Leg Numbness, Tingling Feet and Toes

Tingling of legs and little sores have started on my legs. Mostly little red spots that some get yellow pus centers like boils but not painful, sometimes itch but not much. What could cause this?

One common cause of small red bumps with white/yellow pus filled center is folliculitis. This is (usually) a mild staph (Staphylococcus aureus bacterium) infection ocuring when staph bacteria that (you can be its carrier) enters hair follicles when these are irritated – usually due to friction of tight cloth, or after leg depilation…This is usually felt as itching, burning or mild pain.

Tingling is a “pins and needle sensation”, like ants crawling your legs, and it comes from affected nerves – like you sit with legs crossed and your leg can fall asleep and you feel some tingling. This doesn’t go with rash.

Mild folliculitis goes away by itself in some days with legs washing and drying them gently, and changing and washing clothes that touch the legs every day. If this dioesn’t help, there are some antibacterial soaps available in pharmacies without prescription. Avoiding sweating and hot baths in this time can help in itching a bit.

You can check folliculitis pictures
http://www.healthhype.com/folliculitis-pictures.html

Another type of folliculitis is hot tub folliculitis.
http://www.healthhype.com/hot-tub-folliculitis.html

If you suspect that tingling arises from nerves, then some additional description would be required…

hi, i get a prolonged feeling of needles and pins followed by numbness. This happens on the left side of my body, it starts from hips down to the toes, where in i get this feeling only for half part of my left leg. This is at times accompanied by similar feeling in my left arm, hand upto my fingers.This tingling feeling grows up from behind the ear area to spread over first the left half of my head to the rest. I have been suffering with this from past 6 months.Doctors gave me sleeping pills, coz i was complaining of loss of sleep due to this uneasiness.No medication has helped so far. I really need some help

pri,
you need a check by neurologist. One sided tingling/numbness may arise from the brain, like from transient ischemic attack (TIA) or other causes. It’s likely you’ll need a CT or MRI of the head.

Thank you.i will get that done. any idea what could be the probable cause.

If I get you right, these feelings come and go? It may be from anxiety, sleeping in certain positions, some drugs (e.g. cymbalta), from circulatory problem in the brain, epilepsy…hard to say.

Maybe you can get some ideas on this forum from other sufferers:
http://www.medhelp.org/search/expanded?cat=posts&query=one+side+numbness

These feelings stay for a long time,at times last for as long as entire days.There is no particular pattern in which it occurs, becoz the tingling feeling starts mildly and then starts growing. i havent been taking any drugs for any problems as such. have gone through the site you have mentioned,but cannot relate to it.
anyways thank you for the pointers. Appreciate

I get numbness down the outter portion of my left thigh from @ my hip to my knee when I I do any prolonged standing…like cooking or at work. I find I have to take weight off my left foot and relieve all pressure from that leg. If I don’t the numbness will turn to burning. At some point I have to make sure that I move around and bend and/or squant it seems to either get circulation going or something. I do have slight lower back “pressure” or soreness but not what I would call pain. This has been going on for about 3 months now and is starting to get on my nerves. In my job I am on my feet for 10-12 hrs a day….so this is really a hindrance. I’m not sure what I did, but I’d like to undo it.

Jody,
this sort of pain comes from the pressure on the nerve in your lumbar spine. Common cause is herniated disc. It can be also a bone outgrowth – it happens in spondyloarthritis.

There’s one test that speaks for pressure on the nerve. If you lye down on the back and lift your streched left leg slowly up, at one point you’ll feel the pain and will be unable to proceed.

Anyway, it is a neurologist who can make a diagnosis after examination. MRI or CT of the spine would be needed to confirm diagnosis. He will tell you what to do.

Avoid lifting and carrying any heavy objects.

I have had tingling in the fingers on my left hand, for a number of months. I am on hypertension medication – and have recently had rthe medication changed. Any ideas?

PAUL,
tingling from medications is usually on both sides (hands), but you can check label about side effects.

Do you use your left arm/hand in some special way, carrying heavy objects, repeating moves, elbow pressing on the desk, injury…would you say the forearm is swollen…?

I have tingling and numbness in my left leg..I thought it could be a blood clot in my vein from b.c.pills but after reading these postings I’m thinkin its more like RLS. I have headaches also and when I try to sleep it wakes me up a few hours later.

I have severe osteoporosis and two years ago had surgery to releive a pinched nerve in my lower back. Before surgery I had severe pain down my right leg to my foot with tingling,numbness and the feeling compared to a stone bruise on the sole of my foot. After surgery this pain ceased. A few months later, I started feeling as though I am sitting on a post or a pressure around my seat area and now the tingling has started again. The pain is not unbareable but is there every day. As I said I have severe osteoporosis. Do you think this is due to a fracture in my lower back?

Anna,
in osteoporosis, vertebral bone loses its mass, vertebra come close to each other, and thus openings through which nerves go out from the spinal cord narrow. What exactly happened with vertebra, CT can show, maybe X-ray – neurologist or ortopedist should say. It sounds like another nerve has been pinched.

It is important to treat osteoporosis (check with endocrinologist).

I have had numbness in my hip/upper thigh when laying down on that side at night. I have had it since I gave birth two years ago. I only feel it at night. Could this be nerve damage? A blood clot??

Mollyelizabeth,
probably not exactly nerve damage, but it’s likely something presses upon one of the nerves that innervate hip/thigh.
This can be due to bulging disc in lumbar spine, or pressure of pelvic organs on the nerve.

Blood clots develop either in veins in thrombosis, or in arteries in atherosclerosis. Without these disorders, it’s not likely to be a clot.

Thanks Jan. Should I be checked for blood clots to rule that out? Or, should I not worry about it so much and stay off the internet? LOL.

Mollyelizabeth,
you’ve probably alraedy read some article about thrombosis and leg arteriosclerosis. They both have quite typical risk factors, like disorder in other family members, smoking, contraceptive pills, being bedriden, etc. So use common sense about this. One way is that you arrange appointment with neurologist, and if nothing shows up (I think it likely will), you can ask about a clot. Experienced neurologist can give you reliable advice.

I have numbness and tingling in my left leg constantly. This is accompanied by numbness in my big toe on the left foot. Previously, I had numbing in my right leg (primarily in the front), now this comes and goes on this side. MRI two months ago showed minimal disc buldging. Any suggestions?

Wonderl42,
it’s likely that disc bulge presses on the ischiadic nerve that innervates the leg – in this case your symptoms refer to “ischiatica”.

In ischiatica this helps:
- avoiding sitting for long periods of time
- avoiding lifting or carrying heavy objects
- walking

I recommend you to visit a registered physiotherapeutist or registered chiropratcor (real chiropractor (doctor) who deals with spine disorders) who will tell you which exercises to do.

Thanks. I have never heard of ischiatica, but will research.

Wonder412,
it’s actually **sciatica**

I a a 31 year old female. Two days ago my toe (the one next to the big toe) started feeling numb. It is basically like I lost sensation in it. It has continued to feel that way (day and night). I don’t recall any injury or anyhing. What would cause this? Any suggestions on how to ‘fix’ it??

I have L2,3,4 fused due to a burst fracture of L2 in an accident. This has been called cauda equina syndrome. My legs and especially my feet, are extremely tingly and numb. Does this ever go away?
What percentage of cases does this go away?
Thanks.

Mom_Of_Boys,
the cause of toe numbness may be suspected from circumstances:
1. Bulging lumbar disc – lifting heavy loads, sitting work…
2. Tarsal tunnel syndrome (read in the article above) – may be aggravated by tight shoes
3. In hypothyroidism (fatige, coolness), or other cause of tisse swelling, accumulated fluid may press on nerves…
4. Multiple sclerosis may appear with isolated nerve symptoms, one of them is inflammation of optical nerve (vision problems).
5. Peripheral neuropathy – in prolonged poorly controled diabetes
6. Frostbite or Raynaud phenomen go with obvious change in toe skin color
Tumor of the nerve is rare

Maybe it’s the way you sit, you wear tight shoes, you stand at work, you have swollen legs?

Pay attention to eventual other symptoms – vision problems, fatigue…

Without knowing the cause, the only thing you can try is to release any eventual pressure on the foot (shoes, prolonged standing…)

Deane, when did you have the operation? Symptoms may lasts for several weeks after operation, but if they are worsening, then you should see your surgeon promptly. Knowing any percents won’t realy help here, you should fix your problem completely.

i was dancing and suddenly i got this horrible pain on my knee that disabled me. my knee got very swollen and has been very painful for two months. now it is tingling and numb down to my feet. i have an appointment to see an orthopedic dr. but could not get in any earlier. it will be 3 months by then and i am getting to the point that i can not walk anymore. what is going on?

Josie,
sounds serious, go through emergency room, there’s no time to wait.

Three days ago I started experiencing a feeling in my foot on the outside of my ankle (sometimes in front going down, but usually below from the back to the front) Its something of a cross between pins and needles and a pulsating(almost like a muscle spasm or tremor is the sensation). I’ve also had some very, very mild burning in the right inner thigh and left outer thigh, and my extremities fall asleep a little more quickly than normal. I just lost my job and health insurance this month (poor timing), so am wondering how long I can put off treatment and what I can do short of the panoply of tests to better diagnose this? Can anxiety be responsible?

Baseball fan,
are you also actively involved in baseball?

Did you have a sitting/standing work, were you lifting heavy objects from the ground..?

Symptoms appearing elswhere along the leg often arise from bulging disc in the lumbar spine. Avoiding prolonged sitting (including driving), and lifting heavy objects, having regular walks…would likely help in this case. Search for lumbar hernia to see, if this is your case.

To say more, I’d need to know how old are you, do you smoke, have you had any problems with blood (thrombosis), vessels (arteriosclerosis), what are your physical activities…

I’m almost 49. Don’t smoke. Drank regularly, then way too much after losing job end of last year. Was couch potato until 8 weeks ago, when I started exercising vigorously twice a week walk-running trails. Felt great!

Lots of sitting, very little standing. Haven’t lifted anything heavy except one microwave 4 weeks ago, but did not bend over. Which is why it seems strange the sudden onset, as detailed below.

Symptoms that started with ankle pulsating lst Friday have changed in last 24 hours. Now have skin numbness on left leg entire calf; realize now its been a little soggy/asleep when I’ve woken over last week or so.

At same time as calf numbness, lower back/hop pain started and became severe (slept with pillow btwn legs), but lessened when I rotated to the left and inadvertantly cracked it (like the mid-back can do, but louder). But still sore. Ankle pulsating has receded dramatically since cracking my back, but not completely since then.
this morning, when I rotated my neck to the left quite a bit, and I guess put weird torque on lower spine, it shot a pain into my left upper leg.

Thanks for your help.

This all sounds like comming from the spine.

Search for “bulging disc”, “sciatica”, “lumbar hernia”, slipped disc”, “tight back”, “lower back pain”.

Not sure what “craks” speak for, so hard to tell what exactly happens with your spine or back muscles.

Diagnosis is made by neurologist, or orthopedist, after examination and with the CT/MRI of spine…

One test that speaks for bulging/herniated disc is: you lie on the back, and you lift one *fully extended* leg slowly up. If at one point you feel the pain, this speaks for the spinal origin of the pain. Repeat with the other leg.

To avoid some expenses, you may try with a physiotherapist that can give opinion of your situation, and can suggest some exercises.

In meantime:
- lying, sitting and standing aggravates the pain. If night pain wakes you up have a short walk maybe.
- walking helps. Maybe try to walk before the sleep.
- avoid ANY heavy exercise, including running. You may try with swimming.
- avoid lifting or carrying anything heavy
- if you’re taking ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin.. other “NSAIDs”, be aware they can easily cause gastritis or stomach ulcer.

Try to get someone you know – doctor of any specialty, health worker..they should be able to check your back.

Again, don’t know what happened..these things may resolve with proper rest/exercise schedule…but if there is herniated disc…well, there’s a lot about it online.

Don’t do any forced exercises before you know what’s wrong.

hello

This information is so interesting. I have had morning foot pain when I first get up, so that when I step on my right foot is hurts like crazy but when it gets warmed up in a few minutes it is OK.

However I’m also getting foot tingling during the day which has now spread up my leg to my knee. Yesterday I had tingling for a brief time in my left hand and then tingling all down my left leg.

Notice no back pain at all.

Would appreciate it if you could give me any ideas as to what could be causing this.

Katie,
1. For how long your symptoms last; do you remember the day when they started…?
2. Any article swelling?
3. Water retention, edema?
4. Related with the cycle?
5. Any problems with eyes (one or both) now or at any time before?
6. How old are you, what’s your job?
7. Any diagnosed chronic disease, or injury in the past?
8. Any positive tests of hormone disorders or anything?
9. Any forced or repeated moves of neck, or lower back (lifting heavy object, prolonged sitting..)?

