We wanted to make a short video on how a potential patient can examine themselves for possible compression of the deep peroneal nerve.
To spare our audience, I left my sock on. Of course, if you visit our office, we’ll ask you to remove your socks.
We're looking at the space between the big toe and the second toe. You can place your finger right in that space and follow it up along the big bone—that’s your first toe bone. Next to it is the second toe bone, and you should feel a small gap between them.
Right here, you can feel your pulse. If you have good sensation and strong pulses, you should be able to detect the dorsalis pedis artery right under your fingers, between the first and second bones.
Take two fingers and gently tap on this area. I recommend using your middle finger and thumb to make it more focused. Tap with firm but controlled pressure—not too hard like a sledgehammer, but not too light either. I like to say, tap with a little love and passion.
Key Symptoms to Look For
If tapping this area causes an electric shock sensation that shoots down between your big toe and second toe, it suggests irritation of the deep peroneal nerve.
However, if tapping here sends sensations elsewhere—like to the top of the foot—it may be affecting the superficial peroneal nerve instead.
The deep peroneal nerve provides sensation only between the first and second toes, whereas the superficial peroneal nerve supplies sensation to the rest of the top of the foot and toes.
If your symptoms extend beyond that web space, another nerve might be involved.
Why Does Compression Happen?
Almost always, deep peroneal nerve compression occurs due to pressure from the extensor hallucis brevis tendon. This short tendon sits over the nerve and can cause irritation.
In cases requiring treatment, we remove this tendon to relieve pressure on the nerve. This is safe because the extensor hallucis longus is much stronger and fully compensates for the loss. No patient has ever asked for this tendon back!
By following this simple self-exam, you can better understand whether your symptoms might be caused by deep peroneal nerve compression. If so, consulting a specialist could be the next step.
