What is wrong with me? Stinging “pins and needles” pain in both my calves.?
so to tell you a bit about my problem i’ll start with saying im a 15 year old female fairly healthy, a soccer player and had been going to physical therapy for about 3weeks earlier this month for what was said to be a "calf strain". I am kind’ve worried because besides the constant stinging in the calves once in a while I would feel stinging in my hands. i never told my trainers though. I would describe the feeling as pins and needles. So i did some research and here are the things I think could be wrong with me.
-Claudication pain: "pain
that occurs in the legs when walking or exercising. It is usually the result of circulation problems which affects the flow of blood to the leg muscles. In severe cases, the pain may persist even when the patient is inactive"it doesn’t just sting during sports but outside of them like right now im on the couch.
-diabetes- because i also had been getting headaches and pains throughout body and other symptoms but my blood pressure is always normal so im not sure about this idea.
Peripheral neuropathy: Peripheral neuropathy is the term for damage to nerves of the peripheral nervous system, which may be caused either by diseases of the nerve or from the side-effects of systemic illness. Peripheral neuropathy is a common neurological disorder resulting from damage to the peripheral nerves. It may be caused by diseases of the nerves or as the result of systemic illnesses. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Peripheral Neuropathy Information Page: NINDS)
other info on calf burning-
Calf burning sensation (medical symptom): The skin sensation of partial numbness or "pins and needles" or a type of "burning", "tingling" or "creeping" sensation of the skin, is known as a "paresthesia". Symptoms may start as a tingling (paresthesia) and change to a numbness, or there may be a combination of decreased sensation (numbness) but with heightened sensations at certain times or with stimulation. Any type of tingling, burning, or numbness is usually a symptom related to a sensory nerve being damaged, diseased, or injured. Causes depend on the exact location of the paresthesia sensations, but typically include a physical nerve injury type condition (e.g. a nerve entrapment or some type of pressure being applied to a nerve directly or to the spinal attachment of that nerve), or a disease condition affecting the nerves (e.g. neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and others). Having these sensory symptoms in multiple locations, or the recurrence of similar symptoms in different locations is a hallmark symptom of multiple sclerosis, so your doctor will likely ask about the past history of similar symptoms to assess the likelihood of multiple sclerosis as a diagnosis (see symptoms of multiple sclerosis). Any of these tingling or numbness symptoms are more than just annoying; they can indicate a serious medical condition and require prompt medical diagnosis by a professional.
PLEASE HELP IM IN A GREAT DEAL OF PAIN TO THE EXTENT THAT IM CRYING i don’t know what to do and if i tell my dad he won’t do anything he will just say suck it up … im scared for my health and soccer career. thanks your help is greatly appreciated!!!
Also if you have any other ideas please share them anything that can help break the case!
Hi, I’m very sorry to hear about your pain. I have Multiple Sclerosis and deal with that everyday.
"Pruritis (itching) may occur as a symptom of MS. It is one of the family of abnormal sensations—such as “pins and needles” and burning, stabbing, or tearing pains—which may be experienced by people with MS. These sensations are known as dysesthesias, and they are neurologic in origin."
http://tr.im/yourpain
I’m a System Engineer, not a Doctor, but since I was diagnosed with MS in 2001, I’ve had much time to research the disease, running a MS Support Group where I answer many questions for newly diagnosed MS Patients all the time since 2002.
From what you are describing, a numbness/pins and needles sensation that is causing you chronic pain, sounds like one of the common initial symptoms of MS.
I would tell your doctor about what has beeing going on, and how long it has been going on for. I know that without the pain you would be able to deal with the pins and needles, of course it would be annoying, but at least you could bear through it. It’s the Chronic Pain that is truly ruining your day to day life right now. I would suggest to ask your doctor for a prescription for an MRI with and without contrast, stating the reason for the MRI is possible MS, this way the Radiologist will know what to look for when examining the results of the MRI.
If you don’t have MS at least you know. If you do, you were able to catch it earlier than some people and you could get started on an MS Therapy Drug right away in order to slow the progression of the disease.
I would also suggest that you ask your Doctor to run a blood test for Lymes disease. Lymes can mimic the symptoms of MS, but sometimes they don’t test for that until they’ve tested for everything else. Lymes is treatable with antibiotics, so finding that early would be good too.
Unless your doctor can come up with something else, I don’t see it being wrong to at least get an MRI and check for MS.
If what you describe is MS, then it’s a result of nerve signals getting screwed up because of the MS. The pain you feel could be classified as Nerve Pain. Many MS Patients take a medication called Neurontin for Nerve Pain.
And for the meantime, you might want to try wearing some knee-high tube socks for the pins and needles and calve pain. Nerve pain with MS can respond to pressure against the skin. Warmth can also help.
If it turns out that it is MS and you would like some more information, have questions, would like to vent or just talk to some other people that understand what you are experiencing, you are more than welcome to come and join our Yahoo MS Support Group. It’s called ms20something, and it’s address is:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ms20something/
I hope it turns out to be some thing different, something simple to take care of. I’ll keep you in my thoughts. When you find out what is going on, come back here and email me and let me know.
I hope this information has been helpful.
Good Luck to you.
I would be surprised to know that any doctors are on this site. See a doctor it sounds serious.
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