When we think of foot pain, we tend to assume that it occurs when we are awake and using our feet to stand, walk, run, or jump.
So, it may surprise you to learn that, while sleeping and off your feet, you can also suffer from foot pain. That pain is likely to interrupt your night’s sleep.
Here are some of the foot pain issues that affect people at night:
Pinched Nerve
Foot pain that is present during the day but worsens at night may be the result of a pinched nerve in the ankle or heel. A pinched nerve often results from holding the body in one position for extended periods or from repetitive motions. Such prolonged nerve compression wears away the protective fiber around it, which will lead to swelling and pain.
Sometimes, this condition can be missed because the nerve compression (or entrapment) may manifest in another part of the body, like the lower back. A nerve compression in the lower back may create pain in the foot via the sciatic nerve, which extends from the buttocks down the leg to the foot. The pain uses this central and sensitive nerve as a travel path.
Restless Leg
At night while sleeping, some people suffer from the impulse to move their legs, or from uncontrolled leg and feet movement. This condition is called Restless Leg Syndrome.
According to research, Restless Leg Syndrome is caused by the imbalance of dopamine, which is a chemical that carries signals between the brain and the nerves. It mostly affects older adults and pregnant women, and is connected to such conditions as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, iron deficiency, and kidney failure.
Many people live with Restless Leg Syndrome rather than seek treatment. But it is vital to address the problem, for your own health, as well as for the comfort of your partner.
Peripheral Neuropathy
A nerve disorder, this condition may manifest itself in hands and feet with pain and numbness. After getting up and walking around, the pain may subside. But it also may return when you get back into bed.
While it has been difficult to determine the cause of Peripheral Neuropathy, it has been linked to partial or complete interruption in the foot or ankle of their nerve fiber’s inner core. Patients with Peripheral Neuropathy suffer from a kind of nerve entrapment, a constriction of the nerve canal which compresses the nerves running through it.
Peripheral Neuropathy has been connected to several medical issues, including some prescription drugs, shingles, vitamin deficiency and kidney failure, and certain cancers.
Morton’s Neuroma
This condition is caused by thickening tissue around the nerves running to the toes. When toes are too frequently pushed together for long periods, nerves between toes may get swollen and thicker. At night, the pain may worsen.
All these conditions are treatable. Make an appointment with your Lansdale podiatrist to discuss your foot pain and how to improve your quality of life.
Source
Huffington Post
