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The peroneal nerve is a branch of the sciatic nerve that helps you move and feel your lower legs and feet. It can be injured by trauma, compression or other conditions, causing numbness, pain, weakness and foot drop. Peroneal nerve injury can also lead to long-term complications, such as permanent paralysis and chronic pain.
At Neuro Injury Specialists, Dr. Mark Cohen and Dr. Dmitriy Dvoskin diagnose and treat peroneal nerve entrapment with non-surgical or surgical options in New York and New Jersey. In fact, the newest treatments include peripheral nerve stimulation and spinal cord stimulation. These therapies provide effective pain relief, physical therapy and orthotic devices.
The peroneal nerve is vulnerable to injury when the knee is subjected to a sudden force, such as a fall, a car accident, a sports injury or a direct blow. The nerve can be stretched, torn or severed by the impact, resulting in loss of sensation and movement in the lower leg and foot.
A fracture of the fibula can also damage the peroneal nerve. The fibula is the long bone on the outside of the lower leg that forms part of the knee joint. A fracture of the fibula can damage the peroneal nerve, which runs close to the bone. The nerve can be compressed, crushed or cut by the broken bone fragments.
Other common causes of peroneal nerve damage include:
What Are the Symptoms of Peroneal Nerve Damage?
Symptoms vary depending on the cause, location and severity of the nerve injury. They can also affect one or both legs. You may feel numbness, tingling or burning sensation in the outer side of the lower leg, the top of the foot or in the space between the first and second toes.
Another common sign is pain in the knee, leg, ankle or foot, which may be worse at night or with movement.
Other signs of peroneal nerve injury include:
Peroneal nerve injury can affect your leg and foot function, sensation and appearance. You may lose the ability to move your foot and toes, resulting in foot drop. This affects your walking and balance. You may need a brace, a splint or a cane to support yourself.
You may suffer with chronic pain in your leg due to neuropathy in one or both feet. The pain may be worse at night or with movement.
Other long-term effects include:
Your nerve pain specialist diagnoses peroneal nerve damage with nerve conduction velocity testing (NCV) and electromyography (EMG) tests. Correctly identifying the source of your pain has to come before effective and long-lasting treatment.
Peroneal nerve injury treatment includes non-surgical or surgical options, medications or nerve stimulation. Medications include pain relievers, anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroid injections. Non-surgical treatments include orthotics, braces, splints, physical therapy and gait training. These help with numbness, foot drop and mobility.
Spinal cord stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation may be the most effective pain-relieving treatments for peroneal nerve pain. Each peroneal nerve treatment surgical procedure works in different ways. Your neurologist recommends the most effective solution for your specific needs.
Minimally invasive surgical treatments may include:
Contact Neuro Injury Specialists in New York and New Jersey for comprehensive treatments for peroneal nerve injury and other nerve disorders.