Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Tingling Foot, Elbow Pain, Lifted Heavy Suitcase. Taken Advil. Could It Be Pinched Nerve Or Nerve Compression?
Question: I'ma 58-year-old male. For about 10 days, I have experienced occasional tingling (falling asleep) of my left foot, and sometimes my left hand. Sometimes I feel a bit of an ache in my left elbow. I don't think it's bothered me as much when I'm home, with my shoes off. I have no other symptoms. My guess is that there was some kind of pinched nerve or nerve compression about 14 days ago when I picked up my daughter at the airport and carried her extremely hevay suitcase up several flights of steps. It was unusually heavy. Could that be the explanation? Sometimes Advil seems to help, and sometimes not.
Hello
Thanks for the query
Regarding the tingling in the hand and feet, couple of things which come to mind with the symptoms you report and none of them is life-threatening. Tingling which is often accompanied by numbness is due to involvement of the peripheral nerves. There are many possible causes of numbness and tingling.
In the back ground of lifting heavy suitcase possibility of pressure on the nerves of the spine, such as from a herniated disk needs consideration. Tingling without associated neurological symptoms I personally feel involvement of the peripheral nerve is minimal and is likely to recover completely in a short period of time.
If tingling persists or associated neurological symptoms like neck or back pain, numbness, sensory loss or motor weakness appear I personally request you to see your Neurologist for further evaluation.
Let me know if I have missed out any other concern in your question.
Yet again, I duly appreciate your query to me, I do hope that you have found something useful to help you and I shall be glad to answer any further apprehensions.
Sincerely,
Dr Shiva Kumar R
Consultant Neurologist & Epileptologist
Thanks for the query
Regarding the tingling in the hand and feet, couple of things which come to mind with the symptoms you report and none of them is life-threatening. Tingling which is often accompanied by numbness is due to involvement of the peripheral nerves. There are many possible causes of numbness and tingling.
In the back ground of lifting heavy suitcase possibility of pressure on the nerves of the spine, such as from a herniated disk needs consideration. Tingling without associated neurological symptoms I personally feel involvement of the peripheral nerve is minimal and is likely to recover completely in a short period of time.
If tingling persists or associated neurological symptoms like neck or back pain, numbness, sensory loss or motor weakness appear I personally request you to see your Neurologist for further evaluation.
Let me know if I have missed out any other concern in your question.
Yet again, I duly appreciate your query to me, I do hope that you have found something useful to help you and I shall be glad to answer any further apprehensions.
Sincerely,
Dr Shiva Kumar R
Consultant Neurologist & Epileptologist
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks for your email. Just as a follow-up, this morning I woke up with no tingling. After getting started with the day, my left elbow began to hurt a bit, as it has other times when there has been a bit of tingling in my left hand. Neither one of my feet has "fallen asleep" as yet, though yesterday both of them tingled quite a bit. I, too, felt the veyr heavy suitcase might be an explanation, but (1) that happened two weeks ago, with no effect for the first couple of days; (2) I haven't felt anything unusual in my back; and (3) I'm surprised that it would cause my left elbow to hurt, and left hand to tingle, occcasionally. I continue to take Advil, hoping that might help. If you have any other comments, please let me know. Thank you again.
Hello
Thanks for the follow up query
Regarding the elbow pain, I feel pull or strain to the elbow muscles or the ligaments as the cause of persisting pain. I advise you to avoid further strain to your left elbow and give rest to the joint for couple of days. You can even wrap the strained elbow with an elasticized bandage. If pain persist gentle massage and applying ice would be of benefit. Do continue Advil till pain subsides.
Symptoms of slip disc can occur immediately or weeks to months later. Symptoms seen late after the incident usually indicate injury or pressure on the nerves to be to be of lesser intensity.
As advised earlier if pain increases or continues even after using Advil I request you to see your treating physician or GP for a good clinical evaluation and evaluation if required. Physiotherapy would also be of benefit if the pain persists.
Let me know if I have missed out any other concern in your question.
Wishing you good health.
Sincerely,
Dr Shiva Kumar R
Consultant Neurologist & Epileptologist
Thanks for the follow up query
Regarding the elbow pain, I feel pull or strain to the elbow muscles or the ligaments as the cause of persisting pain. I advise you to avoid further strain to your left elbow and give rest to the joint for couple of days. You can even wrap the strained elbow with an elasticized bandage. If pain persist gentle massage and applying ice would be of benefit. Do continue Advil till pain subsides.
Symptoms of slip disc can occur immediately or weeks to months later. Symptoms seen late after the incident usually indicate injury or pressure on the nerves to be to be of lesser intensity.
As advised earlier if pain increases or continues even after using Advil I request you to see your treating physician or GP for a good clinical evaluation and evaluation if required. Physiotherapy would also be of benefit if the pain persists.
Let me know if I have missed out any other concern in your question.
Wishing you good health.
Sincerely,
Dr Shiva Kumar R
Consultant Neurologist & Epileptologist
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello,
Over the weekend, the tingling seemed to subside, but today at work I have felt frequent tingling in my right hand and sometimes in one or both feet. I guess this could still be related to a slipped disc. I feel fine otherwise, even walking 1 1/2 miles today. I was looking on the Web and see that a drug I take -- simvastatin -- can casue tingling. Perhaps that is the cause, though I have been taking that medication for more than 5 years. I started with Lipitor and then switched to the generic 2-3 years ago. Do you have any comment on the possibility?
Thank you.
Over the weekend, the tingling seemed to subside, but today at work I have felt frequent tingling in my right hand and sometimes in one or both feet. I guess this could still be related to a slipped disc. I feel fine otherwise, even walking 1 1/2 miles today. I was looking on the Web and see that a drug I take -- simvastatin -- can casue tingling. Perhaps that is the cause, though I have been taking that medication for more than 5 years. I started with Lipitor and then switched to the generic 2-3 years ago. Do you have any comment on the possibility?
