Numbness

[codyclan]

My PALS is complaining of numb and painful toes (I know that is an oxymoron, but he said his toes are going numb but hurt at the same time) on his left foot. He said it has been pretty constant for the last few days. He can still walk some in the house, but otherwise uses a wheelchair or sits in his recliner. He has some arm and shoulder use and only 2 fingers left on each hand. I am wondering if there is some nerve pinching going on as his back muscles are very atrophied and he is more stooped over. Any suggestions?

 

[Ells]

Are his toes warm or cold?

 

[affected]

How often do you reposition and do stretching/ROM on his legs?

 

[codyclan]

His toes are warm and we are doing ROM twice a day, but he can still move his legs some. He bounces his feet a lot when he is reclining in his chair.

 

[codyclan]

We haven't really been doing stretching with his feet/lower legs though as up till now he's had some function. Should we be doing that more often?

 

[Ells]

It's best to do ROM on all joints, but it isn't always easy to find the time!!

If he can't plant his heel on the floor, extra downward pressure might be exerted through his toes, causing pain.
I wish I had an easy answer for you, perhaps check with his GP to rule out other causes.

 

[lgelb]

Stretching the toes/foot, bending knee (in his case), all the ROM exercises work very well in bed where the rest of his body like the atrophied back is well-supported. We massaged and lifted each individual toe, the forefoot, midfoot, etc. In the wheelchair, there is another series you can do by lifting the footrests up and using them as a platform.

Also, if he is not using pressure boots overnight, something to consider as the weak heel can affect the rest of the foot; flopping even a little esp. all night is painful ultimately.

 

[Vincent]

It might be worth checking at the hospital if he has a blood clot. I had one a couple of years ago. Pretty scary stuff if not treated quickly.
Vincent