Final answer:
Tibial nerve entrapment symptoms include pain, tingling, numbness, and muscle weakness along the tibial nerve's path, typically affecting the lower leg and foot, and are distinct from sciatica, which involves the larger sciatic nerve.
Step-by-step explanation:
The symptoms of tibial nerve entrapment by the soleal sling include pain, tingling, numbness, and muscle weakness along the distribution path of the tibial nerve. Since the tibial nerve is a branch of the sciatic nerve, which originates from the systemic nerve at the sacral plexus and travels through the hip joint and gluteal region into the upper posterior leg, entrapment can affect sensations and muscle control in the lower leg and foot. The symptoms might resemble those seen in sciatica, which is a painful condition typically associated with inflammation or compression of the sciatic nerve itself or any of the spinal nerves that contribute to it. However, unlike sciatica, tibial nerve entrapment specifically affects the tibial nerve below the knee and is related to the anatomy within the soleus muscle, not the spine.