What Can Be Mistaken For Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome?
In this blog we will explore what can be mistaken for tarsal tunnel syndrome and why. Before getting into that, let’s first understand what tarsal tunnel syndrome is.
What is Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome?
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome occurs when your posterior tibial nerve is compressed by the tarsal tunnel, leading to nerve damage. This results in a shooting pain, numbness and a burning sensation of your foot.
As a whole, tarsal tunnel syndrome remains largely undiagnosed and misdiagnosed, which is why learning to distinguish the current symptoms is so essential.
You might have heard before that developing TTS is very likely if you exercise a lot and have a flat foot. And this statement is true, but the problem here is that many other conditions share a similar cause. As a result, relying just on your habits for diagnosis is unwise.
Although tarsal tunnel syndrome shares similarity with many other conditions, the symptoms you experience are still the most reliable way to distinguish your medical predicament.
Let’s first look at the symptoms of tarsal tunnel syndrome before moving on to the different conditions that tarsal tunnel syndrome is mistaken for.
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Symptoms of Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome -
As we’ve mentioned previously, the symptoms of tarsal tunnel syndrome tend to overlap with other foot conditions. Let’s look at what these symptoms look like:
- People report feeling a tingling, burning or a sensation similar to an electrical shock on their foot.
- There is a feeling of numbness in the ankle.
- Pain is extremely common, and a symptom you might have predicted. People with the syndrome also recall feeling “shooting pain” - pain that radiated from one part of the body to another sharply.
The source of origin of the pain is the inside of the ankle and the bottom of the foot. These symptoms can be isolated in just one location for some while they can broaden to the toes, heel arch and even the calf for others.
These symptoms can also appear suddenly, usually produced or worsened by the overuse of foot, which results from prolonged walking, exercising, starting a new exercise program and even through walking for an extended amount of time.
More common in individuals with flat feet, this is a syndrome that gets worse with time. As a result, diagnosing it as soon as possible is essential in minimizing its effects and preventing permanent nerve damage.
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Conditions you might mistake for tarsal tunnel syndrome:
After having discussed the symptoms of tarsal tunnel syndrome, let’s discuss what conditions can be mistaken for tarsal tunnel syndrome and why.
1. Plantar Fasciitis:
Plantar Fasciitis is the condition that gets mistaken for tarsal tunnel syndrome the most. This is because the symptoms of these conditions have a large overlap. Pain in the heel or arch of your foot is a major symptom of plantar fasciitis and many people have taken to forums to discuss misdiagnosis between these particular conditions.
One minor difference between these two is the fact that plantar fasciitis flares up in the morning and after prolonged periods of rest whereas tarsal tunnel syndrome gets worse with exercising (and putting pressure on your foot in general).
A major difference between them is the fact that the tingling or burning sensation in the foot is less typical in plantar fasciitis while it is a primary symptom for tarsal tunnel syndrome.
2. Stress Fractures:
Stress fractures feature symptoms like localized pain that gets worse with activities that put pressure on one’s foot. This is eerily similar to the symptom of tarsal tunnel syndrome. While not as frequently as with plantar fasciitis these conditions can also be mistaken for each other.
While stress fractures and tarsal tunnel syndrome have common symptoms, their source of origin generally differs. Stress fractures are grouped under structural conditions while TTS is a nerve related one. As a result, tingling and numbness are typically absent in stress fractures.
3. Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction (PTTD):
Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction, also referred to as PTTD is a condition that causes pain and swelling in the inner ankle. It is also common amongst people with flatfoot deformity, marking another similarity with tarsal tunnel syndrome.
While TTS involves the compression of nerves, Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction is related to tendon degeneration, a fact that is utilized to distinguish between the two.
4. Chronic Ankle Sprain or Ligament Injuries:
Similar to stress fractures, ankle sprains and ligament injuries also feature localized ankle pain that gets worse with weight bearing and swelling. These are symptoms that are also shared with tarsal tunnel syndrome, which is why they can be mistaken for TTS.
Although minimally misdiagnosed compared to plantar fasciitis, distinguishing sprains and ligament injuries from TTS involves a similar method. The tingling and burning sensations are largely absent in sprains and ligament injuries in contrast to the tarsal tunnel syndrome.
All of these conditions share one or more characteristics with tarsal tunnel syndrome, although distinguishing some is easier than the others. Learning about these differences can help us get a more accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should schedule a visit with a doctor to learn the origin of these symptoms and mitigate them.
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