Toe Numbness Treatment

Toe numbness is a condition where there is complete or partial loss of sensation in one or more toes. Sudden numbness that lasts for just a few seconds is not a serious issue and does not require any treatment. It can happen when the blood flow to the feet gets affected temporarily for some reasons.

However, if the numbness refuses to subside for some time and is accompanied by other symptoms like pain, tingling and burning sensation, then proper diagnosis and treatment is a must. Athletes particularly runners experience this problem more often. Though non-athletes may get it too.

The causes can be related to medical as well as non medical problems. The most common non medical problem which can make your toes numb is poorly fitted shoes. Shoes with high heels or pointed toes or tight fitting often compress the nerves in the toe area and they become numb.

In such cases, numbness is mostly felt after wearing the footwear. Apart from that, it can be a symptom of various underlying problems. They are as follows:

• Morton's Neuroma: This is a common problem among athletes. In this condition, a thick scar tissue grows on the nerves of the toes. This scar tissue formation is triggered by repeated pressure on the toe nerves due to wearing of tight shoes while running. The pain and numbness caused by Morton's neuroma is felt at the base of the third and fourth toes only.

• Traumatic Injury: If the toes are badly hit against a hard surface or a heavy object fall on them, then fracture or dislocation may occur in the toe bones. The affected bone puts pressure on the nearby nerve which makes the toe numb.

• Nerve Damage: The nerves present in the extremities of the body like toes tend to get damaged due to uncontrolled diabetes and is known as diabetic neuropathy. Besides obesity, deficiency of vitamin B12 and infections are some other factors that can cause damage to the nerves present in the toes.

• Bunion: It is a bony overgrowth on the big toe and can be identified by a bump at the base of the big toe. In this case, the numb feeling is confined to the big toe only.

• Other Causes: Lesser known causes of toe numbness are: feet abnormalities like flat feet, high arch feet, frostbite on toes, gangrene, accumulation of uric acid on the big toe because of gout, circulation problem, etc.

The first step of treatment is identification of the actual cause. Those who complain that they feel numbness in toes only when they are wearing shoes, then it can be assumed that wrong footwear is the real cause of the problem. They should consult a podiatrist to get the right guidance for proper selection of the footwear. A runner should always wear a shoe half size larger than the actual size of their regular shoes.

This will minimize the unnecessary pressure on the toe nerves while running. Shoes with special lacing are also available for athletes. The advantage of these shoes are that the lace at the front part of the shoe can be adjusted as per the requirement of the runner and thus the pressure is reduced.

There are running shoe insoles which are also recommended as it can provide the right kind of protection to the feet of the runner from the strong impact of running.

There are some other causes of toe numbness that cannot be resolved by changing the footwear only and they also need some medicines and change in lifestyle. These causes can be determined with the help of physical examination of the feet and x-rays. People with morton's neuroma should rest their feet as much as possible to avoid any nerve irritation.

Pain relieving medicines are given for pain management. Massaging the feet increases the blood flow to the foot muscles and can bring about improvement in the condition. They should also wear shoes with soft soles. If all these non surgical methods of treatment does not help to get rid of the problem, then surgery is done to remove neuroma or scar tissues.

An injured toe is treated according to the severity of the injury. A fractured toe or dislocated toe bone has to be kept in a cast for some time. In other cases, the toe movements are restricted by putting tapes on them. They are then advised to wear specially designed shoes with stiff bottom to keep the toes immobile. If the toe bone is severely damaged, then it has to be repaired with surgery.

Those with high arch feet should use cushioning in the shoes to add stability to the feet and toes. Flat feet can also be corrected with right kind of shoes. Besides, physical therapy is highly beneficial for these patients with feet problems. The physical therapist suggest suitable exercises that can enable them to balance their feet properly while walking and thus the stress is eased off from the feet.

A bunion diagnosed at an early stage can be treated with the help of medicines and change of footwear. The pain is controlled with painkillers and comfortable shoes with appropriate inserts are needed to ease off the pressure from the feet. However, if the size of the bunion is big, then it has to be removed with the help of surgery.

A frostbite on the toes is often wrapped up with bandage. It has to be cleaned several times in a day to prevent any infection on them. It will heal up fast, if the affected feet is kept at an elevated position. Numbness in toes due to chronic problems like diabetes, circulation problem arthritis cannot be treated completely. However, it can be managed with medicines, proper diet suited for the condition, healthy lifestyle and regular exercising.

Toe numbness treatment should never be delayed. This is because if it gets aggravated, then it can make walking difficult. With timely treatment, you can recover from the problem very soon and will be able to lead a normal life.