Weird symptoms sometimes just happen to anybody, don’t they?
It’s easy to blame everything on MS, but I’m not sure that’s always fair. Sure,
I loathe the MS MonSter as much as any MS battler. But I do think quirky
conditions occasionally just come and go.
Have your feet ever
gone numb for a while? Mine have!
For months, my toes tingled and then went completely numb
every time I went running. It always seemed to start right around the one-mile
marker. I tried loosening my laces. I tried stretching and stomping. I tried a
variety of athletic socks and shoe brands and styles.
I even tried drinking lots of extra water, just in case my
numb feet had something to do with insufficient hydration.
No such luck.
Like clockwork, my toes would start that annoying
pins-and-needles thing after the first mile. Sometimes it would spread to my
soles and more, making my feet completely numb.
Aaargh!
I dreaded the idea that my tingling and then unfeeling toes
might signal an oncoming MS exacerbation.
Oh, please, no!
After doing a little research, I learned that tingling toes
and numb feet are a fairly common occurrence among runners. This seems to
happen rather frequently to those who log miles on treadmills, trails, paths,
sidewalks, roads, or anywhere else.
At last I had the
answer!
This was not some weird neurological symptom for only me.
I hit the shoe store (just in time for a super sneaker sale)
and picked up one more pair of running shoes. But this time, I kicked it up a half
size from what I usually wear.
Well, whaddya know? That solved the problem. I can run for
miles, and my feet do not go numb. I can feel my toes – at least, for now.
I’m still on pins and needles right before a race. Maybe I always will be. But that
has nothing to do with my toes tingling or growing numb.
Image/s:
Adapted
from public domain photo
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I don't have MS, I have Spinal Stenosis, but I have to be very particular about my shoes. In fact, the frequency of my toes going numb from walking and running was the big red flag that led my doctors to finding the SN in the first place. I remember them talking about "runners syndrome," and saying my episodes were far to often to be that. Especially since I've always worn shoes that were half a size too big. I grew up on a farm, where you had to wear two pairs of socks in the winter. So, even after growing up shoes that fit "right" were uncomfortable for me. And now, I've been told, that they can even cause damage to my feet and spine.
ReplyDeleteGlad you found an answer for your tingly toes!