One cause not mentioned in this article is multiple sclerosis.
From this article you can access all our articles about tingling:
http://www.healthhype.com/causes-of-tingling-and-numbness-paresthesia.html

I am 37 excellent health, weight. My cycle is irregular.
At work I stand 8 hours on cement floor, some repetitive motion but no heavy lifting. I work just 3 days a week.

The symptoms last for 4-5 hours for leg pain yesterday and several hours already today for tingling in left arm and wrist.
If I’m super busy I don’t notice as much as when I’m not.

I’d say these tingling/ pins and needle like pain began 3 – 4 days ago.

Thanks so much for your time

To Katie.

1. PRESSURE ON THE NERVE(S)
1.a
Repetitive motion of wrist(s) can cause carpal tunnel syndrome that could explain hand/arm symptoms. Computer workers/typists often have it for example, so there’s no hard work needed to get it.

1.b Repetitive motion of the neck can cause cervical disc bulging (or hernia), that presses on nerves that innervate the arm ; that’s another possible cause for arm/hand symptoms.

1.c Standing and repetitive turning of your upper body (hips/waist level) can put pressure on lumbar spine and can cause lumbar disc bulging, or disc hernia that presses on nerves that innervate the leg. If this is the case, leg symptoms you describe would be called sciatica (search..).

1.d. Hormone imbalance. Low thyroxine (thyroid disorder), or estrogen/progesteron imbalance may cause water retention and swelling of wrists (would again cause carpal tunnel syndrome), and swelling of your legs, maybe in hip area (pants don’t fit).

So, you may try to figure out if the cause is from workload (1 a, b, c), I mean from spinal vertebra/discs pressing on your nerves. What speaks for this:

– walking relieves leg pain, sitting or lying down aggravate it, you can somewhat influence the pain with body position…

(You can try this test: lye down on the back on the firm base (floor..) and slowly lift your fully extended leg, with other extended leg resting on the floor. If at some point you feel the pain in the leg, this speaks for pressure on the nerve in the spine. Repeat with the other leg.)

– exercises for carpal tunnel help http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/425_carpal-tunnel.htm

In 1.d (water retention), you’d gain some weight, and you’d probably notice arm/leg swelling.

—————
2. But your symptoms may arise from within the spinal cord or brainstem or brain due to some NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE.

In this case moving any body part, or exercising, walking… would probably not relieve any symptoms during exercise itself…

———————
What you can do before visiting a doctor (neurologist)? Having some walk (also during work time if possible). For the arm/hand, try above mentioned exercises, othervise, rest the wrist as much as possible.

If this doesn’t help, you may first visit physiotherapist, anyway, for reliable diagnosis, you’d need to be examined by neurologist.

I hurt my leg yesterday during tae kwon do. I got a “dead leg,” and the area that was hit is completely numb and still swelling. I’ve been compressing it with ice since last night, and the swelling is down, but should I still see a doctor because of the numbness?

To Ouchies.

Go to the urgency. Fluid (blood?) presses on the nerve(s) and causes numbness. Constant pressure on the nerve damages it; doctor can give you something to reduce swelling to prevent nerve damage.

If you wait with this, you may experience prolonged symptoms (months…)

My right leg has felt “numb” in certain areas on and off for months now. I really notice it when I am sitting for longer periods, because it gets so uncomfortable that I have to constantly change sitting positions. It really starts to hurt after awhile and I am worried it could be something bad, like a blood clot. I am a healthy young adult…is this possible? What could it be?

To sek5614

Pain appearing during prolonged pain commonly appears in “sciatica”; a cartilagineus disc in the spine presses upon sciatic nerve where it leaves the spinal cord, thus causing pain at various parts of the leg, from the back to toes. When you change the position, pressure in the spine changes, so does the pain. Having regular breaks, short walks help. Search about “lumbar disc hernia” or “sciatica”.

In blood clot due to thrombosis, the leg becomes swollen and reddish/bluish. In embolic clot there’s a severe pain and leg becomes pale…

I am 33 female. I have had left arm numbness and tingling..sometimes both my feet to. I also noticed..sitting by a cap fire or anything hot heats up my legs to where my veins are red from the heat..it looks creepy to everyone that my legs are all veiny(red blotchy)I get the acational heartburn..what the heck. I had them check my heart by runniing on a treadmill and just sitting on the bed and listening to it..and they say it beats regular. My big question is I have a huge digestion problem..could this relate?

To baileyb8.

What are symptoms of your digestive problem, do you have any exact diagnosis?

Nerve problems (tingling) may be related with digestion, if absorption of vit B12, folate, and minerals is impaired.

I was Diagnosed with L3-4 and L4-5 bulging disc.With moderate narrowing of the spinal canal.I have severe low back pain most of the time and my legs have gone numb and I fall.
getting comfortable to sleep is very difficult due to the pain in my back and legs.I normally have to prop 2 or 3 pillows under my knees to sleep. The surgeon says surgery wont help and I need PT and injections.No clear diagnosis has been given yet.HELP!

To custodian.

On the basis of which investigation was said that you have bulging discs and narrowed spinal canal?

I’m surprised how someone says surgery won’t help. A reliable neurologist should tell you, should you try some physiotherapy first, but I can tell you that surgery is safe and effective treatment of lumbar bulging disc. Both bulging discs AND spinal narrowing might be needed to correct during surgery, otherwise you might experience only partial improvement.

I had a full bone CT scan in January due to abdominal pain resulting from the flu.

The CT of the lumbar spine showed severe degenerative changes which deform the spinal cord and suggested coorelation with an MRI. I’ve had no back pain in the past few years due to maintaining an exercise progam.

However, I am now experiencing numbness, severe pain and weakness bilaterlly in my feet. This is NOT asociated with back pain.

What are your feelings regarding the causal relationship of my foot pain with the findings on CT?

Thank you for your help!

To infinity.

Degenerative changes in lumbar spine can cause feet pain without back pain.

The pain is caused by pressure of either bony or cartilagenous parts of the lumbar spine upon nerves that innervate the legs. Nerve fibers that innervate feet, legs, bottom and the back are distributed among several nerves, so you feel pain only in body parts that are innervated by affected nerves.

Jan M…Hi, thanks for replying.:)
Anyway, whe I eat certain foods..aspecially berries or a large dinner I get huge abnomanal pains…gassy, cramps and then I either get diaraeha or constipation, but after I DO go to the bathroom I feel GREAT again. But sometimes the pains make me sick ..its like my plumbing is backed up and poisoning me….

To baileyb8.

Beside berries (strawberries or all berries?), can you identify any other particular food that irritates you?

There is xylitol in some berries, it’s like sorbitol in apples, pears…you might want to read about fructose malabsorption:

http://www.healthhype.com/fructose-malabsorption-cause-symptoms-and-diagnosis.html

(also check links to diet proposals from there)

Read about Foods to avoid in IBS:

http://www.healthhype.com/fodmap-diet-foods-to-avoid-in-ibs-bowel-disorders-with-bloating-and-gas.html

If you have tingling lips/itchy skin or itchy mouth/throat some minutes after certain food (berries?)…it may be food allergy:

http://www.healthhype.com/common-food-allergies-in-children-and-adults-causes-symptoms-testing-cure.html

……………………………….

Red blotchy (?) veins? How blotchy? Obvious rash on the skin surface (bumpy hives?), or just red lines along the veins? Goes with itching?

……………………………….

Heartburn – do you belch, experience early satiety?

Jan,
no I dont belch, that I have noticed anyway. the berries do not give me a tingling..I LOVE them and I still eat them..just not a high amount. Eggs and bananas really bug as well. As for my veins they only go red when I am near exesive heat. I truly hope this is not relating to my heart..that is too scary for me… But My left arm tingles alot now…and my foot.

hello,

i began experiencing tingling in both my big toes about 5 days agom i noticed it at night when i was going to bed. its gotten worse now and its not just at night but all day long. i went to a podiatrist and he ran some PPG test and also listened to my pulse from my ankles and feet and asked me if i have clogged arteries. i am 32 and in good health, i just had a baby 6 months ago. he told me to go to a vascular guy/cardiologist. im kind of worried now…

the tingling is constant and isnt alleviated by raising my legs or laying down. im wondering if it could be 1)nerve damage from the epidural i had for childbirth (although i havent experienced any other long term side effects from it to date 2) some other type of nerve damage 3) somehow related to a mass i have in my breast which is being checked out as well but so far isnt malignant or basically some other early sign of something like heart disease or diabetes although i dont have any other symptoms, other than the fact that i am still 20 lbs over my normal, prepregnancy weight.

any advice you have is much appreciated. also i should note my feet have always been “cold” but recently i have noticed they are increasingly uncomfortably cold to the point where walking on a tiled floor is unbearable.

i think if the cardiologist finds nothing i will try a neurologist, but was hoping you might have some light to shed.

thank you!

To grayson’s mom.

Tingling is only in big toes, not in other toes? Any symptoms in fingers?

Do the toes turn white or blue when they are cold, like when you put the feet into a cold water? If yes, this could be a Raynaud phenomenon…click this link and scroll down:

http://www.healthhype.com/arm-numbness-tingling-hands-and-fingers.html

Epidural anestesy doesn’t seem to be the cause now after 6 months…

Do you have occasional facial flushes, or diarrhea? If yes, the mass in the breast could be a “carcinoid” that excretes serotonin. TEST: Elevated amount of 5-HIAA (break-down product of serotonin), and/or histamine may be found in the blood and urine.

So, the cause can arise from
- vessels in feet
- blood (thrombosis)
- nerves (sciatica, restless leg syndrome)
- serotonin secreted by neuroendocrine tumor…

I was rear ended 2 monts ago. Went to my chiroprctor a week after the accident (had been seeing him for some neck/nerve issues with hand tinglng before this). I had an MRI done @ a month ago in which they found three bulging discs in my neck. I am still having the hand tingling, mainly in my right hand and going to chiro for adjustments 2x week with physical therapy 3x week. The thing that started around three weeks ago is tingling in both my feet. I told the chiro and havn’t had x-ray or MRI for my lower back(oh about 2 weeks before the tingling in my feet I had pain in my lower back that went into my butt on the R side) so I am worried that I don’t know what’s going on with this foot tingling-it seems to be stronger when I move my feet which is really weird! I am going to a neurologist in a week. My chiro doesn’t seem to have much to say about this foot thing and my lower back (maybe for insurance reasons?) I’m only 31 and afraid this will effect me the rest of my life because I had an issue before and now with the rear ending compounding it! Any input at all? Thanks!

To murphymama.

It’s possible you have a bulging disc in lumbar spine. This disc likely presses upon nerves that innervate your legs and feet. When you move the feet the pressure on the nerve (somewhere along its course) changes, so you feel change in tingling. If you cross your legs when sitting – this can press on arteries that supply the feet and can aggravate tingling.

You will probably want to have MRI of the lower back. You also maybe want to contact a neurosurgeon or neurologist to explain the MRI then, and evaluate the extent of injury.

In the 1990’s, I noticed the onset of toe numbness in the left foot. Over time, the numbness progressed to the right foot, one toe at a time. Currently, both feet are numb to the extent that I cannot feel a needle prick. There is also constant tingling in both feet. I have noticed that the numbness is progressing up the leg. Both legs now feel very “heavy”.

To BigcheeriO.

Have you had MRI of the spinal cord, were there any abnormalities found?

Do you have any chronic disaese, or have you smoked or consumed alcohol for several years?

I have 2 herniated discs – L4-L5-S1. and have frequent attacks.
Two weeks ago I had another attack and since then my right leg has been numb from my groin to my toes. How long will this numbness last? Will it ever go away? I was told by a doctor that it may never go away and that surgery will not change the numbness. Please help.

To Nicole.

It’s important that you speak with neurologist or neurosurgeon who can evaluate how serious the herniation is, and if surgery is needed. It’s important that you do this quickly, since constant pressure on nerve(s) can cause some permanent damage.

Surgery is in most cases solve the herniated disc problem and all symptoms for good.

The process where I live is for a GP (who is trained by the neurosurgeons to evaluate people) to evaluate me. If he/she thinks that it is surgical, your case will be consulted with a neurosurgeon. One of my problems is that the GP told me that all the damage that is done to a nerve is done at the time of the incident. That the numbness I have in my leg and foot will not cause more damage – I am not sure I believe this. It can’t be a good sign when your leg is still numb 2 weeks later. She also mentioned that the numbness may never go away even with surgery. The surgery that you mentioned, is it a total removal of the disc and then fusion or a partial. With me, they are talking about a partial removal.

Thanks for the help.

For the past months, I have had some very diffuse but worrying symptoms…

I had a baby 8 months ago, and the first thing that “happened” was that my period did not go back to normal, it is regular but extremely heavy.

After a couple of periods I started having severe back pain -after- my period. It felt just like when I was pregnant and I had pains related to my pelvis and the loosening of the pelvic joints.

My blood pressure started dropping and was at times 85/55. I went to the doctor who checked my blood count and said I was not anemic.

