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pins and needles including numbness in left great toe
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MedHelp Member's Question

pins and needles including numbness in left great toe

by anika, Oct 18, 2005 12:00AM
About two months ago the outside edge and tip of my great toe on the left became numb with tingling in both legs. I had chiropractic adjustments which did not change the numbness and I began to get pins and needles with shooting nerve pains all over my body including my head, arms, both legs and increase discomfort in lower back, mid back and neck and right shoulder.

I decided to discontinue chiropractics until I could get a clear idea of my problem.

I have had neck pain since I was in my late teens with chiropractics helping to increase full mobility. Up to this time I had never any pins and needle sensations and I was an extremely active person in my late forties.

At the present time the only treatment that gives me relief is doing weekly message and not doing any of my normal routines. Once I begin a task as simple as lifting a light laundry basket or any physical lifting or pushing it results that evening in being symptomatic.

Today as an example, I felt pretty good all day and did mild lifting and light mosaic work over a table top.  Tonight I again have the pins and needles but now my tongue and lips are also involved. People I have seen seem to think it may be siatic related and or mild arthritis. I wonder if it is neck related?  The nerve sensations really has me very concerned. I want to begin exercising and doing what is need to correct this.

I wonder if the tingling is a sign of a more serious problem.  Your opinons and suggestions would be helpful in my continued search for causes and restoration.

Thank you

Anika
Doctor's Answer

by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW, Oct 23, 2005 12:00AM
It is probably time to move from the chiropracter to a neurologist/medical professional. While chiropracty may be benefical for some people, it should at least be an adjunt along with a medical opinion also. For example, neck chiropracty can be detrimental in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (due to joint instability) or connective tissue diseases (due to blood vessels prone to tearing).



In any case, your symptoms could localize to the cervical spine (although the tongue and lips are above this level, numbness of the tongue and lips in isolation to other signs in the face/neck suggests a non-neurological problem like hyperventilation or an electrolyte, vitamin, or hormone (ie thyroid, calcium) related disorder, testable by some simple blood tests at the neurologists office). You would need a formal neurological examination, followed by an MRI of the cervical spine and lumbar spine if necessary. You can continue exercising but symptoms to be more concerned about would be weakness in the leg(s), increased tone/spaticity in the legs, or inability to urinate. I cannot give you a formal opinion though and you should get this checked up in case there is a treatable disorder



Good luck
Member Comments (13)

by Spring-02, Oct 18, 2005 12:00AM
Hi there:  I am in the same boat as you with all the tingling, numbness etc. but don't have any injury to account for it.  After three MRI's, EMG's and an EEG, my neuro is still at a loss.  All he can do is continue to monitor me and keep re-assessing me each year.  The evenings and the nights are the worse for my nerve pain and tingling.  It's almost like I had a stroke on the left side, as it affects my walking, strength and flexibility.  The numbness affects my four extremities and I can't feel the toes on my left foot most of the time.  Mine started in the fall of 2001, with a sore foot, charley like cramps in my leg that never stopped and then foot drop.  I have had physio and I continue to keep as active as I can, aquatic exercises, golfing (but must take a cart).  I miss walking the most but I don't do well in traffic as it seems my central nervous system is also affected.  I have hyper reflexes and an extreme startle reponse.  The only meds I take are neurontin and I rub my foot and leg with aspercream.  Sometimes it feels like the top of my hand or foot is on fire, or other times they feel like they are cold and dead.  I have retired, since my office working days are over as I don't have the dexterity or manual skills anymore.  I will be 60 next year, so at least I had 55 good years and I hope to be able to enjoy life to the best of my ability for many more.  You just have to keep on going and get involved in groups or activities that can help you. When you are busy, the pain doesn't seem as bad.  My speech is also affected, it comes and goes and sometimes I am very normal but there are days when my symptoms just seem to overwhelm me and I rest, that is all that you can do.  So, please hang in there, continue to monitor your symptoms and keep a diary of any changes. I don't have low B12 but since Perniciouso Anemia runs in my family, I get B12 shots and take B12 supplements.  I also am not depressed, never was and my doctors have ruled that out.  I think anybody who has an unknown diagnosis for a medical disorder is suspected of being "DEPRESSED".  Sure, you may become depressed if you let all this get the better of you, but I don't think depression can cause this type of pain.  Good luck and you are not alone, there seems to be thousands of people experiencing similar problems, but who don't seem to be getting answers.  However, nobody else really knows what each individual is going through until they walk in their shoes and we all respond to pain and treatments in different ways.  God Bless, The Canadian

by denise dp, Oct 19, 2005 12:00AM
To: anika
Hi well it looks like we have alot in common I'm 41 and have been having alot of the same symptoms. Let me start with my med. history      . In my 20's I started working at a flower nursery doing heavy lifting potting soil and peat moss and the such.In my late 20's I started getting crooks in my neck, burning sensation going down the back of my arm and I would wake up in the middle of the night with  my hands being numb and slow to respond when i tried to make a fist. I saw a neurosurgon and after a MRI & milagram I had a disc ectomyc4-c5& c5-c6with fuision titanum plate and screws. That was in 1998. Now I have a large bulging disc c6-c7 with pressure on my spinal cord so I'll be going under the knife again soon and that is just my neck..I have 2 bulging discs in my backat L3-L4&L5-L6. I'm just watching my back, it is bad too at times but it will have too get alot worse for me to have backsurgery. I do know that this stuff can be inherited my mom had the bad back. I think it is very important to get medical advise.Do you get worse tingling when you lie down.I have the toe thing being numb that is too but I also have gout in it very bad so I don't know if it is the same..Well that is all I have..ps i live in central time what is a good time to post a thread?

by Spring-02, Oct 20, 2005 12:00AM
I live in Atlantic, Canada and my last MRI showed mild spinal degeneration, but I think that is quite normal for people my age, late 50's, according to doctor.  I don't have any accidental cause for my symptoms but I still think I had a post viral infection, which caused these neurological symptoms.  I have a history of allergies and in the fall of 2001, I had a fever, rash, high temperature and then everything went downhill after that.  My brother has to wear an AFO splint since he also had foot drop, but his was caused by heavy lifting and he also had a bulging disk in  his spine.  Any damage to the spinal cord can cause all kinds of symptoms and they usually manifest in the extremities, depending of course at what part of the spinal cord is affected.



I could set the clock every evening when my tongue and lips will start to tingle.  I wake up with my hands and arms numb.  I have to laugh at the mention of "if you experience any tingling in your arm, etc. please go to the ER." as they think you may be having a stroke.  The sole of my left foot is always sore and tender, even though I have been participating in over 3 years of physical therapy, working with a fitness instructor etc. I just can't undo the nerve damage that happened back in 2001, nor do I have any control over the symptoms, but I HAVE to remain active. If I sit for any  length of time, I need to rock myself to get up and then I shuffle down the hall like an old man of 80.  Once I get going though, I am still physically strong and I find exercise is the best therapy for me.



Please hang in there, try to remain positive, get a support group or join activities where you can forget about the pain for awhile.



Sure hope that Hurricane Wilma does not turn out to be a "killer storm" like Katrina was and that everybody remains safe and dry.

God Bless,

The Canadian