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How to get more tarsal tunnel patients: a plan for podiatry and foot and ankle practices

An empty, bright consultation room at a podiatry practice

Adults call about burning, tingling or numb feelings in the bottom of the foot and toes, or pain at the inner ankle. This guide is for podiatry, orthopedic foot and ankle and physical medicine practices; foot pain, heel pain, Morton neuroma, flat feet, neuropathy and ankle pain have their own guides. The podiatrist, foot and ankle clinician or treating clinician (the clinician below) evaluates the patient and decides the plan, including whether and which treatment or test is needed.

In short

  • Speak to adults with burning, tingling or numb feet in their own words, without fear.
  • Keep landing pages simple: what people notice, the visit, the clinician, the price, one way to book.
  • Book the visit with a short script that never names a condition, a cause or a treatment.
  • Relay the two MedlinePlus sentences word for word, then tell the clinical team.
  • Follow up with consent, without pressure, and track each request.
  1. SearchAn adult looks for care near them.
  2. Your pageWhat you treat, who sees them, one way to book.
  3. Call or formThey call or send a request.
  4. Front deskBooks the visit and never guesses a cause.
  5. Clinical teamThe clinician decides the plan.
How a new patient request reaches your practice.

1. Who the patients are and what they search for

Callers are adults 18 or over, of any sex. Some want a first visit, some have had symptoms for a while, others want a follow-up. They search for burning feet, tingling toes, numb toes, inner ankle pain, or a podiatrist or foot and ankle doctor near them. Use the same words on your pages.

The MedlinePlus Tarsal tunnel syndrome page says: “Symptoms may include any of the following:”

  • “Sensation changes in the bottom of the foot and toes, including burning sensation, numbness, tingling, or other abnormal sensation”
  • “Pain at the ankle and in the bottom of the foot and toes”
  • “Weakness and atrophy of foot muscles that move toes”

It adds: “In severe cases, the foot muscles are very weak, and the foot can be deformed.” Only the clinician can say what these symptoms mean. Staff never say a caller has tarsal tunnel syndrome, a pinched nerve, neuropathy, plantar fasciitis or any other condition, and never guess a cause.

Aim ads at adults only. Never target by sex, age band, job, sport, injury history, foot shape, risk factors or any health condition, and never build audiences from health information.

2. Landing page basics

The page sells the visit, not a result.

  • Name what people notice: burning, tingling or numb feelings in the sole and toes, pain at the inner ankle.
  • Give the clinician’s name and real credentials.
  • Give a starting price and what it includes. Self-pay patients may be entitled to a good faith estimate.
  • Show one way to book.

Never use fear, list causes, blame habits, name a treatment or promise an outcome. Avoid “end nerve pain fast”, “gone for good”, “walk pain-free again”, “risk-free” and “insurance will cover it”. Better: “the clinician will examine your foot and ankle, ask about your symptoms and talk through the options with you”.

3. The phone script

Staff never judge urgency, never say what condition a caller has and never name a treatment; they collect answers and book.

  1. “Thanks for calling. May I take your name, your age and the reason for your visit?”
  2. “Which foot is it, where do you feel it, when did it start, and did a doctor refer you? Please bring a list of your medicines and any notes from earlier care.”
  3. “The visit starts at [price]. Further care may be extra. We will check your plan, but cannot promise coverage.”
  4. Is it a pinched nerve, is it neuropathy, is it plantar fasciitis, which treatment do I need, will I need surgery, will it work, and how long will it take? “We cannot tell that on the phone. The clinician will examine your foot and ankle, ask about your symptoms and decide with you what the options are.”
  5. “I can book your visit now. May we text or email you about it?”

Book adults only. Pass any caller under 18, and any question on medicines, home steps, work or daily activities, to the clinical team. See the new patient phone script.

4. Routing and safety lines

Under When to Contact a Medical Professional, MedlinePlus gives two sentences, no list. They are quoted here whole, together, exactly as written.

It says: “Contact your provider if you have symptoms of tarsal tunnel syndrome. Early diagnosis and treatment increases the chance that symptoms can be controlled.”

These are the source’s words, not a promise from the practice. If a caller asks whether they should be seen, read both sentences word for word, then tell the clinical team at once. Staff do not decide whether a caller’s symptoms fit; the clinical team does. Never reuse the second sentence as an ad claim.

Staff add no words of their own, never suggest home steps and never tell a caller to stop, keep or change a medicine. Any other worrying report goes to the clinical team right away.

Some callers say their symptoms are still there after earlier care. Make follow-up visits easy to book; the clinician decides what each visit covers.

Text or email only with the patient’s own contact details and consent; see texting patients and the TCPA. Follow up without pressure (see consultation to treatment), never pay or take payment for referrals (see patient referrals for medical practices), and track each request from first contact to visit.

Where MediLeadGen fits

MediLeadGen sends practices requests from people interested in cash-pay elective treatments. Each request goes to one practice only, with the person’s consent naming that practice, at a fixed price per delivered request.

See how it works for practices

Questions practices ask

How do we get more tarsal tunnel patients?

Answer quickly, give clear prices and real credentials, keep claims inside the sources, and book a visit where the clinician decides the plan.

Can we tell callers whether they have tarsal tunnel syndrome, or which treatment they need?

No. The podiatrist, foot and ankle clinician or treating clinician examines the patient and decides the plan after the visit, including whether and which treatment or test is needed.

What should the front desk do when a call sounds urgent?

Relay the two MedlinePlus sentences from section 4, word for word, then tell the clinical team right away. Staff never judge urgency and never say what condition a caller has.

Does insurance cover visits for foot nerve symptoms?

Coverage varies by plan. Check each patient’s plan, and do not promise coverage in ads or on the phone.

General information for practice teams, not legal or clinical advice. Check device labeling, FDA requirements, state rules and your advertising with counsel and your clinicians. Last reviewed October 2026.

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