âSometimes, I lose feeling in my feet entirely,â April admits. âDuring the run, everything is sunshine and rainbows until you canât feel your feet.â
According to Miriam Salloum, MPT, COMT, OCS, there are three common forms of nerve entrapment that can cause phantom foot symptoms or pains like these: âOne with ankle sprains and inversion or supination of the foot, one due to compression on the top of the foot, and one on the inside of the ankle bone with eversion or pronation.â
Salloum explains that the deep peroneal nerve can cause burning or cramping on the top of the foot that zings into the first toe. If itâs injured higher up the lateral leg the runner can have a condition known as foot drop, when the foot feels weak or unable to lift up toward the shin. But most commonly, peroneal nerve compression can simply come from tying your laces too tight. If you struggle with this type of pain, try loosening your laces or changing the lace pattern to open the toe box. Similar to carpal tunnel syndrome at the wrist, the nerves in the ankle can become compressed, causing tarsal tunnel syndrome. Tarsal tunnel is a compression on the posterior tibial nerve that can cause numbness, pain and burning in the bottom of the foot. Salloum says that runners with a high amount of pronation in their ankles or who experience more high-impact issues are more likely to experience tarsal tunnel syndrome. This could mean they have increased hip weakness, increased weight, or under-supportive footwear. Running on a surface that angles the foot inward can also cause this problem.