Top 6 Nighttime Foot Pain Causes

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Foot pain that keeps you up at night can be a nasty problem. The same goes for pain and discomfort in feet or ankles that wakes you up suddenly. Let's examine why certain foot pain symptoms occur more frequently at night and right after waking.

1. Peripheral neuropathy

Damage to the peripheral nerve in your extremities can result in a condition known as peripheral neuropathy. The major culprits include infections, diabetes, and trauma. You may develop pain, weakness, loss of sensation, burning, or tingling sensations in your legs or feet. These signs and symptoms are similar to paresthesia, which you may have felt when your leg "fell asleep" owing to a lack of blood supply. However, contrary to paresthesia, which usually subsides fast, peripheral neuropathy might linger for a long time. The symptoms are typically at their worst at night owing to the pressure your feet endured during the day.

You can effectively address the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy by addressing their underlying cause. Better blood sugar control, vitamin supplements, and getting enough rest to help your body heal can all be beneficial. Your foot pain doctor can also recommend oral and topical medications to help with pain relief.

2. Alcoholic neuropathy

Alcoholic neuropathy, which can result from excessive alcohol intake, is another cause of peripheral neuropathy. This is significant because, in addition to the symptoms already mentioned, alcoholic neuropathy also involves muscular spasms and a lack of muscle control. The most essential thing you can do is limit your use of alcohol. Alcoholic neuropathy may respond to similar therapies as other kinds of peripheral neuropathy.

3. Reflex sympathetic dystrophy

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) is caused by an overactive nervous system. Following a foot injury, your body will frequently send pain-inducing signals to alert you that something is wrong. In the case of RSD, however, the neurological system simply overcorrects and creates excessively intense impulses. These include, among other things, stiffness, edema, a burning sensation, and muscle weakness. Overall, your symptoms may be more unbearable than the original injury. RSD can be treated with drugs, anesthetic injections such as cortisone, and physical therapy.

4. Plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis develops when the plantar fascia, strong, resilient tissue that runs along the sole of your foot becomes inflamed, causing severe heel pain. Plantar fasciitis symptoms are often the most extreme in the morning, after a long period of immobility. 

The most typical causes of plantar fasciitis are excessive physical activity and flat feet. Applying ice to minimize swelling and relaxing to let the plantar fascia recover might provide some relief. The plantar fascia may be stretched and strengthened with the use of targeted workouts. A podiatrist may also recommend custom orthotics to provide your shoes with extra arch support.

5. Nerve impingement 

Nighttime foot pain is frequently caused by nerve impingement. It's possible that the nerves that go through your tarsal tunnel in your ankle are being pinched, causing symptoms similar to those in carpal tunnel syndrome in your wrist. If the sciatic nerve in your back and legs is compressed, the pain may radiate all the way to your feet.

When you put too much weight on a single area while sleeping, it might create or aggravate pinched nerve pain. Even a minor change in posture can be really beneficial. Applying cold and massaging the affected area may also be useful.

6. Ankle Instability

Ankle instability is characterized by pain, swelling, and difficulty walking. This condition is typically caused by injury to the ligaments that support the ankle joint. Wearing an ankle brace and taking anti-inflammatory medications are the most popular conservative treatment options. In severe cases, your doctor may recommend surgery.