The periods finally decreaced in bleeding this last month but other things are worrying me instead…

I get intense shooting pains on the left side of my head, just above/around the ear, and I also have a very sore and stiff neck.
It sometimes feels like my heart beats irregularly and very hard.
I have dizzy spells and sometimes feel very foggy.
My legs and arms feel “weak”, not all the time, but frequently. My legs all the way up the thigh and down to my feet feels like they are tingling, the feeling you get just when your feet or legs fall asleep and then start to wake up, kind of an aching tingly feeling and it also feels like it hurts “inside the bones” in my legs.

The backpain went away with the heavy period but the leg/feet symptoms have become worse.

I am 37 years old, 3 children (8 months old, 3 years old and 4 years old) normal weight, very light smoker, maybe 2 cigarettes a day, but I do use “snuff” or “dipping” tobacco in pouches. I do not drink alcohol. No prescription medications. Last week I started taking my allergy meds for grass allergies. (Claritin or Zyrtec)
Any ideas what this all adds up to? Or if the numb/tingeling is even connected to the rest?

To Centura.

Low blood pressure, irregular heart beat, dizzy spells and tingling/weakness events may be all connected: it looks that either a heart arrhythmia or something other is causing a temporary fall of your blood pressure that causes all of your symptoms.

I suggest you to make an appointment with cardiologist who will listen your heart and maybe give you a Holter monitor that checks heart rhythm for 24 hours continously.

Shooting pain around the ear, and neck stifness may arise from pressure to one of nerves that arise from the neck spine. This should be checked by a neurologist that may order a MRI of the head/neck.

In 1986 I was operated at L5S1 due to slip disc but numness& burning sencession developed on my lower lims including my buttock and urinary portion.Although I can walk smoothly but no cure on both above problems sofar.now I am 62 years old . In 2001 I also become a patient of Sposmedi dysphonia.So I feel problem insolving and take my food. Can some body help me to reduce my problems.I Wating.

hello

i dislocated my big toe two weeks ago, it was put back into place and strapped with buddy tape, the toe is still numb and i get a tingly feeling is this normal and is it just a matter of time before this goes….

To shalwee.

I’d suggest you to visit neurologist who can evaluate the extent of the nerve damage, since eventual prolonged pressure on the nerve can furtherly damage it.

To M.L. Sharma.

About leg pains. It is possible that new bulging discs have appeared in your lumbar/sacral spine and are causing your pains now. Neurologist will probably order a CT or MRI of the spine to evaluate this.

About spasmodic dysphonia. This would require a detailed discussion with a neurologist who will probably ask you several questions about what do you think about the possible causes.

I have numbness and burning from my mid thigh to my mid calf all the way around my leg. This is on both legs but more on the left leg. No problems in my feet. It became worse after my sclerotherapy treatments which I finished 6 months ago. It’s not getting any better but got worse. I have also been sitting more at work. My GP says that it could be that my legs need more time to revasculate. I have no pain at night but it gets progressively worse in the day. Feels best when I exersise. Could this be the case or should I get a second opinion. Any thoughts?

To Kathy B.

Explanation by your doctor seems reasonable, but sitting with bent knees all the time can furtherly reduce circulation in your legs. Having a short walk every once in a while during work may help.

Hi, I have recently (past few weeks) had tingling and numbness in my feet and legs when I sit for periods of time. I did injure a disc several years ago (healed in a week or two without surgery), but hesitate to think that my symptoms are simply nerve issues because it feels more like circulation (warmth) when I stand back up than the sleeping from nerve pressure.

I used to run almost every day when I was late 30s to early 40s, but now only walk a couple of times a week (I am now 44 years old). I also have has mild pain on the back of my hamstring on my left leg, but the tingling is in both feet and legs.

I have noticed the discomfort is gone after a minute of standing, and there is no pain when I exercise.

Hi. I’m a 33 year old female who has been dx with B-12 dificiency. I have had a varicose vein removed from my right leg and need another removed now. I have tingling periodically down the front of my left leg. It doesn’t last long and there is no pain. I can touch the hair on my theigh and it causes my shin to tingle…pretty weird. I sit for the biggest part of the day, but do get up frequently. I also have slight tingling on my left shoulder. My ankles swell sometimes but not always. I wondered if it is something related to the B-12 or the circulation issues I seem to have on the right side. By the way, I do receive B-12 shots every month and shouldn’t have a shortage to cause the symptoms. I have noticed this happening a lot lately and need to know if there is a need for alarm.

To Scott.

Can you recall of any recent event that has put strain on your left hamstring? Also, did you lift some heavy thing from the ground or so? I mean, if the bulging disc was in the lumbar spine it has maybe appeared again and it can now press on nerves that innervate both legs. This is called “sciatica”. In this case pain would also likely appear in the butt or thigh. Sitting typically agravetes sciatica; it does not usually cause the “sleeping leg” feeling but numbness, tingling, pins and needles feeling or pain.

Another (or additional) cause could be a prolonged walk or anything other that could cause swelling behind the knee(s), pressing on the tibial or common peroneal nerve (see pictures):

http://home.comcast.net/~wnor/postthigh.htm

In this case pain or numbness would be mainly downward from the knee. Sitting with bent knees put additional pressure on the nerve(s) that run behind the knee.

If you lye on the back and slowly lift one extended leg up and if you feel the pain anywhere from the back to the feet, this speaks from spinal (disc) origin of the pain.

Few weeks of symptoms is enough to see a neurologist since prolonged pressure on the nerve can extend the time of its healing.

To Crystal B.

If your B12 is in normal range in last months this should not be a cause of tingling. But why was B12 low in the first place? Also were any other vitamins lowered?

If veins were removed on the right leg and there was no tingling before and after the procedure than it’s hard to say if veins have something with tingling in the left leg or not.

Tingling in the left shoulder and in the left leg, so only on the left side (right?) can be caused by:
- bulging or herniated disc in the neck
and another one in the lumbar spine. If this is the cause, tingling would change with body position, like after several minutes of walking or so…
- a disorder in the right part of the brain or in certain part of the brainstem or spinal cord.

I strongly suggest you to visit a neurologist since a disorder like multiple sclerosis is possible. You can expect that neurologist will suggest you MRI.

hi, i hurt my back at work, i have three ruptured discs and lumber strain, i have now developed a severe numbness in my foot and lower leg, i can not bend my toes back nor my foot but i can bend them downwards, my whole leg from the knee down feels mostly numb and i do get some tingling sometimes in my left arm and hand, would this be related to my spine injury?

To strikeruk.

Content of the ruptured discs may press on the leg nerves on the site where they come out from the spinal cord.

Having problems even with leg muscles is a symptom of a serious disorder. I suggest you to arrange appointment with neurologist as soon as possible to prevent prolonged or permenent damage of your nerves. You can expect CT or MRI of the spine.

thank you, i am as we speak awaiting to hear about an appointment with the back specialist dealing with my case

Hi, I have numbness, tinglin, from waist down to my toes. Cant walk any distance or stant in one place for any length of time. Also cramping in left hand. Have been like this for 4 mths. Also had back ache.

Seen a neurologist and had a am MRI. He told me that there were white patches on my brain and spine and was caused by a virus of the nervous system. Was told it is a long slow healing process, but has given me steroid that i am taking at min and he said it “may” help.

Could you tell me anything about this condition and what could have caused it and if it could lead to anything else or if there is even a proper name for it as he wasnt very forth coming.

To crystal.

White patches in the brain appear in multiple sclerosis. Some viruses (like Epstein Barr virus) may contribute to multiple sclerosis.

Ask your doctor:
- does he suspect multiple sclerosis, and if yes, would he make a lumbar punction (a sample of cerebro spinal fluid taken with the needle from the space near your spinal cord (lower back).
- what exact virus he had in mind and what proves this?

Can someone help? I started have sharp electrical-like feeling shooting pain in my upper leg that radiated only from my like. I have no back pain or problems. The pain was intermittent. It has gotten significantly worse, now associated with numbness and recently the shooting pains have minimized, but now my leg feels tender to the touch like it is severely bruised under my skin. (My leg looks normal.) I just have numbness and a severe bruised feeling on the top of my upper leg when I barely touch my leg. It is that sensitive. I am having an MRI of the brain, but I have no possible diagnoses in advance of this. Any possible ideas? I really don’t think my back has anything to do with this. Who knows…… IDEAS?????

To Lori Rutsky.

Having no back pains does not exclude spinal disorders like bulging disc.

You’ll need to wait for MRI results, I don’t see any point in listing possible causes in advance.

I have had a feeling of numbness/slight tingling on the front of my right shin and in and around my right big toe for several days. it isnt painful but was causing me to drag my leg a bit. it does seem to have improved somewhat. No actual pain in the leg, or in my back or in the other leg. I’m male,33, a smoker, active

Hi,

I am 6 months pregnant and have been getting a numb right hip and thigh when I sleep on my left side. I’ve been told not to sleep on my back because it can reduce blood flow to the baby. Last night I woke up on my back with a totally numb right leg. I am worried that I was cutting off blood supply to my leg and the baby. What do you think is causeing the numbness, do I need to keep worrying?

Thanks ,

Kate S

I recently had surgery on my arm and since have had numbness and a burning sensation in both thighs. What do you think it could be?

Hello,
Thank you for having this post.
I had a baby 15 months ago. During my second trimester I developed sever back pains and was admitted in the hospital for kidney stones, I had blood in my urine but never saw a stone. The rest of the pregnancy I had to sleep on the couch because my back hurt and my legs were restless. During labor, I had to get an epidural because all the contractions were in my lower back and hips, it was horrible. After I had the baby, my left foot kept going numb and tingling, that finally went away after a few months. I still have the restlessness in both legs, tingling in my left foot, and pain in my lower back. I can’t sleep and I feel anxious during the day. It has now developed into my left arm where I feel tingling in my left hand. I have tried massages that only provide temporary relief.
I did have xrays done just last week and the dr’s office said they came back normal. They prescribed flexeral and ibuprofen. Both do not help at night. I do not drink sodas or coffee, I cut it out of my diet completely. I work out about 4 – 5 times a week for an hour. I have had issues with bowel movements where I am unable to pass a bowel for several days. I did gain 44lbs during my pregnancy but I have burned off almost all the weight except for 3lbs. I always been a small framed person and now my hips have widened with the pregnancy. The final symptom is the week before and the week during my period, I have extreme back pain and all the symptoms tend to be enhanced. I usually have to sleep on the floor with my legs elevated to get comfort. I currently take midol or excedrin to help with relief of pain and restlessness. I need to figure this out because I am getting cranky, irritable, and short patience with everyday events. , Please help me. (oh, one more note, when I was receiving the epidural, the guy told me I should have my back looked at because I had a bad case of skoleosus (sp), however, my xrays just came back and everything was “ok”.)

To JFG.

Numbness/tingling in the lower leg in absence of any known disease is commonly due to:
- bulging disc in the lumbar spine (it doesn’t necessary cause back pain). In this case tingling would be relieved by walking and aggravated by sitting or carrying or lifting heavy things.
- inflamed tendon pressing upon the nerve on the back side of the knee (after long walking, running, weight lifting etc). In this case tingling would be aggravated by walking.
- both above mentioned reasons could be the cause in prolonged sitting (including driving).

To Kate S.

Baby is getting blood through the vessels in the umbilical cord flowing from the placenta – so it’s not likely that these vessels would be compressed in any position you sleep.

When sleeping on the left side your right leg is above the level of the heart so the blood must be pumped against gravitation and this may cause low leg perfussion and hence numbness. It’s like you sleep with arms on the pillow or when you raise your arms above the head. In this case numbness should go away in about a minute when you change the position.

But if numbness appears also when sleeping on the back, then uterus can actually press on the vessels that supply your right leg. Or, nerves that supply the right leg may be compressed or a bulging disc developed in your lumbar spine. In this case you’d probably also feel numbness during prolonged sitting or driving.

Here are some advices from one pregnancy forum:
http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/pregnancy/hip.html

If this doesn’t help ask your gynecologist since it seems to be a common problem in pregnancy.

Brandiwine0910

What kind of arm surgery you’ve had and was it done in local or in general anesthesia?

Is thigh numbness affected by body position or walking?

To Angela.

Bloody urine may be from kidney stones but also from several other disorders of the kidneys (or the bladder).

Plain X-ray of the spine is not enough to see if there is any bone or disc pressing on some nerve that innervates the leg. CT or MRI would be needed.

Neurologist (or orthopedist or a “back doctor”) can say if it is scoliosis, bulging disc, spondylitis or some neurological disease.

I had the axillary skin removed under general anesthesia. Originally my legs seemed to “go to sleep” because I had to lay on my back to sleep and slept alot during the first week after surgery. Now my legs have the numbness and needle like tingling constantly. It seems to be worse if I am active. I can’t stand to be touched and wearing pants has become almost unbearable.

I have broke my left leg bone completely in the area below the knee and above the toe, no any joint injury. I had a plaster on it for 5 days.

