Neuropathy from stretching Achilles tendon?
 

Has anyone ever heard of neuropathy from stretching the Achilles tendon?

Back in November I woke up with numb toes on my right foot and it progressed to the bottom of my foot within a few hours. I’d been treating achilles tendonosis for over a year at the time. That night I was wearing a boot meant lightly stretch the tendon. I’d just had a tick bite 3 days earlier from a visit to a deer lease in East Texas. So I ended up with 7 days worth of antibiotics as a precaution. My numbness lasted for several days, but mostly went away.

It’s never fully gone away. The tips of my toes on my right foot have less feeling. I get some tingling in both feet nearer my toes. I stopped wearing the night boot after this all started. I recently went back to the achilles doctor and he seemed to think it might be possible that all my stretching (I’ve done lots) and treating “may” have caused an issue with the nerve. But he looked a bit perplexed. Suggested stretching as little as I felt like I could get away with. Suggested trying B12. I’m doing all that.

I notice more tingling/numbness when I first get out of bed in the morning in both feet. This makes me think it is achilles related because the achilles tightens up at night a bit and it usually takes some walking around to make it feel better.

One thing that does not fit. My finger tips on my right hand have less feeling the on my left. At first I thought it might be in my head. It’s a slight difference. I mentioned that to the first doc that treated me for Lyme precaution and he mentioned carpal tunnel. I guess that is possible and I didn’t notice it until this other came.

So I’m looking at this as possible causes right now:

• Stretching achilles, carpal tunnel in fingers
• Lyme
• Something else

For reference, I’m 49, a healthy weight, fairly active. Had all my vitals and glucose stuff checked 6 months ago and was in good shape.

Thanks!

It takes a long time for a tendon to heal. (no pun intended)

Northcoast Footcare
This link is one of the best online. It has many categories of foot problem, but the heel tendons is one of the first options on
the site. It also has a good anatomy page too, which has information about the location of the nerves, and ligaments.
This comes in handy for using topical agents.

Have you soaked in epsom salts? This is very helpful in providing needed magnesium to the feet.

Have you taken fluoroquinolone antibiotics? Cipro, Levaquin and Avelox disrupt the maintenance of tendon metabolism and months or years later can result in a tendon failure/rupture.

This family of drugs is very damaging to nerves too, and the jury is out whether they cause permanent damage or may be reversed over time.

You can also try Salonpas patches (the small original ones).
You can stack two on your affected tendon at night and take them off in the daytime. I had a tendon problem many years ago and found these very helpful after using 7 days in a row.

You can also for pain try the new Aspercreme Lidocaine lotion.
Rub a small amount in once a day, say in the morning opposite the Salonpas patches and see if things improve some. Aspercreme also makes a lidocaine patch now... so make sure you get the Salonpas with the methylsalicylate in them. These have anti-inflammatory actions which lidocaine does not.

This is the Salonpas patch --they make several products and this is the one I recommend.
Salonpas(R) Pain Relieving Patch | Salonpas(R) Pain Relief Products

This is the link to the Aspercreme Lidocaine lotion:
Aspercreme Pain Relieving Cremes and Gels: Pain Relieving Creme with Lidocaine

This Lidocaine is better IMO than the new OTC patch because
the unusual location would not lend itself to the Lidocaine patches, which have an odd adhesive which is aqueous based and doesn't stick well for many people. The lotion when rubbed in well works much better.

The Salonpas have anti-inflammatory action and can be therapeutic, for healing. The Lidocaine is only a symptom reliever but very helpful for relief. I use both when my feet flare up and have had good effects.

The magnesium in the epsom salts opens the circulation to the feet and promotes healing and also blocks the NMDA pain receptors.

If you respond to these simple topical agents, you may recover depending on the cause of the pain in the first place.