Oh, I hope you haven’t hurt your back.
There are many reasons why you may have pins and needles in your feet. Most commonly, it’s a drop in blood supply, particularly at night when you’re sleeping when your blood pressure tends to lower and blood rushes away from your periphery (hands and legs) and towards the thorax. This is normal and not to be worried about. Just remember to shake those legs!
However, pins and needles often accompanies back injuries, in which case, pins and needles, particularly if it’s unusual, Â accompanied with pain starting from the back/pelvic area down to the legs and with weakness or difficulties walking.
In this case, you may have some sort of compromise of the nerve. If it’s in both legs (bilateral), it may be some compression on the spinal cord or cauda equina (the end of the spinal cord) and this may be serious. If it’s only on one side, or on one part of the foot, it may indicate spinal nerve compression or a pinched/compressed nerve.
The spinal cord or the spinal nerves can be pressed by a disc that is not its normal shape, old ligaments or bones that may be worn and sticking out (degenerative changes).
The usual scan to find out if you have something serious going on is a CT scan, which can detect disc bulges, or an MRI which is better at detecting pinched/compressed nerves.
Our physiotherapists can help, especially with compressed nerves, where manual techniques can assist with opening joint spaces to reduce nerve compression, or with exercises that help to restore the shape of the disc. Hydrotherapy services, massage, electrotherapy or spinal mobilisation are adjuncts to the correct exercises to improve nerve health and are provided by our physiotherapists.
However, surgery may be indicated in these cases. This should be the last option you turn to, so it’s good to make sure you try conservative treatment (physiotherapy) first before you jump for the knife.
Good luck!
