New with questions

[Stoneybrook]

Hi new to the site. I was wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem. Feet go numb when sitting or lying flat on my back. Standing still causes stabbing nerve pain in both heels or arch (depending on the day). Walking is generally ok. I also have parenthesis up both legs when sitting. 2 MRI's all clear and no small or large fiber neuropathy. Doctors are running out of tests to run. Thanks.

[Leonwp]

Hi there and welcome to the forum, i cant answer your present question but im sure some of the kind caring people who are here will find answers for you. I wish you well.

Blessings

[Blakejess]

Have u been tested for ME

[Stoneybrook in reply to Blakejess]

ME?

[Stoneybrook in reply to Stoneybrook]

Sorry I understand now. No but I don't have any fatigue or many of the other criteria. One doctor talked out loud about fibro but all of my symptoms are legs and lower.

[Blakejess in reply to Stoneybrook]

I have fibromyalgia sometimes it can be certain areas of the body that's affected, I have it all over. In reality top doc at Newcastle university believe M E and fibromyalgia are connect. I read some where. The thing is these days doctors except u to fit a ticky box criteria list . But every one is different not all experience the very same symptoms. Good luck

[johnsmith]

It is possible you have micro-cramps. Ie muscles are cramping blood vessels and nerves.

Worth taking up yoga and seeing a chiropractor. The chiropractor will be able to give you more understanding of your condition to take back to the medical profession.

[Stoneybrook in reply to johnsmith]

It could and I have been thinking along simaler lines that it could be muscle related as I have dealt with trigger points in the pelvic area before. What has confused me this time (not to mention my doctors) is the bilateral aspect. Both feet and both legs are involved. I have been looking for a good chiro while I play out the imaging road. Although early on I worked with a PT who specialized in pelvic disorders and she was not finding anything that was tight or out of whack. But yes my gut agrees with your suggestion. Thanks.

[johnsmith in reply to Stoneybrook]

What do you mean by the "What has confused me this time (not to mention my doctors) is the bilateral aspect."

A PT (physiotherapist?) has very little knowledge of tight muscles below a certain tightness. So you may have had a problem but the physiotherapist would not have realised you have a problem.

[Stoneybrook in reply to johnsmith]

Two years ago I had a simaler problem with my right foot but no where near as involved. Had pain in the arch of my foot and a pain in my butt that would occur when sitting. Did the MRI thing, nothing, and then saw a doctor who was open to the idea of piriformis and did some lidocaine injections into the piriformis muscle. Was inconclusive , still had pain. He figured he had done what he could and sent me off to PT. They just gave me a series of exercises to do then the symptoms just went away. Cured but nobody ever could say what the cause was. This time around at first I thought it was the same thing but now both feet were showing symptoms and it kept getting worse unlike the previous time. Tried to approach it the same as I did before but all the doctors this time around said no way it was muscle, had to be disck related. So I spent 3 months going down that road until it was clear that it wasn't disck or small fiber neuro. Once you get labeled it's hard to get anyone to look at anything else. Plenty of times I thought it had to be disk too. What were the odds of it being muscle related and presenting the same on both sides. Anyways long story short I agree with your assessment and am working the theory now that it is muscle driven.

[johnsmith in reply to Stoneybrook]

Thanks for the reply.

Actually the odds can be quite high depending on the cause. You have an injury on side and you immediately compensate by putting extra effort in the uninjured side and this in turn produces an injury which is the same as that on the other side.

There are spinal reflexes though the spine which cause the muscle behaviour of the left and right sides to mirror each other. As an adult we inhibit this reflex. Sometimes we fail to inhibit it. The result is that cramp on the right causes cramp on the left.

You have pain in the arch of both the left and right foot. What you can try is the gently opening and closing the right and left hands several times. This will have an effect as a result of a spinal reflex. Play with moving the wrist and forearms. Let me know what happens. There are spinal reflexes between the arms and legs, hands and feet.

Hope I have been able to give you something useful to try.

[Stoneybrook in reply to johnsmith]

Thanks for your interest and I am always looking to understand better how the body works. I'm not sure what I should be looking for though?

[johnsmith in reply to Stoneybrook]

You are not looking for anything in particular. You are noticing. This noticing enables you to draw conclusions and do experiments to determine what improves quality of life and what decreases quality of life.

The observation will take time because you have to develop the skills needed for the observation as you do it. Little things can make a big difference.

There is something called a stress versus performance curve. No stress - no performance as the stress increases the performance improves. There is optimum stress for optimum performance. When the stress goes above a certain point called the stress breakdown point everything starts to fall apart. A very little extra stress will cause big problems with functioning. If you are just over the stress breakdown point a very little reduction in stress will take you below the stress breakdown point and you find your ability to function increases considerably.

Hope this helps

[Stoneybrook in reply to johnsmith]

There's no stress in my life! Lol! That's one thing I do need a lot of work on and don't do well. I will work on noticing as well. Thank you for the tips and something to think on.

[Marylyn]

Hi I have the same but it has been diagnosed as peripheral neuropathy which can be caused by diabetes or a vitamin b12 deficiency where nerves anywhere in the body are damaged.It is difficult to find a dr (took me 15 )who has knowledge of nutrition or vitamin deficiencies.Both of us had neurological symptoms but serum b12 was in norm range resulting in misdiagnosis.

[Stoneybrook in reply to Marylyn]

I'm sorry to hear that. It is very frustrating not knowing. Did they determine that b12 deficiency ultimately was the cause of the neuropathy?

[Marylyn]

Yes both of us had painful feet (physios call it tendonitis & fasciitis)months later they went numb. My hubby had MRI which showed SACD permanent nerve damage in spine due to demyelination (stripping of nerve fibres).His diligent neurologist picked it up not the radiographer. Majority of folks are told to buy orthotic shoes .Do you suffer from any other symptoms?

[Stoneybrook in reply to Marylyn]

No I figure that's enough for now. I have been tested for small fiber neuropathy where they take a biopsy from your skin near the foot. i have also had every blood test known all negative or normal. I realize nothing is for sure since all of these tests are not 100 percent definitive. I keep looking for answers and I keep challenging my doctors. I have found that you have to do your own research and can't rely solely on the doctors for solutions.

[Hidden]

Have they examined your pelvis as sometimes problems in this area can cause things all the way down to the feet?. I get a similar thing and have hip dysplasia in one of my hips. When I walk the pain can go all the way down my legs to my ankle. Also lying flat I get cramp or numbness in my feet.

[Stoneybrook in reply to Hidden]

I am supposed to have an MRI of my hips next, hopefully in a few weeks. I have had some problems with tight muscles in my pelvis area before so it is an area that I am looking at next. is there anything they can do to help with your hip?

[Hidden in reply to Stoneybrook]

Hopefully you will find out what it is then. Sometimes you need major detective work. I am pregnant at the moment so going to wait until after this baby is born then see about getting an X-ray or scan. I was born with hip dysplasia on both sides but back then in the late 70s my mum was just told to bind my hips up in bandages until I grew a bit more. It did work and has only started playing up the last 6 years or so on one side but my mum only told me about my hips as a baby last year! As that's when the no mistaking it was Coming from my hip started . I couldn't figure it out as at first my back was going all out of place and I had an X-ray on that that came back clear, but they only did my spine. But I have also had a blood test which says I have a high C reactive protein and raised folate which can be sign of inflammation in bone marrow. That's the most obvious thing as it causes the most pain for me. Was also pointed out by a physio as being my main pain area. So I am hoping they may help just have to wait and see.