Thread: Numbness in and around big toe...help?

So, last night I noticed this really weird numb sensation on the surface of my right big toe, kind of along the outside...it's partial numbness, as if it's been shot with novocaine that's wearing off slightly, but not completely. If I scratch the skin, I feel it, it's just a little numb and tingly to the touch. There's also an odd-looking little bruise on the top of the same foot, on the other side, over the little toe. But I didn't hurt my foot in any way that I can recall, and I don't have diabetes as far as I know, or any other conditions known to cause odd foot sensations. I did wear tight shoes and walk around a lot yesterday, but they're shoes I've worn for years. They were oddly uncomfortable yesterday and I did regret wearing them. Still, they've never hurt me in the past.

Has anyone else experienced this? Anyone have any idea what it is? It's really freaky to have a part of one's body suddenly become numb for no apparent reason. I would really love to understand it.

- Leela

Could it be an ingrown toenail? I'm prone to them, and they cause similar symptoms for me.

Might be a broken blood vessel - I get them all the time and it causes numbness - or that tingly sensation in my big toes, too. Might be caused by the shoes, or by walking barefoot, or by {gasp!} dancing!! Could also be a small muscle strain/sprain. I get that all the time, too, from walking or dancing on my tippy toes. That also feels numb under the toes. Sometimes we dancers develop horrible feet over time. ..cr.:

Hi

I don't know what the temperature is like where you are, but if it were someone here in the UK who had been wearing tight shoes in the recent cold weather, I would tentatively suggest a chilblain. Harmless but irritating.

I used to get them a lot where you describe but dancing seems to have largely got rid of the problem.

my mum hasn't been able to feel end of big toe for 40 years no one knows why.
Hope yours gets back to normal soon

recently I was breaking in a new pair of dance shoes which felt fine whilst I was in them, a few days later I noticed my nail had dug in skin and made my toe swell (which I've sorted) and I've now got a bruise under my nail.

It's possible your shoes were pressing on your toe and for whatever reason you didn't notice them too much. You may have bumped it or even pulled something (which may account for the bruising). This may have caused some numbness.

If in doubt as always check in with your dr.

As for mysterious injuries, I've pulled a muscle in my leg over three weeks ago and I have NO idea how I did it.

I had wierd numbness in the ball of my foot recently, then it came up as 2 blisters, not the puffed up liquid filled type you get when your shoes rub, it's just like the thick skin layer separated from the deeper layers. Didn't hurt at all, just wierdly numb. I blame dancing on my toes on carpet in class (why would you build a dance studio and then put coarse nylon carpet on the floor) then walking in heels at work.

I have had that for the past few years. I just assumed it's the 20+ years of dancing that caused that and that area for me is very very calloused. Do you dance bare foot a lot?

I wonder if you could have pinched a nerve while walking around. I'd give it a couple of days to see if it recovers on its own, but if it doesn't improve, I'd go see a doctor. Feet are one of those things that you can't let slide

Thanks, everyone. There are no visible surface symptoms, but there is still some numbness in the area, so I will take it to a podiatrist soon, I think. At least I know it's not a major danger! It's just weird and freaky.

- Leela