Lateral Plantar Nerve Entrapment Rehabilitation

Ask your health care provider which exercises are safe for you. Do exercises exactly as told by your health care provider and adjust them as directed. It is normal to feel mild stretching, pulling, tightness, or discomfort as you do these exercises, but you should stop right away if you feel sudden pain or your pain gets worse. Do not begin these exercises until told by your health care provider.

Stretching and range of motion exercise

This exercise improves the movement and flexibility of your lower leg and foot. This exercise may also help to relieve pain, numbness, and tingling.

Exercise A: Gastrocnemius, standing

1. Stand with your hands against a wall.
2. Extend your left / right leg behind you, and bend your front knee slightly.
3. Keeping your left / right heel on the floor and your back knee straight, shift your weight toward the wall without arching your back. You should feel a gentle stretch in the back of your lower leg (calf).
4. Hold this position for __________ seconds.
5. Return to the starting position.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.

Strengthening exercise

This exercise builds strength and endurance in your toes. Endurance is the ability to use your muscles for a long time, even after they get tired.

Exercise B: Towel curls

1. Sit in a chair on a non-carpeted surface, and put your feet on the floor.
2. Place a towel in front of your feet. If told by your health care provider, add __________ to the end of the towel.
3. Keeping your heel on the floor, put your left / right foot on the towel.
4. Pull the towel toward you by grabbing the towel with your left / right toes and curling them under. Keep your heel on the floor.
5. Let your toes relax.
6. Grab the towel with your toes again. Keep going until the towel is completely underneath your foot.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.