After 5 days the doctor replaced the plaster. But it was too tight and just after 3 hours I lost the sensation in toe and I could not move my leg fingures upwards and toe was also moving in only one direction. Doctor replaced the plaster with less tight one, but the movement of fingures and toe was gone.
Doctor said that one of the nerves on knee got pressed thats why I lost the sensation.
Now it 4 weeks to that incidence but I am still not feeling any sensation in toe. Doctor is saying that the fracture should be treated first and then will treat for the numbness as there is still the plaster on whole leg for next 1 month.

Can you please tell me what should I do in this case? If I wait for another month, will it cause some problems in recovery from numbness. Can the treatment be started now? What kind of treatment should I take on this?

Please advice.

To strikeruk.

Go to the neurologist SOON. Do not wait that the bone will heal, but ask for appointment with neurologist who can say what needs to be done. Waiting can result in neurve damage causing prolonged or even permanent symptoms.

My first encounter came in 1989 I believe when one side of my head couldn’t bare to be touched with anything. It kinda coursed from my shoulder area on my left side all the up to the top of my head on my left side. I quit the job I was working at thinking I had gotten a chemical response to something. The next time was a few years later when I couldn’t run down the court. To me, I felt like I was a 22 month old trying to get it right. I could jump… I couldn’t touch the bottom of the net. The day before I had almost put my elbow on the rim… still got a small mark from it. I saw a doctor after that one and found out I had two vertabrae, c5 and c6 that were really close. Close enough for the university doctor to believe he had found my problem. From there I went to a chiropractor. All in the same year with no results. Fast forward a few years. At the urging of my boss I did go see a Doctor again, I had left the situation open without any real knowledge of what was wrong with me. The Dr. did an MRI to begin with and came back with devastating news. “I got good news and bad news, the good news is that you don’t have a pinched nerve(c5 and c6 were very, very close), the bad news is you do show signs of MS. That same diagnosis came from a Neurologist a few weeks later due to wanting a second op and because the spinal tap he tried to do was unsuccessful. I let him try it twice as I told him “THIS will never happen again.” Man that hurt.

Today as I type this, I’m feeling something occuring on my left side, starting just below the illiotic crest area and extending to my toes.

I did a lot of sitting yesterday, like about 2.5 hours or more. Could that be cause of my symptoms now or should I just chalk this up to MS also?

I don’t take meds for it since I’m still uncertain about the diagnosis. I do work out in my home gym… just turn 40 and I look better than I did when I was 18. More muscle.

To CY.

When did you have lumbar puncture?

Having disc problem in the neck raise possibility of having disc problem in lumbal/sacral area, what could cause pain in the left leg from pinched nerve. Sitting typically worsen leg pain from pinched nerve and walking typically (usually) relieves it. If you lie on the back and lift your extended left leg slowly up and if you at certain (always the same) level feel the pain in the back, buttock or left leg, it’s likely that the problem is pinched nerve.

MS can also cause leg pain but in this case body movements usually do not affect the pain.

About 5 months ago I started experiencing a “tightness”/numbness in my left leg upon waking … sometimes under my toes – ball of foot – behind knee – front of calf. It used to resolve after a couple of hours now it stays longer and I have spots of it in my right lower leg. MRI/EMG – DDD, Bulge at 4-5, mild radiculopathy at L4-5, slight at 3-4, 5-S1. I had a benign intradural tumor removed from L2 15 years ago that also showed some intradural extramedullary scarring. No problems until now at 45. Active, not overweight. Will an epidural relieve the numbness even though I do not have pain? Scheduled for Thursday and a bit concerned …
Thanks in advance …

To cgn5266.

Numbness is an absence of feeling. Intradural analgetic would help in pain not in numbness. Ask neutrologist if physiotherapy would be appropriate.

Hi, I was searching the web to try to find answers about things that have been disturbing me after my surgery earlier today. Here is my situation.
I just had a double tendon transfer combined with a calcaneal osteotomy on my right foot. The procedure went well according to my doctor.
Now I am at home taking percocet to easy me along, but it’s been approximately 10 hours since the surgery and my right leg, from knee to toes is still numb. Is this normal? Also, is there a way for me to stop the cramps my foot is having? I am worried it might be doing my foot harm since it’s in a cast and they told me to keep it still.

1) Numbness, how long is it supposed to last.

2) Is there a way to stop the cramping?

Thank you!

In exactly 2 hours, it will have been a day since the numbing medication was used… is this normal for a anesthesia? Really worried T_T Same area still numb, same cramps still occurring.

To Post-Op R Foot.

I suggest you to call surgeon (or his staff) – they will tell you what to do. Numbness may need some time to go away, for cramps you can get instruction of some specific exercise.

If symptoms are lessening, just give it some time. If not, as said, call the doctor.

hi
im 34/f. i had c section 3.5 yrs back , since then my left big toe is kind of asleep,very little sensation. and since past 7-8 days,im having burning sensation,pain,numbness and tingling in both feet. this is specially more when i am sitting or lying down at night. i do smoke 2/3 cigs a day.
the pain is pointed and not overall like a muscular pain. i have tried massage,OTC painkillers and soothing lotions but im not getting relief. i need to know what could this be. there is no swelling or color change at all.i do not excercise and am in a full time office job .

To swati_437.

Sounds like bulging or herniated disc in your lumbar spine pressing on nerves that innervate legs/feet. Symptoms are typically aggravated during prolonged sitting and relieved by walking.

Maybe a physiotherapy can help you. Neurologist, after physical examination can tell you diagnosis that is confirmed by MRI of the spine.

Having breaks with short walking during prolonged sitting and walking before sleeping may also help.

Hi, my dad is a 67 yr old male been smoking all his life. He has a sore buttock and calf, it kind of aches. It started 3 months ago. He doesn’t have any pain in the back, also gets tingling in the hands but doctor says thats because of the smoking, also has emphysema and bronchitis for years. what is it? Please help thanks

To DannyB.

Pain in (both) calfs may be from smoking – nicotin can cause atherosclerosis in leg arteries. In this case pain would appear mainly during walking and disappear during rest.

It’s likely that both pain in the buttock and calf are due to bulging or herniated disc in his lumbar spine. Back pain does not necessary appear in this case. Pain is worse during sitting and lying and lessens during walking. He should see neurologist or orthopedist to exemine him and tell him if some exercises would help.

Tingling in the hands may be from several reasons; neurologist can tell the cause.

I’ve had numb fingers on my right hand for several years, coming and going. Recently, my left fingers are now numb with the right continually. My toes on my left foot are also numb (recently), and my legs feel heavy when I walk and exercise has become difficult. I don’t have any pain. I have just acquired a puppy, so I am standing a lot, getting up and down, chasing the dog, etc. The problems with the legs and toes started when I brought home the puppy and was wondering if this could be contributing to my problems.

To NanciLea.

Any color change (red-white-blue) in fingers?

It’s possible you have some arthritic changes or bulging discs in the neck spine (would affect fingers) or lumbar spine (legs/toes). CT or MRI of the spine would reveal this.

It’s possible that your problemes emerged because you are moving around more than you did before…If you can arrange someone else going out with the dog for few days – then you might see, if this is the cause or not.

No changes in color in fingers or toes. Thank you for responding, I will try and do less…I have a doctors appointment next week so maybe there will be some kind of answer. I do lean over a lot to clean the floor, so this might have something to do with my stiff, heavy legs.

NanciLea,

one type of pain is sciatica – it’s aggravate by bending down, lifting heavy objects, sitting, standing and even lying on the back. Pain usually starts in the lower back and goes down through the buttock, back of the tighm calf toward th foot and toes.

If your feet are bent during cleaning the floor, you’ve might developed a tarsal tunnel syndrome (read in the article). This pain is relieved by rest (but may take days…) and aggravated by walking so just the opposite as sciatica. You may have trouble lifting the foot (droping foot).

Heaviness in both legs may be due to leg sweeling.
http://www.healthhype.com/swollen-leg-swelling-of-the-feet-ankle-toes.html

Stifness in hips or kness may be due to arthritis (joint inflammation) – it is worse in the morning and improves through the day or byarthrosis – degeneration of joints because of daily wear and tear through the years.

So, just write down which exact areas of youv legs are affected, is it pain (also in joints?), numbness, heaviness, swelling…what triggers the pain and what relieves it.. when did it all start…and any other symptoms you have.

Do you know of any association with herniated discs and lower abdominal pain?

I was doing heavy lifting about 4 months ago and felt a sharp pain in my right inguinal area. The pain subsided then returned in 2 weeks, and is very sensitive to touch. I have been checked several times for hernia and nothing found. I have been treating this as possible muscle injury, and after 6 weeks of physical therapy, no real improvent. I would describe the pain as sharp, and seems that after this long, a muscle injury shouldn’t be so hypersensitive. An MRI and CT scans of abdomen and pelvis reveal nothing abnormal.

On most days, I experience bilateral pain in lower abdomen, that seems aggravated by standing and sitting. I might call it soreness or tightness. I have also noticed that the entire lower abdominal area is hypersensitive to touch as first noticed while in the shower. I have researched abdominal wall nerve entrapment and will see both a pain management doctor as well as a neurologist. My concern is that there may some additional relation to my back. I do have lower back pain that varies, and have experienced it most of my adult life.

Recently, in the last 2 weeks I have noticed some tingling in my toes, but have no other pains in legs. I have attributed this to prolonged sitting as I am very limited due to pain in abdomen, especially the right inguinal area, and on occasion the left inguinal area is sore, but mild compared to the right. Do you know of any relationship for lower abdominal pain to herniated discs in back?

It started suddenly when I discovered I have numbness and tingling in my feet and legs. The next day, my anal and vaginal area were also numb. My feet, although not cold to the touch feel cold to the point of pain. I have an MRI scheduled but can’t get in to see a Neurologist until Sept. I am very worried, please help. This is not effecting my ability to walk but with every step, I feel tingling go all through my lower body. I am a teacher and school starts in 1 1/2 weeks, I need to be ready to stand all day!

To Gary.

Skin and muscles in lower abdominal area are innervated by spinal nerves arising from lower thoracic spine and could be from a pinched nerve due to bulging disc.

Tingling in toes could be from bulging disc in the lumbar spine and can be aggravated by sitting.

MRI of the spine would show bulging discs.

Here you can check picture that shows which part of thebody is innervated by which nerve:
http://www.healthhype.com/causes-of-tingling-and-numbness-paresthesia.html

To dbrady.

Symptoms you are describing may arise from a disorder (often bulging or herniated discs) in the lumbar and sacral part of the spine. Here you can check a picture of body skin innervation:
http://www.healthhype.com/causes-of-tingling-and-numbness-paresthesia.html

Bulging discs should be seen on MRI.

Hi. First let me say that I am happy I found this website and secondly I feel for everyone on here with their pain. Now on to my question. I first started with leg numbness many years ago. I would be walking or standing and it would feel like a hot towel was being wrapped around my right leg. That was about 12 years ago. I was young and dumb and did not seek medical attention. Then I fell at work and for insurance purposes found myself in a weekly ritual of cortisone shots in my right buttocks area (just above the top curve) and at the base of my neck. Both right side. After months if those I stopped it all on my own and continued on with life. I have always been a hard worker player mother etc. Now fast forward 12 years, weight gain, bed ridden a lot, sleep a lot, lie around too much, BECAUSE of right leg going completely numb, can not stand for more than a few minutes before this happens, can’t cook or shower or put on makeup without complete numbness. My feet burn at night to where I gave to sleep with a fan on them, they also feel like bruises on the bottom if them and my ties feel like someone us wacking them with a hammer!!! I went to my PC Dr who ordered a MRI which came back normal ish. Normal wear and tear, no pinched nerve, which is what I/we expected. Now on to PT. First PT Dr told me basically I needed to lose weight. I almost gave up on ever being able to stand, much less walk without limping or pain and numbness ever again. PC Dr said go back to another PT Dr who now has me stretching before I wake and 5 times a day with a journal of pain. Journal is simple. I hurt all the time, every day, pain only leaves me under vicoden or alcohol. Other than that I am a walking sitting standing no sleep constant pain ESP in toes and numb right leg. I have also been getting pain at the base if my head same side. On same note, my husband has noticed little eraser head like bruises across the pain area (top of curve portion) of my buttocks. So, pain when I sit stand walk lie sleep etc. Only thing to take it away is drugs which I hate. I am currently on gabapentin 900mg a day, piroxicam once a day and vicoden as needed. Help me break free if pain and horrible medicines with their side effects. Sorry if this letter does not make a lot of sense as I am lying in bed on my iPhone looking for answers to my pain that my doctors can only said stretch and lose weight. And all I am doing now is crying yet again asking begging for some kind of rational answer. Ohvyea I am now 46 don’t smoke and was a casual drinker. Fan on high on burning painfull feet and right side leg has a constant pain no matter what my activity.I can’t walk to shop or sweep or vacuum. It is effecting my daily life and mental health. Any ideas or am I crazy and just need to lose weight as first Dr mentioned and is hauntingly repeated over and over in my head? Thank you for what you do and for your time in reading my request.

