What Is the Treatment for Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome?
Tarsal tunnel syndrome presents with pain in the tarsal tunnel region — often radiating to the longitudinal arch — alongside paraesthesia, burning, and numbness in the foot. A structured, stepwise approach is used to achieve full symptom resolution.
Clinical Goals
- Resolution of pain in the tarsal tunnel region
- Resolution of paraesthesia
- Resolution of burning and numbness in the foot
Treatment Approach
First-line management centres on conservative, non-operative measures combining mechanical offloading and physical interventions with pharmacological support.
The full structured protocol — including selection criteria, intervention sequence, and escalation pathway — is available via the link below.
References
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcot.2024.102489
- The condition typically presents with pain in the region of the tarsal tunnel with radiation to the longitudinal arch as well as paraesthesia.
- Previous authors have described the use of conservative measures such as activity modification, administration of anti-inflammatory medication, use of orthotic shoes, immobilisation and physiotherapy.
- Conservative or non-operative treatments such as physiotherapy, analgesia followed by corticosteroids and failing this surgical decompression can be used to treat persistent cases.
- Gondring et al. reports that conservative treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and a nocturnal immobilisation brace was sufficient in 14/46 (30.4 %) of patients, whilst the remaining 34 required surgical treatment due to a lack of symptom improvement.
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