Hi all,
Let me start with I am a health, 27yr old with no circulation problems and no other notable issues!
This problem I have has completely puzzled my doctor and a podiatrist [&:]and I am a 100% sure it is a limb problem not a circulation one - but before the doctor puts me in for surgery I would like some advice or opinions PLEASE!!!!
About 2yrs ago in the springI badly sprained my leftknee, along with the usual aches and pains of healing I started getting pins and needles in the left foot quite a lot along with it going "dead" after a nights sleep or sitting for a while. I just presumed this was part ofhealing!
Anyway in the summer time, I noticed a "numb" feeling in my 2 toes (the 2 following on from the little toe), it was a little weird but nothing nasty or that I wasnt able to cope with. Winter came along and with the cold weather I noticed I started getting a numb feeling almost all the time until I would relax of an evening when I would get sharp pain in my toes and also for the first time in my life I started getting cramp in my left calf. I also started to notice I would have cuts from my toe nail on the toe next to my little toe going underneath the next one. So now I have to cut my nail right down. While making this observation I noticed my toes could almost bend right back on themselves and the toe knuckles where pratically non exsistant. I could also pinch my toes very hard without much feeling!
This problem increase to a point where I was tripping up all the time, falling over for no reason, and if I tried clenching my toes it felt so weird I wanted to be sick - not with pain but a strange senstation - I felt as though I couldnt put all my weight on that foot as my toes wouldnt support me enough to stop me rolling forward. I also started getting bizarre white markings on the two two nails - there are not an infection (the doctor confirmed that - she actually thought it was nail polish at first!).
I went to the doctors and she could see I was walking a bit strange so sent my to the podiatrist, the first chap I saw walked in wiggled my toes walked straight out and the nurse came in to tell me nothing is wrong! So I complained (first time in my life I have done that about my health) and the doctor sent meto another one. I know something isnt right!
He was puzzled, he said there was a slight deform look to the toes but nothingthat stood out as a risk. He then got me to walk across that mat thing that maps outyour weight distribution as you walk........he mademe do it 10 times as he couldnt believe the results - not once do I use my toes. Not even a touch. The strange thing is my toes are perfectly capable of flexing that way. I just dont use them. He gave me some built up insoles to make me walk forwardand told me to wait 6mths if no improvement go back to my doctor.
Since having the insoles (7mths)it has made no effect to the numbness and the pain in my toes is ten times worse along with now pain in my ankles, thebridge of my footand my knee has started playing up. Something is not right, I dont fuss, I have a high pain threshold, but I know something isnt right - they feel like they arent my toes! Everyone who feels them or wiggles them properly says they dont feel right!
The doctor toa point just keeps saying about surgery but obviously I dont want them to do anything without knowing what the problem is!!!!!
Can anyone make sense of this with any suggestions - by the way I wear flat shoes 80% of the time!
Thanks in advance,
Tink
RE: Foot and Toe Puzzle!
Damage to the tendons,deteriation of the bone through lack of use, trapped nerves from hurt knee,numbness, I think you should ask about seeing a specialist in nerves,I can't think of what they are called right now but I think it might be right course of action.
Have you thought of going for accupuncture? That may help too. ;)lyn
RE: Foot and Toe Puzzle!
Dear Tinkerbella,
What you are describing are textbook symptoms of nerve "damage", presumably triggered by spraining your knee.Having said that,I am not a dr, and therefore cannot diagnose treat or cure, one of my specialist areas is pain,and Ihave worked on the Acute Pain Team at a couple of hospitals. One of the things that we commonly see is nerve pain / discomfort. This often 1st presents with pins and needles, and if it continues the nerve becomes hyper responsive to stimulation, which can then lead to chronic nerve pain. This is backed up by the use of the words numb, dead leg, shooting pain causing cramps in the leg, the lack of sensation in the toes leading to cuts.In my experience the longer you leave this, the worse it can get. Having said that, with most nerve pain there is no medical cure. There are medications that can be of use - best discussed with a pain consultant rather than a surgeon (Can discuss further if you wanted to pm me).There may still be an ongoing physical rationale for continuing symptoms such as a trapped nerve - either at the knee or in the lower back causing sciatica like symptoms, which could be discussed with a surgeon.
Alternative to medicines, sport massage may be of benefit if a trapped nerve is involved, or hypnotherapy is very effectve for this type of pain/symptom. Additionally, I agree that accupuncture could also work extremely well for you.
RE: Foot and Toe Puzzle!
Hello - has anyone looked higher up your body than your knees? Even though it seems natural to focus on the location that something has gone wrong, and indeed the event that set it all off, it's worth going to see someone (Bowen practitioner, Chiropractor, Osteopath etc) to see if you have anything 'out of place' further up your body - you may have avertebral rotation or pelvic mis-alignment that may be affecting the nerves and structure of your body.
Don't know, but I thought it was worth suggesting before surgery!
Keep us posted 🙂
RE: Foot and Toe Puzzle!
Hi all,
Thanks for replying and some good suggestions!
Reading the replies I did suffer a little while ago pain in my lefthip - well more it would seize up and when I got up from sitting! But that seems to have gone over the last couple of months - as for nerve damage hmmmm I dont feel I suffer enough pain for that?? I do suffer with an old whiplash problem in my left shoulder (same side as foot) - it comes and goes!!!
I think an trip to the doctors again is in order with some of these suggestions!
Cheers,
Tink