Numbness,tingling,and burning in right foot.Sharp pain shoots on outside of knee when walking or sitting in car.
I fell on July 31,2009. Had a EMG which came back ok on the leg area.Numbness gets worse with daily activity. I am not driving. My lower back hurts.

To Tumbleweed.

Leg pain you’re describing is called sciatica. There are several cause, most of them arise from:
- spine: bulging disc, spondylitis (spinal arthritis) or spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)in the lumbar or sacral spine (feet and toes pain: L5-S1 segments) .
- muscles (piriformis syndrome)
- tumor in the spinal cord…etc
http://www.healthhype.com/sciatic-nerve-pain-causes-and-symptoms.html

Pain on the base of the head probably arises from the cervical spine (C3 segment).
Check the picture here:
http://www.healthhype.com/causes-of-tingling-and-numbness-paresthesia.html

Eraser head like bruises are only on the right side? They appear to be under the skin or on the skin like a rash? Dermatologist could say if those are bruises or something other.

To me it seems that both your leg and head pain arise from pinched nerves, because (at least your leg pain) changes with body position. Again, they are not only “bulging discs” but it may be the bony part of the spine, narrowed spinal canal or back muscles that may press on the mentioned nerves. Walking sometimes helps, depending on the cause. You would need a reliable neurologist.

To Deb.

MRI of the spine was done? It may be a pinched (sciatic) nerve.

Hello, thank you so much for helping! I’m certainly wondering what is going on. I’m a healthy 51 year old woman. Although I have had chronic lower back pain for over 20 years, I’m very active. I have a small frame, 5′4″ and 110 lbs (sometimes 105) at most, 145 lbs many years ago.

All was fine, except my chronic back pain, until recently. Before that, 8 months ago I began Yoga. I loved the stretching and exercise. This was an attempt to get rid of my lower back pain. I noticed every time I would do the spinal (supine) twist, I would get dizzy. This only happened when laying down my left knew would cross over to the floor – all while looking over to the right and keeping both shoulders on the ground. The dizziness was only for a second and then would subside. Interesting.

Around this time, off and on I would have tingling in my right arm. When I’d massage my arm, usually the dumbness would go away.

More recently, about a month ago I started another exercise routine (total body workout) involving 2,3 & 4 pound weights on the arms and legs. You work up to larger weight trios as you gain more strength – I’m now up to 5 pound weights. However, now a couple of days ago three of my toes on my right leg were numb (they are not dumb right now) but it comes and goes. My right arm has also been acting up in dumbness too. Sometimes I can also feel some tingling in my left leg – what is happening to me. My toes freaked me out. After massaging them they seemed to go away today anyway.

Long explanation, sorry for that, but if you have any ideas it would sure be helpful. I also am constantly at the computer working. I try to give myself lots of breaks.

I appreciate your input.

Best,

~Pam

Hello,can you help? My mother suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and chrohns disease.My Father died suddenly in February this year.My mother is 75 years old.She lost peripheral vision in one eye last year.She has now developed numbness and pins and needles in both feet (past two months) she now feels unable to drive as she cannot feel the car pedals.All blood tests have come back negative,there is a ? regarding the renal function but inconclusive.Any ideas what this could be and what would help alleviate the symptoms.thank you

Pam,

certain positions in Yoga can put pressure on nerves (or arteries) that supply legs and arms. This can lead in numbness like when you cross legs and one leg falls asleep.

Using a computer a lot and working with weights can cause inflammation in your wrists what may result in numbnes in hands/fingers. This is a well known carpal tunnel syndrome.

Prolonged sitting can result in bulging disc(s) and pinched nerves in the lumbar and neck spine.

Dizzines may be from temporary deterioration of blood flow through the basilar artery during certain neck moves. If dizziness and other symptoms like facial numbness or vision disturbance were appearing this would suggest “vertebro-basilar insufficiency”.

I believe most of your symptoms will disappear after some days/weeks of rest of wrists and certain exercises you are practising.

To ange55.

Did your mother have an MRI of the brain or spinal cord to check for multiple sclerosis? Impaired vision in one eye is commonly one of the first symptoms.

Husband without injury is experiencing leg or thigh
Weakness. Not really painful, hard to walk straight, he’s a little bull legged now. It’s started in one leg , now it’s in both. He has a slight numb sensation. He says it’s mainly very uncomfortable. He feels they could buckle anytime. He doesn’t dare drive, because he feels he isn’t in control of his legs. Any insight is greatly apprieciated. Thank you

To Sasha.

Symptoms from pinched sciatic nerve change with body position or moving: sitting aggravates them, walking often relieve them. There’s no swelling but legs may feel heavy.

An MRI of the spine can reveal bulging or herniated disc(s) or spinal arthritis (spondylitis) – the main causes of pinched nerve.

I need some help. I have had x-rays done of my spine as I have had back problems for many years. I am male, 61. They showed disc problems at L4-L5 and L5-S1. I tried physio but it made my back worse. A chiropractor was recommended and I have been seeing her for 6-7 years and my back feels much better. I go once a month for an adjustment. My back problems, she says, create a constant muscle spasm in my lower back.

My problem is that a year ago after my chiro adjustment i came home and took a nap but when I woke up I had a tingling in my left foot. This tingling persisted on and off so that I saw my family doctor. He said that it was most likely related to my back problems but referred me to a neurologist who wants to do an EMG test. I’ve been waiting to get to see the neurologist for this test since last October.

Sometimes I don’t notice this tingling at all but at other times it is really prominent, like today. I am going to call this neurologist again tomorrow but the wait for this test is crazy (that’s our Canadian medical system).

From reading all of these posts and articles, I tend to think (like my family doctor) that it is related to my back (maybe sciatica).

The tingling is not like pins and needles, but rather more like a firing of nerves in my foot (mainly at the bottom of my foot). There is no numbness, but it feels like a washing machine rumbling through my left foot.

Is this what it could be. I am worried and can’t seem to get to see this neurologist. I need some advice.

RGP,

yes, it may be sciatica.

Nerves for the foot arise from L5 and S1 spinal segments and may be pinched by bulging or herniated disc(s).

Scroll down this article a bit to check for body sensory innervation:
http://www.healthhype.com/causes-of-tingling-and-numbness-paresthesia.html

In general, sitting and standing aggravates sciatic pain but walking often helps. Night (morning) pain may depend on sleeping position.

As you see, disc problems may be controlled with exercises to some extent. When this doesn’t help any more, an operation of affected discs usually results in permanent solution of the problem.

I’m a 46yr old woman. Over the past year I have experienced intermittent tingling on both sides of my body: initially in areas of my back and tips of fingers and noticed that upon touching these areas they now feel quite numb. 2 weeks ago the tip of my right toe became totally numb and I now am experiencing intermittent tingling sensations in calves, thighs and next to my right nostril. I’ve recently had to have glasses prescribed as my vision has become quite blurry recently (I put this down to computer use at work). No other medical problems other than being an asthmatic but fatigue has always been an issue. Any advice please?

Johanna,

neurological symptoms affecting various parts of entire body, including the face, speak for brain involvement.

Problems with eyes are often one of the first symptoms in multiple sclerosis.

I recommend you to visit a neurologist soon. After neurologicla examination, he/she will probably suggest you to have MRI of the brain.

I’m so glad I’ve found this website. Here’s my problem. I’ve been experiencing numbness in leg area(s) for months now. This numbness feels like you’ve just come in from the cold. It doesn’t hurt, I don’t feel tingling, I can still feel cold and hot … it just feels a bit numb. I believe it first started in the spring. I woke up one morning and both my feet felt a bit numb. I assumed it would go away in a few hours, but it never did. About two days later I felt some lower back pain on my left side. The only thing I could think of was that the night before I had moved a small bookcase (not very heavy at all). I didn’t worry about it too much because I assumed I had put my back out and the swelling was putting pressure on my nerves. This eventually went away, but if I remember correctly it took weeks.

I’m not sure if this is related, but I will mention it. Then about a month or so later (I’m going from memory, so my timing may be off), I had been cleaning and when I woke up the next morning my right knee was very sore and swolen. I didn’t recall twisting it and nothing made me think at any point while I was cleaning that I had done something to my knee. This also took months to eventually go away and while it was healing, when I would walk I could nearly feel what felt like a tendon (?) snaping right below my knee. I just assumed it was because it was still swolen.

Then a while after that, I noticed my left groin area (only the left) and down the front of my thigh were numb (once again, no pain, tingling, still have feeling just feels “numb”). This has slowly gotten better, but I am still feeling the numbness in that area.

Then about a week ago, my feet felt numb again … from feet up to about my knees. Same thing as the first time. I think it’s slowly getting better, but it’s still numb. And then this might be totally unrelated, but a few days back the back of my left eye felt a bit sore (if I looked too far left, right or up). It’s nearly gone away now.

I am quite heavy and have lost 25 lbs so far because I thought maybe this was all because of my weight and it had just caught up to me (I’m 40). I DO have a doctor’s appointment this Friday, but I wanted to go into the appointment being more informed about what it MIGHT be. My Aunt had MS, so of course that has been on my mind. The numbness and maybe even the sore eye seem to point possibly towards that.

What are your thoughts? Is there anything specific I should mention to my doctor to look for?

Thanks in advance!

Kathy,

yes, MS is possible. Painful eye movements (vision is also often affected)in *one* eye and numbness (or tingling) in legs are commonly first symptoms of MS. Diagnosis is by MRI of the brain and spinal cord, sometimes examination of the spinal fluid (lumbal puncture) is also done. Arrange an appointment with a neurologist, who will make a complete neurological examination and ordered necessary tests.

Before MRI, basic blood tests: red and white blood cells, minerals (potassium, calcium..), sedimentation rate, etc. are done.

Additionally to MS, you might have bulging disc(s) in your lower spine – this can be seen by MRI (probably the same MRI as for MS).

Swollen knee may be from knee arthrosis (degeneration of knee joint), which may be a separate problem and would probably require X-ray of the knee.

Explain your symptoms to your doctor exactly just like you did here. Also think if you can recall any other symptoms from last years, actually write down your complete medical history and then history of close family members.

Check if you have any rashes or scaly skin anywhere…

Doctor might recommend you test for Lyme disease or tests for rheumatic diseases..anyway, try to have tests one after one, because when one disease is comfirmed other tests probably aren’t necessary.

I had surgery on my left foot in May 2008 to remove what was diagnose as two dead nerve endings where my toes meet the ball of my foot. This was done based on a MIR. I have since seen 2 orthepedic doctors and 1 podiatrist and one anethesialigist who did a nerve block. The symptoms I have started in my left foot after surgey where the ball of my foot and pain that periodically shoots through my second toe along with numbness and swelling in the ball of my foot. I now have numbness and and swelling in my right ball of that foot. I started pysical therepy and this just expanded the pain in my left foot. The last Podiatrist I saw diagnosed me with Cronic regional pain syndrome. Nothing I do seems to relieve the pain and numbness and I am limited on how long I can stand or walk. Any suggestions?

To Rhonda.

Search ONLINE for “COMPLEX regional pain syndrome” to see if your symptoms fit with those mentioned in related articles.

There are several treatment options mentioned there. Anyway, the first person to ask is your surgeon. If don’t know yet, ask, what was caused “dead nerve endings”, ask him about reliable physiotherapeutists, raed articles and write down the list of suggested therapies and ask surgeon about them.

When I cross my legs, sit cross-legged or bend forward from my waist for a prolonged time, numbness travels upwards from my feet to my thighs. It is quickly relieved when I uncross my legs or stand straight up. Any thoughts? Thank-you.

Muskoka-mum,

do you think this numbness has worsened lately?

I’m asking since practically anyone probably feels some tingling or numbness after crossing legs.

yes, it’s definitely worsened. I’m taking yoga teacher training and was hoping that would improve things, but it hasn’t. It’s almost instant as soon as I cross one foot over my knee, the bent leg goes numb (happens on both sides). And the other day, I was sitting down (legs uncrossed) and my 2nd toe on my right foot went numb and then about a minute later, the same toe on my left foot went numb???
I saw a chiropractor who couldn’t really figure it out. Thought it might be my piriformis – but would that affect both sides, because I get the numbness on both sides?

also, like I said, it happens even without crossing my legs. When I bend forward to touch my toes, my feet and legs also go numb.

Muskoka_mum,

piriformis syndrome may affect one or both legs. Youga exercises could be the cause.
http://www.eorthopod.com/public/patient_education/6623/piriformis_syndrome.html

Bulging or herniated disc in lumbar spine is also possible.

