Expert: Dr. Victor Dolan, DC, DACBSP - 6/4/2008

Question
hello there,
i have numbness in my left foot now for 4 weeks aprox, its from my bunion, and into my toes, i have not had a fall or anythink like that, its so numb, i could stick a pin threw the areas, and i would not feel anythink.
i am of good health, its numb all day long, but alot worse when i first wake up.
thankyou in advance
myra

Answer
Hello Myra,  sorry to hear of your numbness.

Numbness.  You say it is from your bunion.  You know it is from your bunion?

Well, if you know it is from your bunion, visit the podiatrist (DPM = Doctor of Podiatric Medicine) and have it taken care of.

or

If you are not sure.

Numbness.  Could be from the bunion.  Could be some neurological problem, some vascular condition, a metabolic condition or even (remotely) a CNS lesion (brain problem).  You know it is from the bunion?, do not worry about the rest of this discussion, just see the podiatrist.

Get to your podiatrist, or Doctor of Chiropractic or your family Medical Doctor for a thorough examination.  Numbness is a sign of damage or sign of a problem that certainly should be evaluated, rather then just an assumption it is the bunion.

The numbness could be due to nerve irritation or nerve damage in your lumbar spine, along the leg or even the ankle and foot.  A doctor should evaluate your reflexes, strength, and neurological integrity. A herniated disc in your lower back could be the source of your problem.

Along with nerves, the numbness could indicate a vascular problem.  Checking your circulation through lower extremity blood pressure, blood flow- ie doppler studies, could determine if there is some circulatory compromise.  Numbness could be due to a neurovascular condition- get these aspects check first.

Numbness can also be due to a disease process such as diabetes.  You say you are healthy, when was your last check-up and simple blood test.  Visit your family MD or family DC and have a blood test to evaluate for diabetes, glucose and hemoglobin A-1-C could all be checked to evaluate for this metabolic condition.

Numbness could be due to a CNS lesion or disease process.  This is probably the most remote of the possibilities, but I am just running the gamut from probable to rare.  After the previous conditions have been evaluated for, you may want to be examined for brain and nerve disorders.  EMG/ncv, EEG, MRI could be performed to evaluate neurological integrity.

Just a few thoughts, but if you know it is the bunion, keep it simple, visit the foot doctor.

As always, this discussion is for informational, educational purposes only.  This is not prescriptive nor specific in anyway.  Only evaluation by a licensed health professional in person can provide specific evaluation, DX, RX, TX, PX for a specific patient.

This is your Staten Island Chiropractor, Dr. Victor Dolan signing off for now.  Thank you for the question.

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