Small numb patch above right ankle

[Tod-Hovorka]

  About a month ago I notice a small numb patch on the inside of my right leg just above my ankle. The patch measures about 1.5"x3" is size. After about 2 weeks I went to my Family Doctor and he figured it was a pinched nerve or something and prescribed an anti-inflamatory for me to take for a while. He said that it would probably be better in 4-6 weeks. A few days after seeing my doctor the numb area started to tingle, at first mildly and then a day or two later rather intensly. The tingling went on for about a week for so and was then replaced with a pins and needles sensation when I would take my first couple of steps after sitting for a while. It has been about 3 weeks since I saw my doctor and the tingling etc. has stopped altogether, however the numbness remains.
  Question: Is this normal?
  FYI, Just before I noticed the numbness I had taken a 2 day, 13 hour motorcycle trip on which I spent much of the time sitting in a reclined position on my lumbar region. The ride did cause a great deal of discomfort, but would it cause a small patch to go numb like that? In addition, I should say that up until the day I went to see the doctor I had been working out quite intensely. Part of that workout included free weight squats with up to 275 lbs.
  I am NOT experiencing any serious back pain to speak of. I do however experience a kind of ache (so to speak) in the area just where the nerves come off from my lower spine going to my right leg. The ache only occurs when I am laying on my back, and produces a "cold" or "lack of curculation" feeling in my right leg until I roll on to my side.
  One more thing to consider:
  A week and a half after visiting my doctor, (1 week ago today) my left hand from the outside palm, around the small finger and part of the next started to tingle. Lifting my left arm straight out to my side would intensify the tingling sensation quite a bit, and if I held my hand in just the right location down to my side the tingling was very mild.
  This intensified for several days and then all but disappeared as of today. This tingling started just one day after a very intense chest/bicep/tricep workout. I have not worked out since that day.
  Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
  Todd
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Thanks for the question Todd. You sound like a very active person. Hard to tell from your story what the underlying problem is. It is possible that the numbess in your leg is from soem type of compression injury possibly related to the long motorcycle ride. These types of problems usually result in what we call conduction block that get better over time. It is possible that your back is the problem but I do not think so. The tingling in the hand sounds like some irritation on your ulnar nerve that is usually affected at the elbow. At this point you may ask your doctor to have you see a neurologist. The test tat can best localize your problem would be an EMG test which looks at nerve function. If you wish a referral to CCF call 216 444 5559.
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. PLease consult your doctor regarding diagnostic and treatment options.