Symptoms you’re describing are called sciatica.
http://www.healthhype.com/sciatic-nerve-pain-causes-and-symptoms.html

Stooping yoga exercises and avoiding prolonged sitting are first two things you can do. Walking or smimming often helps but other exercises, except those recommended from a doctor or physiotherapist are not recommended.

This may help. If not, visit a neurologist who will make neurological examination.

I recently suffered a very painful back strain that put me in bed for three days. At the end of the third day I noticed some very irritating numbness in my left hip. As the back strain resolved the numbness increased and now lying down causes tingling in addition to the numbmess. There’s a general feeling of instability in my lower back as well.
My doctor has diagnosed simple back strain, and since I’ve had problems in the past with sciatica he says that may be the cause of the numbness in my hip. My concern is that I had no such symptom prior to my back injury and I wonder if I did more damage than a simple strain.
Any thoughts?

Sheryl,

yes it’s possible that the injury has caused more damage to your sciatic nerve. Beside strained muscle you may have bulging or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. MRI would show this. Certain execrises, as instructed by physiotherapist, may help you. Sitting usually aggravates and walking relieves the pain.

Hello this is Johanna again (25th Aug)…thanks for your reply. I spoke to a friend recently who had been reading up about menopausal symptoms on the net – for her own benefit – and she said that she’d read that ‘tingling and numbness in the extremities’ could be due to menopause. Although in my case the symptoms are all over my body (not just the extremities), and some numbness remains, do you think this is a possibility, and the eye symptoms due as I suggested previously to just PC use? I just wondered what your thoughts were on this.
Thanks again

…also, I wasn’t actually aware that I was in or entering menopause, but i guess I’m the right age…unfortunately.

Johanna,

if eyeglasses help you (?), it means the problem is in the lens and not in the optical nerve, which is often affected in multiple sclerosis.

Tingling and also numbness is mentioned in some lists of menopase symptoms but there’s no clear explanation. Estrogen level change is mentioned and correlation with hot flashes is given. Low vitamins from B complex and altered levels of minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium may cause tingling. As I understand, tingling in your case is in patchy pattern… If you suspect menopause, I believe you will want to visit gynecologist who can tell more about tingling.

I often sit with my legs crossed so the reason may be as simple as that but often when I stand up afterwards my foot has gone so far to sleep that I collapse and cannot use it at all for support without wiggling it for a while.
the other day it was my whole leg went to sleep after sitting on a barstool for half an hour and I stood up and went straight down.

Is this just bad sitting? is being a smoker making it worse? My dad had his lungs shredded by multiple pulmonary embellii that apparently originated in his thighs too so do I take my paranoia seriously as an early warning of this sort of thing?

thanks

Albeniz,

having a father with multiple lung emboli is a good reason to take your paranoia seriously. If your father has venous thrombosis you are at increased risk to have it and smoking is additional risk factor.

Certain substances in cigarette smoke may severely affect the inner layer of the arteries and contribute in development of atherosclerosis in coronary, brain, kidney, leg, abdominal and other arteries.

Smoking itself may cause tingling in limbs even before causing any organic damage in vessels, so it is hard to say how much tingling is from smoking, how much from sitting with crossed legs and how much from eventual bulging disc in your spine.

I have started to experience tingling in both of my feet this past weekend and throughout this week. It is not painful but more annoying and concerning. The tingling comes and goes throughout the day and subtle gets stronger and for a 10 minutes or so but then comes down. The tingling is also accompanied by some numbness. I have no problems walking or doing other activities, such as exercise classes, although I had alittle less balance. Now this morning, I found that there was some numbness in both my legs up to my knees. Both legs had mild tingling but mainly constant part numbness. I can walk fine. Again, there is no pain. What should be my course of action?

Active,

first you can try to find out what might be the cause:

1. During heavy exercise or lifting something heavy from the ground may result in bulging or herniated disc, which in turn may result in pinched sciatic nerve and cause sciatica. Sciatica usually appears only in one leg (and often in the back) and usually some pain is present. Sitting typically aggravates sciatica and walking helps. MRI of the lumbar spine can reveal deformed disc(s).

2. Several diseases may symetrically affect legs and/or arms:
http://www.healthhype.com/numbness-and-tingling-in-both-arms-hands-and-legs-feet.html

I would recommend you to visit a neurologist who will, after examining you, decide if MRI or other investigation is required.

Hi, it’s RGP again (from Aug 23/09). I called my neurologist’s office and I am finally getting an EMG and a nerve conduction test on Oct 7th (about 4 weeks), Since I last posted it seems as though this tingling in my left foot is more constant and now I have some sporadic pain in that foot. I mentioned that I have had long-standing back problems (L4-L5 and L5-S1). I looked at some charts and saw where the location on my back problems can directly affect this foot area.

The nurse at the neurologist’s office said that the tests will take about 2 hours and that the dr. will be there throughout and explain the results to me before I leave.

A couple of questions for you please. I don’t know if my family doctor forwarded the results of my back xrays to the neurologist. Should I call on this to make sure the neurologist knows that I have back problems prior to him doing the test? And also, if the EMG/nerve conduction shows positive, do you think he will follow up with a better view of my back, perhaps an MRI or CT, instead of just xrays? If he doesn’t, should I bring this up to him?

I just can’t seem to get my mind off this tingly foot, worrying about it. However, it’s gone on this long, another 4 weeks shouldn’t matter, or should I tell him I am now getting a pain in my foot as well?

Thanks for your web site and the answers to my questions.

RGP,

it may help your neurologist a lot if he can see all your medical documentation. So, yes, you can arrange this in the meantime.

I don’t know what can be seen from X-rays of your back. The point of further imaging is to see what is the nature of the condition (bulging or herniated disc from DDD, spondylitis, osteoporosis, tumor..). Another reason is to get an exact picture needed for eventual surgery.

If your neurologist will be able to assume the nature of your condition from existing X-rays and he will think that physiotherapy might help you, then you don’t necessary need further imaging.

If at one point you will decide to have a surgery, fresh imaging (probably MRI) will need to be done before that. Surgery in isciatic pain is generally a safe and in most cases successful.

If pain worsens a lot, you will want to arrange an earlier date for appointment to avoid eventual further damage of affected roots of spinal nerves. From what you’ve described so far, 4 weeks seems to be a reasonable time to wait.

Hi

I am hoping you can help. I have recently found I have pins and needles in my feet – this has since become a numb feeling and has spread to my legs – it mainly feels to be the inner parts of my legs and the very bottom of my back. It has not spread any further. I first noticed the symptoms about 4 weeks ago and it has not got any worse. I have not experienced any pain. I am a 38yr old male, non smoker. The incident happened a couple of days after a long 600 mile drive, but I have had never had issues before and not sure if this is related. I have been to my GP and had a blood test where everthing was okay, as the feelings have not gone away my GP has referred me to the hospital in 10 days to be checked out further – do you have any ideas of what the cause could be?
Many thanks in advance

Idruss

Idruss,

prolonged sitting during a travel is a common cause of bulging or herniated disc. It happens in truck drivers…

If a disc has pinched your schiatic nerve the pain you have is called sciatica. To confirm this you will first need a neurological examination done by neurologist, who will then decide if you need any imaging investigation like X-ray or MRI of the spine.

Sitting usually aggravates sciatica and walking may help. Sleeping on a hard matress may prevent some pain at night.
http://www.healthhype.com/sciatic-nerve-pain-causes-and-symptoms.html

I was going to have vein surgery done monday . hon left leg for superfical veins. Have been hurting in right leg for two days pryer to having surgery. decided to wait it out let them check me out. Got there they did doppler on right leg saqid yes I have a large blood clot in my superfical vein . but not to worry they can do surgery on left leg for me that day. we’ll now I have had pain bad in right and left leg . go to hospital they say yes I have clot now in left leg where I had surgery. My question with knowing I had clot already in one leg would itt not have been smarter to treat it and not do surgery in my other leg???

Hello everyone,

I am 23 and in good health. I have a tingling sensation(mostly in my 2nd and 3rd toe) when I rotate my right foot. It’s mostly noticable when I am sitting, though it happens sometimes while standing. It only lasts for a split second, but if I keep rotating my foot, it will tingle each time at the same spot. It does NOT happen while walking. I do work a job where I am on my feet and moving for 9+ hours per day, but I have just recently started having this problem. Does anyone have an idea of what this might be?

Jan
Thanks for the reply. I do not really have any pain more a numbness and tingling in BOTH legs – is this still likely to be Sciatica?
Thanks
idruss

Jamthis,

yes, it sounds reasonable to treat thrombosis first and then varicose veins.

Idruss,

yes, sciatica can affect both sciatic nerves at the same time and can include only tingling and numbness without pain. This could occur in a large lumbar disc bulge or hernia that would affect roots of both sciatic nerves. If this is the case, sitting would likely aggravate your symptoms and walking would result in temporary relief.

But there are other possible reasons:

1. Pain in the back may arise from strained back muscles and pain in the lower legs from swelling of the tissues behind your knees, pressing on sciatic nerves and causing symptoms only from kness down.

2. Tarsal tunnel syndrome. Swollen tisues around the inner ankles could press on the branch of the sciatic nerve supplying the inner part of the foot and lower leg.
In this case, standing and walking would aggravate symptoms and rest (sitting) would help.
http://www.footphysicians.com/footankleinfo/tarsal-tunnel-syndrome.htm

There are some chronic diseases, like poorly controled diabetes, atherosclerosis, malnutrition, etc. which could affect distal parts of sciatic nerves…but you will know how likely this is in your case. Multiple sclerosis is another possibility but regarding your long drive, I guess the doctor will likely suspect this first.

RamboRat,

it could be tarsal tunnel syndrome where swollen tissues around your ankles press on the nerve supplying the inner part of the foot.

It could be also a pinched root of the sciatic nerve from bulging or herniated disc in your lumbar spine (walking helps, sitting or standing may aggravate symptoms).

Jan
Started taking blood pressure medicane in Feb,after a couple of months started having fluid build up in my lower torso also both sets of toes are numb. I have shooting pains in both legs and recently it has begun in my hands. Presently on Avapro,Mentax and Lyrica. Also take Rantadine twice daily for acid reflux. I have no energy and trouble getting up from a knee. Read in the paper (Dr Gotts column) that taking acid reflux medicane can reduce iron absorbstion and cause these symptons. I hurt all the time, any advice.

Hi, mmm,

are you male or female and how old are you? With fluid in lower torso (abdomen?) you mean ascites – was this confirmed by a doctor? Do you have swollen legs? Your arms are also swollen?

Do you have physically demanding work or do you sit a lot at work?

What is your diet in general, do you consume alcohol, smoke?

Have you had any liver or other chronic disease?

Jan,
I’m male, 55 years old. For eight years, until Feb, I was a restaurant manager working 65 hours weekly mainly standing. I now sit allday behind a monitor. The last two months my legs and especially my ankles stay swollen. I’ve begun to notice some fluid around my elbows. I drink wine (3-4 glasses nightly). My liver count was high during my previous job but has been cut in half as per blood work six weeks ago. No chronic diseases although my father has a fatty liver. I don’t smoke. I’ve been unable to excersise and can barley mow my small yard. Thanks for your response.

Jan,

My 17 year-old daughter has had numbness in both of her big toes for about a month now. No other toes or areas are numb. It started when she returned from camp, where she had been wearing shoes every day for a week. I suggested she go shoe-less, which she did for at least 2 weeks- but no change.

The only other health issues she has are migraine headaches and period cramps – which are both quite severe, and for which she uses Ibuprofen and Midol. With her migraines, she has had blurred vision 2-3 times in the past 3 years. She is not on prescription medication for anything. She also has had mild untreated back pain (same location) on and off for a few years. Other than that she is healthy, normal weight, and does not do any physical activity other than walking.

Thanks for you help.

Jan,

My daughter’s back pain is in her right side lower back.

Thanks.

Mmm,

one explanation for shooting pains and numbness in the legs and hands is fluid built in your ankles, elbows and wrists, pressuring on the nerves that flow through tight tunnels there.

Swelling may result from heart failure, kidney failure or liver failure, which may all come with weakness.

Basic blood and urine tests can reveal which organ is likely affected and which specialist to visit. Blood work will also reveal if your iron is low.

Pam,

pain in the lower back may be from the pinched nerve from a bulging or herniated disc in her lumbar spine. This could also contribute to numbness in both big toes although it’s likely she developed a tarsal tunnel syndrome (see a short description and link above in the article). In the later case going shoe-less probably won’t be enough but she would need to rest (not walking) for a certain period or even wear splints or take antiinflammatory drugs as prescribed by a neurologist or orthopedist.

Jan,

I wondered about Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome, but I didn’t think it would happen bilaterally/simultaneously. I don’t know what she could have done to bring it on on both feet at the same time. Is that common?

Thanks so much for the information.

