot, diagnose the cause and recommend appropriate treatment.
🧑🏿⚕️ The doctor will examine the foot and look for signs of tarsal tunnel syndrome. He or she may also order X-rays to rule out other causes of nerve pain in the feet (such as arthritis).
👉🏽The podiatrist might recommend treatments to relieve the pressure on the nerve if there's no obvious reason why your foot pain is getting worse over time.
👉🏽If this doesn't help, surgery may be necessary to remove scar tissue near nerves in order to decompress them - this can help relieve symptoms by allowing more space around them so they don't get compressed anymore
Tarsal tunnel syndrome is a common condition that can be treated. If you have tarsal tunnel syndrome, see a podiatrist who can examine your foot, diagnose the cause and recommend appropriate treatment.
