oddly behaving injury

[sealpf]

I have been living with a herniated L4-L5 disc for about 10 years now, but I have been told by specialists that because of the scar tissue that has formed and the strength of the muscles around the herniation, that it is not causing any harm other than pain; so if the pain is manageable, surgery isn’t necessary. Recently a new symptom has cropped up though, that is primarily inconvenient, but concerning nonetheless. The pain feels like a nerve problem which makes me think it is associated with the disc, but my concern is that even though it is only an inconvenience, that it may be an indicator of a more serious problem that will have consequences down the road.

When I play basketball, I use mid-top, snugly fitting shoes, and after about 30 minutes of play, the ring toe (next to my pinky toe) on my left foot begins to get stiff. If I continue playing in these shoes, after another 15 minutes or so, the pain travels into my foot and becomes significant and unbearable. If I change into running shoes (wider toe box, no ankle restriction, better cushioning and arch support), the pain and stiffness immediately goes away, and I can continue to play basketball for hours, but I don’t have the traction, lateral stability or ankle support that I would prefer. I have also noticed the same stiffness - in that specific toe and no others - develop (though not escalate into pain), regardless of whether I am wearing shoes if I sit for long periods of time, and sometimes if my feet get cold.

Is the source of this pain simply any impingement of the nerve (hernation at the spine or constriction at the Achilles from the basketball shoes are my guesses)? Can I help the nerve heal through specific stretching or exercise – that will let me wear basketball shoes to play basketball without pain? Also, am I possibly causing permanent nerve damage by not having the disc surgically repaired, even though the back pain is mostly manageable stiffness and not debilitating? Finally, I am 32 years old, so I am willing to admit this may just be a case of my body not being young anymore – the easiest solution then being to buy a pair of low-top basketball shoes and hope I don’t turn an ankle.

Thank you for your help.
Perry

[Heidi]

Hi
I think you should investigate if the problem is really caused by the shoes first. Often problems in the foot are due to tieing the laces too tight. Try playing with them looser. If this doesn't work, try insoles with arch support in them.
If the sensations you describe in your toe are coming from your back then a change of footwear wouldn't really affect it, for this reason I think its the footwear!
I don't believe you are doin permanent damage to the nerve by not having an operation. Permanent nerve damage is only caused by actual injury to the nerve, not just compression.

[Sole Man]

Compression over long periods of time can cause nerve damage though, just as much as a sudden sharp shock. You might try a set of proper orthotic insoles to help with this.