Question 1

does sural nerve damage cause numbness?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it can: The sural nerve is a purely sensory nerve and damage to it can cause numbness on the outside of your ankle and foot.

Question 2

if my sural nerve is damaged, why is my lower leg and ankle swollen?i thought it was a sensory nerve?should i stay off of it?what is the tx anyway?

Accepted Answer

Sural nerve: Sural nerve runs on the outside of the lower leg to base of 5th metatarsal. It not commonly injured unless you had a lateral ankle injury, such as, an ankle sprain. Then you can have ligament, tendon or even a fracture which would explain the swelling. Either way, you should see a foot and ankle specialist.

Question 3

sural neuropathy post ankle surgery. braces irritate sural nerve; can i have a custom brace made that will provide stability but not irritate nerve?

Accepted Answer

Likely: Talk to your surgeon, and consult with an orthotist.  Lots of potential modifications.

Question 4

should you get crutches and keep off of a  sural nerve injury?

Accepted Answer

Immobilize: The sural nerve is a purely sensory nerve that supplies the outside of the lower leg and outer edge of the foot. It enters the foot behind the malleolus(bump) of the outer ankle. Injury can be aggravated by movement of the ankle because tendons of the ankle travel with the nerve. Resting the sural nerve will help it heal.

Question 5

is the sural nerve superficial?

Accepted Answer

Yes: As you get down closer to the foot

Question 6

can ultrasound see a pinched nerve such as the sural nerve or a cutaneous nerve?

Accepted Answer

Yes, ultrasound: is capable of visualizing the sural nerve and other cutaneous nerves, but it may be difficult, and it may also be difficult to find a sonographer with expertise.

Question 7

girlfriend 43 takes permanent vicodin, sural nerve removed. she drinks average 6 bottles of beer a day. how does this effect her mental and physical?

Accepted Answer

Not well: Certainly the combination of both a narcotic pain reliever on top of 6 beers a day is not recommended at all.By definition, your girlfriend would be an alcoholic drinking 6 beers a day. I recommend she get into a certified multidisciplinary pain clinic where she can get her pain addressed and as well see a physician to treat her alcoholism. If not already, they will eventually cause harm.Good luck.

Question 8

girlfriend  takes 3 to 4 500mg vicodin a day for  permanent chronic pain.  sural nerve removed. drinks 6 beers a day and cigarettes. is health at risk?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely: Your girlfriend is slowly killing herself. There is a good chance her pain problems are going to get worse and worse and she may already be addicted to pain meds.

Question 9

touch to outside of little toe feels awful,brings on burning pain, separating 4th and 5th with cotton ball makes touch ok. sural nerve? interdigital?

Accepted Answer

See below: Could be irritated nerve.  May also be due to corn in between toes or even Athletes foot. Make sure shoes are not too tight.

Question 10

is it possible to have disc extrusion, severe stenosis w/caudal migration contacting bilateral nerve roots + hamstring weakness/tightness + intermittent radiating pain & marked sural nerve deficit , yet emg be normal and show no radiculopathy?

Accepted Answer

: EMG testing displays full pathology in about 3-4 weeks, subsequent to sufficiently severe nerve damage.  If a problem has not progressed fully, the testing could be negative.  Regarding "severe stenosis", see a spinal surgeon to plan appropriate interventional steps.  Physical therapy may be the next approach.

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Doctor answers about:

Sural nerve damage

A member asked:

Does sural nerve damage cause numbness?

A member asked:

If my sural nerve is damaged, why is my lower leg and ankle swollen?i thought it was a sensory nerve?should i stay off of it?what is the tx anyway?

A member asked:

Sural neuropathy post ankle surgery. braces irritate sural nerve; can i have a custom brace made that will provide stability but not irritate nerve?

A member asked:

Should you get crutches and keep off of a sural nerve injury?

A member asked:

Is the sural nerve superficial?

A member asked:

Can ultrasound see a pinched nerve such as the sural nerve or a cutaneous nerve?

A member asked:

Girlfriend 43 takes permanent vicodin, sural nerve removed. she drinks average 6 bottles of beer a day. how does this effect her mental and physical?

A member asked:

Girlfriend takes 3 to 4 500mg vicodin a day for permanent chronic pain. sural nerve removed. drinks 6 beers a day and cigarettes. is health at risk?

A member asked:

Touch to outside of little toe feels awful,brings on burning pain, separating 4th and 5th with cotton ball makes touch ok. sural nerve? interdigital?

A member asked:

Is it possible to have disc extrusion, severe stenosis w/caudal migration contacting bilateral nerve roots + hamstring weakness/tightness + intermittent radiating pain & marked sural nerve deficit , yet emg be normal and show no radiculopathy?

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