Nicholas Bishop, a 20-year-old young man from Youngstown, inherited a nerve disease called Charcot-Marie Tooth disease (CMT) from his father, who inherited it from his father, Nicholas’ grandfather. CMT causes the muscles and nerve endings in the hands, feet, and legs to deteriorate slowly over time.
Lee, Nicholas’ father, has been high-stepping for most of his life to make up for disappearing tendons in his calves, and his foot drags behind him when he walks without wearing braces. Nicholas wants to pursue stem cell therapy to try to reduce the effects of the disease before it does too much damage to his body.
Though CMT is a fairly rare disease, there are many other nerve disorders that can affect the feet which are a lot more common. If you are dealing with a nerve-related complication in your lower extremities, consider talking to podiatrist Dr. Zahid Ladha of Foot First Podiatry. Dr. Ladha can identify what it is that’s causing your feet to lose feeling and provide you with the podiatric care that you need.
Nerve Disorders of the Foot and Ankle
There are two nerve disorders of the foot and ankle called Interdigital Neuroma and Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. These conditions affect the hands as well, and are caused by stress and genetics. People who suffer from Interdigital Neuroma and Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome are prone to serious pain and inflammation in the area.
Pain that is associated with Interdigital Neuroma is often from local inflammation in the nerves in the front of the foot. Symptoms include pain, burning, and/or tingling sensations of the toes.
There are several steps a doctor will take to determine if one has Neuroma such as: radiographs, MRIs, and bone scans. Surgery is not required in many instances, and should only be considered when the patient is suffering from persistent pain.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition that is less common than Interdigital Neuroma. It only seems to affect patients who have severe ankle pain which begins in the bottom of the foot extending all the way to the calf. In other instances one may encounter partial numbness and atrophy if the cases are extreme.
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If you have any questions, please contact our office located in New Albany, IN. We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot and ankle injuries.
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