I noticed a few months back that I get a somewhat mild numbness in my 2 small toes on my left foot and very minor numbness with my 2 small toes on my right foot. My job requires me to sit at my desk 13-14 hrs a day 35 days straight then I travel home for time off 35 day but still experience these same feelings. 1-1/2 months ago I experienced severe pain across my lower back & buttocks for about 3 weeks and 3 days after arriving home my back pain went away but this numbness in my toes still exist. During the day it is very minor or not at all but when I arrive home and remove my shoes and sit around it increases and when I lay down this feeling will increase. There is no pain just this numbness that is more annoying than anything else. On a scale of 1 to 10 my left 2 small toes is about a 5 and my right 2 small toes is about a 3. I plan to see a doctor when I arrive back in the states in 4 weeks. Any ideas what may be causing this. Also I have type 2 diabetes that I control with diet. No medication required.

Crossbones,

your symptoms sound like typical sciatic pain, probably caused by bulging or herniated disc(s) in your lumbar spine. Prolonged sitting (including driving) and lying aggravates the pain and walking usually relieves the pain.

I suggest you to having breaks during prolonged sitting and having daily walks. Finding appropriate sleeping position and hard matress my also help.

Pam,

like carpal tunnel syndrome may affect both hands, tarsal tunnel syndrome may affect both feet. It is true that it commonly appears only in one foot and it commonly comes with pain and burning.

Sciatic pain may also appear in both feet but commonly only in one foot.

Symptoms lasting a month without improvemnt is enough of reason to visit a neurologist.

Jan,

Thanks again for the help!

Hi Jan,

Over the last week i’ve noticed tingling in my left lower buttock and down the right/back side of my left leg to the back of my knee. I’m a 30y/old man, i run and cycle but over the last 3 weeks have been working 12-16hrs a day sat at a computer. walking seems to help, elevating my left leg seems to make the tingling/numbness worse. I don’t have any pain or other symptoms. I have this week moved home from the UK-US with all the stresses that involves. Any advice for how to deal with this? Many thanks

Hello Jan, My name is Tonya I am a 40 year old female.I am hoping you may be able to offer me some insight into what is going on in my body. I have been having sharp pin like pain sensations in different areas of my body X 2 days, pain in both right and left legs from the knees down, I get pins and needles sensations that come and go. I am now having pain in both knees also. Tonight my legs feel achy and tired from the knees down, started having numbness in both great toes about an hour ago. I have also had problems with my carpal tunnel the past 2 days… connection????? Very confused as to what is going on. I do have hx of htn, controlled w/ lisinopril/hctz 20/12.5 half tab daily. Pain and tingling are tolerable but concerning. I am a overweight smoker. Started working out in Jan 09, pain seemed to start wed 9/10/09 after using leg lift, press and extension machines. I also rode exercise bike half an hour. Have a hx of bulging discs also w/ arth. Could there be a connection? Confused about the sudden onset and even felt as though i was experiencing mild numbness around my mouth also, thought maybe that was anxiety from symptoms in legs and wrists. I have had some mild swelling in fingers and hands past few days but none in feet and ankles. Aching, sore and confused. My cycles are also irregular and have been for a few years.

Tingles,

it sounds like prolonged sitting has aggravated possibly previously existing bulging disc in your lumbar spine. Pain you have is called sciatica.

Avoid any heavy exercise including cycling and running. Walking and swimming may help. But first, avoid prolonged sitting. If possible, take vaccations. If not, you should cut down sitting hours, and break them with walking sessions, every 2 hours or so.

Avoiding lifting or carrying heavy burdens is a must. Sleeping on a hard matress may help. Physiotherapist may show you some exercises.

Tonya,

it’s possible that using a leg lift has aggravated bulging disc(s) in your lumbar spine. Some swelling, even if not noticable may have occured behind your kness or around ankles. This can cause symptoms like in carpal tunnel syndrome.

You should visit your doctor who will probably recommend you:
- stopping using leg lift
- stopping cycling exercises
- avoiding prolonged standing or sitting
- finding the cause of finger swelling and tingling around the mouth (could be a kidney problem, you’ll probably need to have some basic blood and urine tests).

Walking, and sleeping on a hard matress may help but with continuing use of leg lift you can’t expect much relief.

Hi

I started having a minor pain in my back on Sunday and by Monday it got worse and I also got severe pain in my buttocks and legs. By Tuesday morning the pain was still there and I took some medication and my back pain went away but I still had some minor pain in my left leg. Today is Wednesday and all my pain is gone but my left leg has been twiching and my left foot has been tingling all day. Note that I sit for most of the day (and have been doing so for many years now, I’m 32years old). I’m really worried but at the same time I don’t want to overreact. I tried to make a doctor’s appoint but they can’t see me until Tuesday. Should I go to the emergency room then?

Also I am a male and the medication I took was Diclofenac which was presribed to my dad for his back problems. My dad asked the doctor about the medication yesterday (Tuesday, when I took it) and the doctor told him it was ok have given me this(I believe it did get rid of my pain).

also I’m about 50-60 lbs overweight (5′6 weigh 220) and physically inactive. The twitching and tingling on my left leg has been occurring all day today(Wednesday).

Isalas,

if you don’t have any leg swelling, prominent paleness or strong constant pain, then your symptoms are probably from pinched sciatic nerve and having an appointment on Mondays seems appropriate.

Avoiding sitting and having a walk every now and then may help relive your pain.

Hi there, I have had a mild numbness in the second toe in my left foot for the past year. It hurts when I walk or do any exercise and is worse if I wear a boot or shoe, even trainers. I also have a pain in my back/right hip that radiates a bit into my bum on the right side and sometimes this gets acute. When this happens my right hip is pulled dramatically to the right side into a position one would not normally be able to get into. tylex and muscle relaxants and 1 or 2 days bed rest usually mean it is back to normal. If no bedrest can be done it can hurt for up to a week. There is a constant mild discomfort in the right hip area and a feeling that the back might ”go” at any time. what is this please and are they connected?

Thanks for your response. Most of the pain has stopped since Tuesday but my calf muscle hurts more and moreso when I walk and my foot has been tingling and “asleep”/numb since yesterday. I did go to the doctor today and he said my back was really bad and that my back muscles are really tight and are causing strain on the nerve, which is causing the tingling sensation. He gave me a shot which didn’t do anything for me(yet). He sent me to go get x-rays and once he sees the results he said he would most likely send me to get an MRI. He also prescibed me some medication. Once again thanks for your time I appreciated it.

Janeymac,

after medications and rest, does your back/hip pain goes away completely? In this case it could be caused by a muscular spasm. In this case physiotherapy could help you.

On the other hand, all of your symptoms (including left foot) may arise from a disorder in your lumbar/sacral spine (bulging/herniated disc(s), spondylitis) resulting in pinched sciatic and femoral nerve. MRI or CT of your lower spine would be needed to see this.

JAN..I AM HAVING LEFT LEG PAIN AND IT FEELS COLD, YET WARM TO THE TOUCH…IT ALSO IS A PALE WHITE COLOR AND AT OTHER TIMES LOOKS RED OR BLUE….HAVE I A BLOOD CLOT? I’M 55 YEARS OLD, SMOKE, 1/2 TO PACK A DAY. I AM ALSO IN A WHLCHR. I BROKE MY LEFT LEG APPROX. 6 YEARS AGO AND CAN WALK BUT ONLY W/ WALKER. I DO LEATHER WORK AS HOBBY AND EXTRA INCOME SINCE I’M MEDICALLY RETIRED VET.ALSO APPROX. 10 YRS AGO I SEVERELY WRENCHED MY NECK SO BAD THAT I HAD TO HAVE SOME VERTEBRA FUSED IN MY NECK JUST ABOVE MY SHOULDERS. IT WAS PRESSING ON MY SCIATIC NERVE. COULD YOU POSSIBLY TELL ME WHAT MIGHT BE THE PROBLEM?…THANKS MUCH…

Tmbjak,

leg pain, coolness and changing of its color speaks for blood or vessel abnormality. It could be atherosclerosis or venous thrombosis. If the change of color occurs only in toes and is triggered by cold or some other stress it may be Raynaud’s phenomenon.

I encourage you to visit a doctor SOON, since you might be at risk of stroke. Smoking aggravates both atherosclerosis and thrombosis. So does inactivity, but I do not recommend you any exercises before you treat your current condition.

THANKS JAN…I HAVE AN APPT. W/ THE V.A. MED CENTER IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO…I WILL CERTAINLY BRING IT UP TO THE DOCTOR…..

Hello again

Yesterday I had severe pain in my calf muscle (it feels like if I had s muscle and my
tendons were achy too, and sometime the calf muscle throbs and twitches causing very minor ACLU pain. It felt very sore and was hard for me to walk. The tinlgling is still present/ my foot is still numb and if I’m relaxed seated or lying down, or with shoes on, sometimes I don’t even notice the tingling. How long does it usually take for tingling to go away completely

Isalas,

symptoms persist as long as the cause persists. So, if a bulging disc is pressing on the root of your sciatic nerve, you cann not expect tingling and pain will go away spontaneously. Either you’ll need some exercises (shown by your doctor) or having a CT or MRI of your lower back to find out what has actualy happened with your spine.

Jan, it’s me again (posts Aug 23 and Sept 07). The neurologist that is doing the EMG/nerve conduction on Oct 7th (two weeks from today) how has all my medical info including the results of the xrays done on my back. These xrays were done in 2006. I didn’t realize they were 3 years old, but they do show some disc problems at L4-L5 and L5-S1.

Last week I went to my chiropractor for my monthly adjustment and since that adustment the tingling sensation in my left foot has gone from the bottom of the foot to the entire foot and even a bit up into the ankle area. I am wondering if these chiropractic adjustments are worth it. It was a little over a year ago that this tingling began in my left foot after one of these adjustments.

My family doctor had me cut out the chiropracty and try physiotherapy for a few months about a year and a half ago and they didn’t help my back pain (I didn’t have the tingling at that time). So, at that point I went back to my chiropractor and the “fun” started from there.

The tingling seems to go away when I am walking or standing, but is worse when I’m sitting or (especially) lying down. And I lie down on my left side. I wonder if lying a lot on my left side would have anything to do with the sensations in my left foot and ankle? Do you think by lying down on my left side it could be compressing some nerves? I watch TV a lot lying down on my left side. Thoughts?

Also, for my back… my chiropractor says I get muscle spasms from my disc problems and to treat the soreness with ice, not hot packs. However, I have tried both ice packs and the heat packs and the heat seems to help me more. I don’t know now which to use. What do you think?

Finally, I use to take voltaren pills for my back soreness. I took these for years on an as needed basis. Since I started taking pills for high blood pressure it appears that there is an interaction and I cannot take NSAIDS’s like voltaren, ibuprophen, etc. About the only thing I can take is Tylenol, which doesn’t really do anything for inflammation or the soreness. Have you ever heard of an NSAID medication reacting with a high blood pressure medication (made my pulse rate go way up and increased my blood pressure)? Is there anything else you can think of to lesssen my back pain?

I know there are a lot of questions here, Jan, and I apologize, but I really would like to know what you think. You give wonderful advice here. Thanks.

RGP,

about chiropractor: he can manipulate muscles and joints, but he can’t directly treat bulging disc with hands. Bulging disc may sometimes resolve to some extent with appropriate exercises and life style.

Back pain in bulging disc may arise both from pinched nerve and from muscle spasm that is a reaction on pain. With warm compress you help muscles to relax, so your pain lessens.

Cold compress works when you can put it directly on an inflammed spot. They are not your muscles that are inflamed, they are just tight; it’s a sciatic nerve that may be inflammed…in summary: if warm compress helps you, that’s it.

Lying position may affect sciatic pain A LOT.

Taking any pain-killer to manage sciatica pain on long term doesn’t seem to be reasonable. NSAIDs can cause inflammation or ulceration of the stomach, derange your intestinal flora…

It’s only your doctor who can prescribe you appropriate combination of drugs. Voltaren itself can increase blood pressure…

So:
1. You can change your lying positon
2. Think about hard matress and…if lying hurts…you will know
3. Find reliable physiotherapist to show you appropriate exercises
4. Consider surgery – surgical repairing of bulging disc(s) is generally a safe and effective.

I am a 49 yr old female, I injured my back lifting my small granddaughter, and experienced
“electric shocks” at the time in both legs, knocked me to the floor. A trip to the emergency room followed.. diagnosed w/herniated disk, based on symptoms alone.
Two weeks post injury still experiencing “tingling” sensation in both outer thighs and bottom of both feet. Xrays showed “minor” expected spinal changes. MRI showed the same…no herniated discs.
Now a month post injury. Pain in my back has deminished to nearly 0. However, still have tingling in thighs and bottom of feet. Feet are very sensitive to cold/heat. Saw a neurologist who ordered blood tests for neuropathy and an MRI of my brain with contrast. No results yet.
Here is my question.. Why the MRI of the brain if this all came about after an injury to my back? Neurologist seems to be perplexed by my symptoms as MRI on my back showed no herniations/abnomalies of my spine. (I tried to ask the Doc about the MRI but he was not very forthcoming) Could the nerves in my back have been injured, but it does not show up on the first MRI? (no contrast done on that one)
Any comments will be appreciated!

