(From the Living Body Beautiful Magazine – Volume 7)
Numb Tingling Feet
Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Neuropathy
Diabetic and Non-Diabetic NeuropathyThe most common complication of diabetes is neuropathy – Numb Tingling Feet . Unfortunately, even with your blood sugar in good control, neuropathy may occur. In fact, over time, this will occur in up to 50% of diabetics. Once diabetic neuropathy occurs, it almost always gets worse. Neuropathy is the leading cause of the ulcerations and infections that occur in the feet, and with advanced cases, amputation.
Patients suffer from nerve damage for many reasons — chemo, B-12 deficiency, diabetes, and even radiculopathy. Nonsurgical options can be performed to reduce pressure on the nerves to relieve the burning, tingling and pain and in many cases to restore sensation to the feet.
Of course, if one waits too long to save the nerve, recovery may not be possible. If you already have ulcerations on your feet, or have lost toes, then very little sensation may be recovered because the damage to the nerve has become irreversible. We have other ways to protect you at this point.
Who is a Candidate for this Type of Procedure?
The ideal candidate for surgery to restore sensation and strength is the diabetic who is beginning to experience numbness and tingling in the feet, who may have noticed changes in the shape of the feet or toes, or may have begun to experience problems with balance or falling. This patient should be examined in order to measure the degree of sensory and motor loss.
Special instruction is given to the patient in terms of daily inspection of the foot for early signs of skin breakdown or infection. When the Quantitative Sensory Testing demonstrates sufficient sensory loss, special shoes may be required to protect the feet. There are some medications that can be given to relieve the discomfort of the neuropathy on a temporary basis. And of course, you must be sure that your blood sugar level is the best that it can be.
If the sensory loss progresses to the point where you have numbness and tingling throughout the day or it even wakes you up at night, then you may be a candidate for surgical decompression of your nerve. The ideal candidate does not wait until there is no feeling left or until there is already an ulceration present.
What Should I Do To Prevent Pain, Tingling and Numbness In My Feet In Future?
If you have already got a treatment, then follow some of these steps to prevent pain and tingling in future:
- Consider Wearing A Proper Footwear: Shoes that fit well, provide good support, have adequate cushioning, and have enough space for your feet can easily help you prevent many feet problems. Make sure to avoid high heels for extended periods too.
- Maintain a Healthy Weight: Excess weight leads to many problems, one of them is pain in feet since the weight puts too much pressure on legs and interferes with blood circulation which can lead to numbness and thinking in feet.
- Avoid Sitting Or Standing For Too Long: Sitting or stand for too long also leads to blood circulation problems, ad can lead to problems like varicose veins and plantar fasciitis. So, if you do a job that requires either of them then it’s a great idea to take regular breaks and allow your feet to circulate blood properly.
- Limit Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol and even smoking restricts blood flow, which can lead to many life-threatening conditions, who knows your numbness or tingling in feet is actually related to an underlying condition, overtime it will get worse if you don’t stop smoking and drinking.
Does Sensations In Feet Indicate Serious Conditions Like Nerve Damage, or Blood clot?
Yes, the weird sensations can be linked to underlying conditions as mentioned earlier, here are some of then:
- Nerve damage: A condition that can be experienced after a nerve is damaged, it involves tingling, pain and even loss of sensation. If numbness starts to spread, be careful.
- Blood Clots: Blood clots restrict blood flow and cause problems like swelling, redness, warmth and pain. If it’s in foot then walking can become difficult.