tingling and numbness in right leg by knee

i was at work Tuesday morning inspecting my first car of the day.  I had walked around it taken photos.  when i started to check the car for dents and other things that may be wrong with it is when it all started.  i went to bend down to look down the side of the car and i had a stinging little pop in my leg.  i thought it was a blood veins that had broken.  one of the girls that i work with told me to go to the bathroom and check it.  she said it would be blue if it was.  it was not blue.  ever since that part of my leg has had this tingling numbness to it.  it feels like when you go to the dentist and you start to get the feeling back.  i can not feel it when i first touch it i had to push on it pretty hard.  Can anyone please tell me what this may be?  Thanks

[Tuckamore]

Hello Chellebrock,

Welcome to that Pain Management Forum of MedHelp. I am glad that you found our forum. I am sorry that you injured your leg and are having problems with it.

Popping sounds prior to pain are often a muscle tear. By your description it sounds like a calf muscle. Calf muscle injuries are almost always tears of the juncture between the medial half of the calf muscle (the inner part, technically called the gastrocnemius) and the Achilles' tendon. In most cases, the muscle-tendon junction tear is caused by poor calf muscle flexibility.

The major symptom is a sudden pain in your calf, accompanied by a popping noise you can actually hear. Sometimes you feel a sensation like someone smacking your leg in the middle of the calf muscle. Sometimes you will have some numbness but if you have no pain than it may not be a calf muscle tear. Remember RICE, Rest, Ice (intermittently) Compression (such a good support hose) and Elevation (keeping your leg at least even or higher than you heart). Acetaminophen is often a good OTC pain reliever.

You may have inadvertently pinched a nerve. Usually the symptoms you describe are nerve related. If you leg is swollen than that could cause the numb and tingling like sensation. The most important thing you can do is make an appointment with your PCP for a diagnostic work up. Be sure you have reported this to your employer as this may very well be considered a workers compensation injury as this occurred in the course of performing your work duties.

Please keep us updated and let us know how you are doing. I will be looking forward to your next post. Take Care, Tuck