Baxter’s Neuropathy: How the Baxters Nerve Mimics Plantar Fasciitis
The Baxters nerve is an entrapment neuropathy which is a common cause of hind foot pain and syndromes such as plantar fasciitis. Compressive entrapment can occur in the Baxters nerve due to ankle injuries such as fracture, ankle injuries that cause edema (swelling) on the inner side of the ankle. Baxter’s Neuropathy is a common syndrome that I treat in my Los Angeles office and typically is misdiagnoses as plantar fasciitis.
Baxter’s neuropathy is associated with planter fasciitis due to it’s close proximity to this peripheral nerve known as the inferior calcaneal nerve, which is a branch of the medial plantar nerve
Causes of Baxter’s Neuropathy
- Ankle injuries such as an eversion ankle sprain
- Fractures: Usually from a fall or trauma
- Plantar fasciitis
- Obesity
- Bone spur
- Altered foot biomechanics
- Referral from low back pain or sciatica
Treatment of Baxter’s Neuropathy
Baxter’s Neuropathy associated with plantar fasciitis is a cause of hind foot pain, particularly in repetitive athletic endeavors and after ankle injuries such as sprains or fractures. Treatment involves identifying and eliminating the entrapment of the nerve in the inner heel and ankle.
In my Los Angeles based clinic we focus on conservative treatments to both manually interventions and exercises aimed at safely stretching the nerve to free it up from it’s entrapment point.
Treatments for Baxter’s include
- Local manual therapy and release of nerve at it’s entrapment point, near the plantar fascia
- Specific stretching of the local nerves of the region include the Tibial and it branches medial and lateral plantar nerves
- Foot intrinsic exercises to help prevent collapsing of the arch
- Evaluation of mechanics of the hip, knee, ankle and foot during gait and sporting activities
- Screen lumbar spine for potential referral mimicking ache and hind foot pain (very common)
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YOU should be able to move the way you’d like to move without experiencing pain. YOU should be able to experience freedom and energy knowing there’s nothing holding back from giving your life 110%. Dr. Dean would like to learn more about your challenges with a quick phone or email before beginning treatment. Contact him today.
