Very weird injury to foot, no answers from docs
 

Hi,
sorry for the long post! I had a very weird injury that took place that my doctors don’t understand and I don’t really have any answers about after several visits. In March I visited a new acupuncturist (had no neuropathy or foot problems prior) who needled my left foot (needles left in for a lot longer than my original acupuncturist no idea if that matters), that night my foot began to feel cold and uncomfortable. The next day it was very bad with cold and numbness in my foot that ran half way up my calf. It did improve and I thought I was about out of the woods a couple weeks later with it being practically asymptomatic but to my dismay it would get re-aggravated by heavier activity (and I was an active guy). After it got flared up a few weeks into it things got really bad for a while, very cold foot and calf, very difficult to walk on. Eventually these symptoms subsided with weeks of rest but I was left with a weaker leg and sort of shock like tingles in a couple of my toes. I was also dismayed to discover that going on longer drives also aggravated the foot and it would flare up for days afterward. I took it very easy over the summer, basically being a home body in the hope this would recover like it did in the initial stage after the injury. Unfortunately my feet (the right one started feeling tingling "asleep" like sensations a couple months ago) have now settled into a chronic tingling sensation, sort of like the sleeping feeling they get when you cut off circulation. I still get more “electric shock” like tingles in my toes in the left foot, really noticeable when wearing shoes. While I am pretty much walking normally I have lost muscle and strength and I am extremely frustrated at the lack of progress and my foots ability to get aggravated by activity that meant nothing to the athlete I was prior to this. I’m 28, saw a couple regular doctors and a neurologist, subsequently had a back MRI (“Your MRI of your back shows a small disc bulge in the low back between the lumbar and sacral spine”, but my neuro thought nothing of it and I don’t really have back pain. Normal blood test (B12 at 1471 pg/ml). My neuro wants to do a brain and neck MRI just to rule things out but the general consensus is unlikely these will show anything. I started taking RLA and a B complex a few days back but am open to any treatments or ideas. This is a very weird and unexplained injury and if anyone has any idea what might have happened I’d love to hear because the docs don’t really want to even hear that the acupuncture treatment caused it (imagine that!)

Hi, sorry to hear about your problems you are to young for this crappy disease.

Are you actually diagnosed with neuropathy? your symptoms are text book.

The acupuncture may have been just coincidental with a rapid PN onset. Its possible that acupuncture may be a trigger I guess.

I recently had a 2 hour Thai massage and she really got in deep and stretched my legs hard, well that created a massive flare and I think she over stretched the nerves. I never would of that a massage could worsen my symptoms :(

good luck hope you find an answer soon

Well I've been told that acupuncture needles are quite small and shouldn't be big enough to cause a nerve trauma injury. However the following is a study...** that provides a long list of injuries titled "Traumatic Complications of Acupuncture," *edit* most much worse then mine. So although rare, it is a possibility, but I'm not here on a crusade against acupuncture I just don't believe it was a coincidence. I had NO neuropathy ever my entire life up to that point in my feet or any foot problem for that matter. I'm not expecting much in the way of answers but you never know someone might have had a similar experience and found a solution?

Hi New, and :welcome_sign:

I agree with zorro's comments.

There are so many variables with PN in general, and with each individual case. One constant seems to be that regardless of the cause, neurogenesis takes a loooooooong time. We all feel that frustration when this cussed thing hits us. Your story reminds me of that corny old joke:

Patient: Doctor, it hurts when I do this.

Doctor: Then don't do that.

(I've actually had that happen. :o )

IME, doctors tend to believe in likelihoods rather than possibilities (and I often do the same). They begin with the most likely cause of a problem, and work down, verifying or eliminating, until they reach a point they feel is unreasonable to pursue beyond, at which time they admit they don't know, give up, or pronounce something "idiopathic". Often they're right; they/medicine don't/doesn't have all the answers - we're all still learning.

There are a lot of treatment ideas and experience on this site, but you may have to dig/search a bit. The RLA & B-complex is one of the best; your B12 level seems good, but keep taking it anyway. You might consider adding B5, even though it's rare to be deficient in it:
http://www.diabeteslibrary.org/View....ntothenic_acid
(It's helping me even though I'm not diabetic.)

I think for most people on this site, treatment is a process - and a grand experiment (grand in the extensive sense). No quick/easy answers/fixes. Hope, but no guarantees. PN is a rude life-altering experience, but one that can be adapted to and lived with.

Doc

This is the paper referred to in this thread:

http://archfami.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/8/6/553

It is very interesting.

Thank you for bringing it here for people to check out!