Thank you.
Hello
Thanks for the query
Tingling in the hands and feet could be due to entrapment of the peripheral nerves in the bony canals of the hands and feet (Carpal and Tarsal tunnel syndrome) in addition to slip disc. ENMG study of the hands and feet would differentiate between the two.
Rarely simvastatin can cause tingling in the hands and feet. Only way to prove is to see for reversal of symptoms after stopping the drug. So I advise you to see your Neurologist for ENMG studies and if possible to stop or change the statin medication after consulting your GP.
Let me know if I have missed out any other concern in your question.
Wishing you good health.
Sincerely,
Dr Shiva Kumar R
Consultant Neurologist & Epileptologist
Thanks for the query
Tingling in the hands and feet could be due to entrapment of the peripheral nerves in the bony canals of the hands and feet (Carpal and Tarsal tunnel syndrome) in addition to slip disc. ENMG study of the hands and feet would differentiate between the two.
Rarely simvastatin can cause tingling in the hands and feet. Only way to prove is to see for reversal of symptoms after stopping the drug. So I advise you to see your Neurologist for ENMG studies and if possible to stop or change the statin medication after consulting your GP.
Let me know if I have missed out any other concern in your question.
Wishing you good health.
Sincerely,
Dr Shiva Kumar R
Consultant Neurologist & Epileptologist
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello,
In the last 7-10 days, I have some very good days with almost no tingling. On other days, there has been some tingling in my feet and sometimes in my hands. Sometimes, Advil seems to help. I read online about tingling, and my concern now is that perhaps I have pre-diabetes or diabetes. However, in my last 3 physical exams, my glucose was fine, and the doctor did not call attention to it. Here are the glucose measurements:
81 on 1/30/09
86 on 2/18/10
93 on 8/30/11
These were fasting measurements (FPG), where (as I understand it) prediabetes does not begin until 100. The test moved from 86 to 93 in 18 months, so could it have increased to 100 or more in just 7 months? And would I be having such symptoms so suddenly?
There is no tingling during sleep, and it usually takes a few hours before I have any foot tingling during the day. When I get home and take my shoes off, it usually gets better fairly quickly. This suggests that there is some slight swelling that is relieved when I take my shoes off, then diminishes and returns during the day.
I hope that the explanation is a pinched nerve from the lifting of the very heavy suitcase, though that was a month ago. It's also interesting that the tingling tends to vary from foot to foot, and from hand to hand.
Thank you.
In the last 7-10 days, I have some very good days with almost no tingling. On other days, there has been some tingling in my feet and sometimes in my hands. Sometimes, Advil seems to help. I read online about tingling, and my concern now is that perhaps I have pre-diabetes or diabetes. However, in my last 3 physical exams, my glucose was fine, and the doctor did not call attention to it. Here are the glucose measurements:
81 on 1/30/09
86 on 2/18/10
93 on 8/30/11
These were fasting measurements (FPG), where (as I understand it) prediabetes does not begin until 100. The test moved from 86 to 93 in 18 months, so could it have increased to 100 or more in just 7 months? And would I be having such symptoms so suddenly?
There is no tingling during sleep, and it usually takes a few hours before I have any foot tingling during the day. When I get home and take my shoes off, it usually gets better fairly quickly. This suggests that there is some slight swelling that is relieved when I take my shoes off, then diminishes and returns during the day.
I hope that the explanation is a pinched nerve from the lifting of the very heavy suitcase, though that was a month ago. It's also interesting that the tingling tends to vary from foot to foot, and from hand to hand.
Thank you.
Hello
Thanks for the follow up query
Regarding the blood sugar level, I feel these are pretty normal at this point of time. Though there is gradual increase in the fasting sugar levels I feel it does not indicate that you are likely to develop diabetes shortly.
Neurological symptoms like tingling and numbness develops on an average 3-5 years after the onset of diabetes. So I feel it is not related to your sugar levels at this point of time.
Regarding the improvement of tingling after taking off the shoes probably indicates better blood supply to the nerves of the feet due to reduced compression of the blood vessels and the nerves which is seen in conditions like tarsal tunnel syndrome.
Wishing you good health.
Sincerely,
Dr Shiva Kumar R
Consultant Neurologist & Epileptologist
Thanks for the follow up query
Regarding the blood sugar level, I feel these are pretty normal at this point of time. Though there is gradual increase in the fasting sugar levels I feel it does not indicate that you are likely to develop diabetes shortly.
Neurological symptoms like tingling and numbness develops on an average 3-5 years after the onset of diabetes. So I feel it is not related to your sugar levels at this point of time.
Regarding the improvement of tingling after taking off the shoes probably indicates better blood supply to the nerves of the feet due to reduced compression of the blood vessels and the nerves which is seen in conditions like tarsal tunnel syndrome.
Wishing you good health.
Sincerely,
Dr Shiva Kumar R
Consultant Neurologist & Epileptologist
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Is it unusual to see tarsal tunnel syndrome develop with both feet at the same time?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Hello
Thanks for the query
Most of the time it develops in both feet, but one may be more involved than the other. Symptoms usually start in one feet and later in the other. Rarely can occur in both feet at the same time.
Wishing you good health.
Sincerely,
Dr Shiva Kumar R
Consultant Neurologist & Epileptologist
Thanks for the query
Most of the time it develops in both feet, but one may be more involved than the other. Symptoms usually start in one feet and later in the other. Rarely can occur in both feet at the same time.
Wishing you good health.
Sincerely,
Dr Shiva Kumar R
Consultant Neurologist & Epileptologist
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