Tingles Also,

I believe your doctor might think that your back injury has triggered pain from eventual previously hidden multiple sclerosis or other neurological disorder (that affects brain)…or that lifting a child was maybe only a coincidence but not a real cause of your pain.

I can’t say how realisticly this is.

Extent of spinal damage does not correlate with pain. A small disc bulge can causea a lot of pain and a large herniation may cause no symptoms. Beside that, bulging disc could resolve before you got MRI but sciatic nerve has not recovered yet (and this can’t be seen on MRI).

There are also back muscles and piriformis muscles (find a link above in the article) that can press on the sciatic nerve without any visible changes seen on MRI.

Hello.

About three days ago I went to sleep very late and I was super tired. The lower portion of my legs were aching, but this has happened many times after very long and buisy days. However, the acheing was stronger than usual and I decided to take a look. I noticed that my feet were showing more veins, and there were a couple very faint, thin and small purple veings in the skin. I guess this would be vericose veins? Now the veins are starting to show more and new veings are coming to view(all throughout the top of my feet and the inner sides). Also, I now have a lot of tingling and my feet fall asleep even in positions that shouldn’t be abstracting blood flow. There are also wierd little pains sometimes, not throughout my whole foot but just here and there. This is all freaking me out! I don’t know what to do. I’m only 20, and I think it’s a little early to be going through this. I should also mention that my mom recently developed vericose evins all through out her legs, espesially the lower portion.

I am generally healthy,on no meds of any kind, but my period is abnormal (lots of bleeding for prolonged periods and then spotting in between….my hormones were checked and everything is normal, so they can’t figure anything out and just said to go the b.c. pill). Also the last week or so I was feeling very slight wierd feelings in my heart. Just some discomfert.

Any idea as to what’s going on and what to do?

Thank you so much for your help

AlfaElfa,

your estrogen/progesteron levels were checked? Varicose veins and irregular period may be both caused by changes in reproductive hormones. Pituitary hormones FSH and prolactin were also checked?

Has/had anyone in your family have venous thrombosis? Birth control pills can agravate thrombosis. I would recommend you to have some basic blood tests and a visit to cardiologist.

Thanks for your reply Jan.

Yes, I have the paper with the results of my blood hormone test and I found all the hormones you mentioned. They are on here, and since the doctor said that everything is fine, I’m assuming she looked over everything correcly.

No, I am not aware of anyone with venous thrombosis in my family or family history, and I am definitely not on the b.c. pill. But I googled this condition and the symptoms that I have seem to not match.

Well, I guess I will have to go to a family doctor and ask him to direct me to a cardiologist and for blood tests…..however, do you think that since my mom is having issues with her legs and now it seems I am also (my feet are tingling as I write this) that it could be bad genetics (even though my grandma, for example, does not have such problems)? Is this a possibility?

Thank you for your time

AlfaElfa,

yes, both problems with veins and with blood may run in the family. In most cases it is not a disease that is inherited but a predisposition to disease – it means you have an increased chance to get it, if it already runs in your family. In any case, you should get this checked, since thrombosis may result in a blood clot that can travel to the heart and lung and cause pulmonary embolism. Also you need to check what’s with yor heart.

Varicose veins by itself are not necessary dangerous; they commonly drammatically worsen during pregnancy and then cease after childbirth. There are also some special elastic sockings ,that support blood flow through veins, available. Again, symptoms you’re describing are enough to see a doctor.

hi I just recently had shingles on my right side back in July which affects the nerves well recently I have had pain in my upper right leg its there all the time when im standing but mostly bothers me when im laying down its a numb tight tingly feeling and sometimes causes shooting pain when im trying to sleep..my mom told me it was because im on my feet for more then ten hours a day for work and also that im a little bit on the over weight side but im sure it has something to do with the shingles because it only is affecting my right leg not the left and the right is where i had the shingles i just want this feeling to go away! and would like to know what it is…i exersize everyday now and i have taken every vitamin out there tried those compress panty hose and everything nothings working

Kelster,

sciatic pain can indeed be caused by prolonged standing and can be affected by change in body position, while pain from shingles is not affected by body position.

Sciatic pain typically occurs in one leg only. If it is caused by bulging disc, walking, and sleeping on a hard matress could help. You would also probably need some rest from prolonged standing. If this doesn’t help, a neurologist can order an MRI of your spine to find out what’s the cause.

My legs ache alot and sometimes my feet feel so cold that my big toe goes numb. My toes have a blueish tint as well. What could be causing this? This has been going on for a number of years.

Cherylb,

are your toes bluish all the time or only occassionally, like when exposed to cold? Are your feet swollen? Do you have varicose veins? Do you get tired easily?

Jan, my toes are not bluish all the time but sometimes they are without being exposed to cold. I haven’t noticed my feet being swollen. I do not believe I have varicose veins. I am tired alot.

Cherylb,

how old are you, do you smoke? With tiredness, what exactly do you mean? Can you reveal any other symptom? Do you ever have bluish fingers, lipe or face? Difficulty breathing, chest pain? Check medical history questionnaire:
http://www.healthhype.com/patients-personal-and-family-medical-history-questionnaire-form.html

Thrombosis in your family? In general, there may be a problem with circulation in your legs due to vaculitis or vein thrombosis, or problem with your heart or lung. Skin becomes blue when blood is not pumped away from it sufficiently (vasculitis, venous thrombosis, weak heart not able to pumb blood efficiently), or when it is not oxygenated enough (bronchitis, lung edema, failure of the left part of the heart).

For 6 weeks I’ve had burning, tingling sensations in my right foot along with intense pain. My podiatrist thinks I have planter fasciitis, which I had last year though this episode was brought on by trauma aka falling down stairs. She gave me a cortisone injection which made things worse; I couldn’t walk on my foot for the rest of that day. One week after the shot, she put me in walking boot and requested an MRI of my ankle. The MRI was fine, and the doc gave me two weeks medical leave to rest. I had no relief after the two weeks in my foot and developed pain up my calf, thigh, and bottom. Now I’m back at work, driving up to 4 hours a day and walking way too much. I made an appointment with an orthopedic doc, he thinks I have tarsal tunnel syndrome and referred me to an otho foot specialist. I see the foot specialist in two days. I can’t sleep as the pain is worse at night. Any suggestions for relief? Any advice for the next doc appointment?

To seeking relief.

If pain has developed up to your bottom, it is possible that the problem arises from your lumbar spine – a bulging or herniated disc or a vertebral bone may press on your isciatic pain what causes pain in your entire leg and foot. MRI of the lower spine can reveal this.

It is still possible you have (additional) tarsal tunnel syndrome or injury of your foot, but pain in this case does not spread up to the bottom.

Sitting, especially during driving, and sleeping on a soft matress may aggravate your leg pain. Try to sleep on a hard matress. Depending on the nature of injury in the back, ortopedist may show you some exercises; do not try to exercise by yourself until you don’t know what exactly is wrong.

I am 30 years old, and have numbing pain that comes & goes in both legs. Sometimes tingling also. It runs from my hip to my ankle most times, & really feels like growing pains most days. It comes & goes throughout the day, with legs changing also. I have been to the doctor for other issues & my lungs have been clear for any clots. Any thoughts on what this could be? I also sit at a desk for 8 hours a day 5 days a week. I just want to make sure it isn’t something too serious for immediate medical attention

Hello…. I’m a fairly healthy 44 yr old female. My left foot went to sleep 4 days ago and has not waken up since. At first it felt like pins and needdles but now it feels more like I’ve been shot up with novacaine from my third toe to my pinkie toe. It’s mainly numb on the top of my foot over to the outside of my ankle. Any idea what this could be?

Michelle,

if numbenss, tingling and pain you have are from “sciatica” – a pinched nerve in your lumbar spine – then symptoms would aggravate during or after prolonged sitting and possibly when lying down, and should lessen during walking. Neurologist can tell, if it is sciatica; he (or physiotherapist) can also show you some exercises, which may help.

To sbleam.

If you “only” have numb and pins and needles feeling, this may be from pinched nerve in your lumbar spine. MRI of the spine can show that. Sitting work, bending, or lifting heavy objects may be the cause…I would suggest you to see a neurologist. If there is any change in color, temperature or any swelling in the affected area, it may be a vascular problem…

Hi, everytime I sit on the floor with my legs crossed or even stretched out my left leg foot falls asleep, and it starts to move up my leg until i shake it off. It happens when I sit on the toilet too. I have slight swelling just over my left ankle joints and I experience stiffness in my left ankle. A few years ago an xray showed i had lower degenerative arthritis. Could the falling asleep be due to this? I dont experience this in my right foot at all.

Hi, ascot,

sitting with legs crossed commonly causes leg numbness and tingling.

Yes, swelling and stifness in one ankle and resulting numbness can be caused by arthritis.

I developed folliculitis on my leg starting 1-2 weeks following surgery on the leg for a ruptured Achilles tendon. I have a removable split, and have been able to wash the skin well, to no avail. The folliculitis is strongest near the incision, and radiates up to the knee, far from the incision; no other part of the body is affected. *Every* hair follicle on my lower leg is red and swollen, and it is extremely itchy. It does not look like hives, in that each red spot is ~2 mm. Topical hydrocortisone or benadryl did not help. Is this due to all of the growth factors involved in the wound healing? Any treatments in the short term?

Pantera,

there is an ointment mupirocin available in pharmacies without prescription.

I was employed at a factory two years ago that required constant standing and minor lifting. I was there 18 months and in the last 3 months i started noticing a pain in my chest on my right side but close to ,y sternum, then i started noticing that when I make it home my left leg(hip to toes) would be very tense and tingling. When I jog for excercise my lower back gets real tight, I keep telling myself that its just tight muscles but now its getting worse. this pain has not ceased at all, but it only comes around when I work. I now work as a cook and stand for long periods of time. Could the pain in my chest, back and leg be connected any way? and what might be causing it.

Armulins 007,

pain in your back and leg might be “sciatic pain” from pinched sciatic nerve, which is usually due to bulging or herniated disc in the lumbal spine.

Does pain in your right chest changes with breathing or moving your torso or arms? Do you cough or spit out phlegm? Do you smoke, and how old are you?

Hi,
I’ve been having this tingling and numbness in my feet every night. This has been happening off and on since I had a C-section in July 2008. It usually wakes me up at 2-3 am every night. And my right knee is a bit painful and stiff since the last fortnight. Sometimes I have mild back pain and headaches. Is this all related? What can alleviate this problem? This sleep disruption makes me feel tired all the time. Please advise

Janhavi,

no symptoms during the day? It could be sciatica – from a disorder in your lumbar spine – bulging/herniated disc, spondylosis, etc. Neurologist can find more during physical examination; it’s possibly you’ll need some imaging investigation, though.

Hi – I’m 55 yr old female. I’ve had lower back surgery years ago disc removed L4/5. I started having trouble again in the fall of 07 and it has gotten progressively worse.

In the past year I’ve had 3 MRI’s and as recently as Sept. was told I have severe DDD and Spinal Stenosis and that there was nothing that could be done. I have no disc between S1/L5 and little or no between L4/5.

Thanksgiving weekend I got severe pain (sciatica) and can hardly walk with the pain !! It is in my butt mostly and can be on either side or both. As well my right leg is completely numb and my left foot, the ball of the foot and toes – mostly big toe and next toe. I have been given Celbrex and Lyrica and I’m still having pain. I also do what exercises I can and take physio therapy once/week as well as massage therapy.

I can’t beleive people are expected to live with this pain… Please tell me how concerned I should be about the numbness and should I be seeking another opinion. Thanks for your feedback.

Jojo,

yes, I encourage you to seek another opinion and find a reliable surgeon. Damaged discs can be remodeled, replaced, fixed…spinal stenosis can also be surgically corrected. More waiting, more possibility for (eventually permanent) nerve damage from existing pressure upon your leg nerves.

Hi,
My Pain started about 3 mos. ago. It started in the left side of the neck in it felt like it was burning but at the same time it eas numb. That faded away and it went to the outter part of my right foot. As that was going on, I began to feel numbness and tingling in my shin and ankle and sporadically I get very sharp pains in the inner part of my ankle. Its been escalating and now my left thumb, ear and the left side of my tongue feel numb and the same sharp pain occurs in my thumb. Theres also ocassional weakness in the knee, I limp most of the time. I already got a Catscan, X-rays, blood test (also thru artery vein) and evrythng seeems to be ok, but im still in pain and numb. Please Help, what could it be??

Claudia,

pain in the tounge and ear suggests that the disorder is in the brainstem or brain (and maybe additionally in certain parts of the spinal cord). One of disorders, where symptoms disappear and appear on other sites is multiple sclerosis. MS is diagnosed by MRI of the brain/brainstem/spinal cord and investigation of the cerebrospinal fluid (lumbar punction).