Foot Numbness: Email Advice

Hi

I have read some of the posts on your blog, but not seemed to find the correct answer to my problem;

Last winter I walked with Ice Traction Cleats for a long time. 1 hour every day for 4 months at least. After that I one day suddenly felt numbness of the ball of my left foot.  I tried talking to a chiropractor who believed there was a problem with the piriformis because I take B12 shots near to this muscle and the piriformis might have been hit.  

I have tried to stretch this muscle, but no relief.  

I have also talked to my doctor who did not believe in the piriformis theory and found nothing after MR.  

The numbness is still the same after 7-8 months and has also occurred in my right foot, but not as strongly. I feel the numbness all the time, but  sometimes it gets worse.  I am not diabetic.

Looking forward to suggestions.  Thanks!

Dr Blake found a video that may show a similar type cleat. 

Dr Blake's comment: 

     First of all, no matter what the cause start massaging Neuro-Eze into the area 3 times daily. Neuro-Eze is a homeopathic topical that concentrates an amino acid L-Arginine. It works on over 50% of my patients with your symptoms. One bottle will last about one month and it is helps keep going. If it does not help, ask your podiatrist, or primary care, to give you an Rx on a compounding nerve lotion or gel. 

     Piriformis syndrome was a good thought since the motion of telemarking, like a ballerina's turnout, overuses the piriformis and can cause irritation to the sciatic nerve there. I am not sure exactly how you moved, but it probably was differently than you walk normally.  But, you can also irritate the same nerve at the low back, in the spine itself to the neck, in the hamstrings, behind the knee, in the calf, and on the inside of the ankle. There are many choices you have. Typically you seek a physiatrist or neurologist to help you sort out where the nerve is being irritated, while you start treatment on the symptoms. 

     Many would also start you on an evening dose of nerve meds like gabapentin, lyrica, or elavil to help calm the nerve down. The faster you act on an upset nerve the better!!

Nerve Symptoms: Start with Neuro-Eze but Evaluate the Cause

After several months trying to heal my sesamoiditis I started getting sporadic tingling sensations all over my foot, and a numb feeling around the sesamoid and along the inside of my big toe. After reading this post I subsequently bought neuro-eze with the hope that it would alleviate these symptoms. However, I have been hesitant to use it because the description on the bottle says that it helps with neuropathic pain, and I do not have any nerve pain and I'm not entirely sure if what I have would be defined as neuropathy. Would you still recommend to using it for my symptoms of tingling and numbness?


Dr Blake' s comment: 

   Yes, it is a good starting point for the neuropathy (abnormal nerve sensations). Patients with neuropathy get just numbness/tingling, just pain, or a combination of the 2, but it is still neuropathy. Neuro-Eze in my experience works on 50% of those cases. That being said, please have a neurologist or physiatrist look into the cause of this problem. Is it coming from your back because you limped for a while? Did the swelling around the sesamoid trigger some excitable nervous activity that now needs to calm down? Is it a totally separate problem called peripheral neuropathy related to pre-Diabetes, Vit B12 deficiency, osteopenia, etc? I hope this helps you. Rich

Neuro-Eze for Nerve Pain

     Neuro-Eze is an over the counter product for nerve pain or neuropathy (abnormal sensations including burning, numbness, tingling, buzzing, pain, etc) that I have had some good luck. I first heard of it from renowned (and extremely bright) Dr Arlene Hoffman, podiatrist in San Francisco. If you are having nerve symptoms in your feet, buy a bottle online from and rub it in for several minutes 3 times daily to the affected area. Try for a month on one foot to test your response, even if both feet are bothering you. I have had just as much luck with Neuro-Eze in 50% of  patients, than with much more expensive creams/gels from a prescription compounding pharmacy. Please respond to this blog with comments or questions regarding its usage. It is a high concentration of an amino acid L-Arginine. I am unclear if it has any side-effects, especially if you are pregnant or nursing. See http://www.neuro-eze.com/ .