Is this sensation something I should be concerned about?

November 3, 2006 7:56 AM

Is this something I should be concerned about/see a doctor about? Occassionally, near the back of my left ankle/lower calf, it feels like someone put an icy hot rub on it.

It doesn't hurt or anything, the sensation isn't very strong, and I don't have health insurance, but has anyone had something similar happen to them?

posted by drezdn to Health & Fitness (8 answers total)

tell more about it if you can--does it hurt when you put your foot into a certain position (specifically as if you where pressing a gas pedal with your foot), does it hurt more in the morning/afternoon/night, etc; what were you doing when you first noticed; is there anything you do that makes it worse or better?

Asking these b/c I'm a first year med student and we just got thru some of the lower leg stuff, so i'm just as curious about it as you are--I may not be able to diagnos or give sound advice, but I'd like to know more of the symptoms, etc. Thanks
posted by uncballzer at 8:18 AM on November 3, 2006

My wife has had the same thing, especially when sitting in certain positions, and her doctor told her it was a textbook symptom of a pinched nerve and nothing to worry about. It went away after a few weeks. However, IANAD and the fact is you never know.
posted by ulotrichous at 8:33 AM on November 3, 2006

Response by poster: uncballzer, it actually never hurts it's more just a sensation, the other way I'd describe it would be the warm feeling you get when a heater vent is blowing on you. I've also looked for a consistent time that it happens and haven't found one, it happens when I'm standing still, when I'm sitting down, pretty much completely random so far as I can tell. I'll pay attention to foot position in the future.
posted by drezdn at 8:53 AM on November 3, 2006

Sciatica has a similar warm feeling along the back of the legs - uncballzer might be onto something. Sounds like a nerve thing.
posted by Carnage Asada at 9:00 AM on November 3, 2006

Pain in the Achilles tendon is associated with high cholesterol.

Just thought I should mention that.
posted by cda at 9:04 AM on November 3, 2006

I'm really only a first year med student and haven't gotten into much clinical practice yet; but around the ankle there are a number of tendons from muscles, arteries and nerves, any of which could be causing the sensation; so on that basis I can't really define anything, but advise that you might like to get it checked out sometime soon when you have time, especially if it doesn't go away. Sorry I couldn't have been any more help, maybe in about 2 more years though . . . if I can survive this first year!
posted by uncballzer at 9:10 AM on November 3, 2006

Sounds like a touch of sciatica -the S1 nerve root getting pinched where it exits the spinal column.

If it's just infrequent it's nothing to worry about. You might look into exercises to strengthen and make flexibile the muscles of the lower back, though.
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:03 AM on November 3, 2006

I have something similar to this in my right ankle/top of my right foot—when I touch or scratch those areas, it feels slightly tingly, like my ankle has fallen partially asleep. I've determined that it's probably nerve damage related to either (1) 40+ hours a week slouching at my desk with my legs crossed at the knee for several months last year (right knee over the left knee), (2) the new boots-with-heels I got last fall and subsequently wore while sitting for those 40+ hours a week and while walking to/from work, or (3) a combination of those two factors. It's gotten better since I quit sitting with my legs crossed all the time, got a more active day job, and stopped wearing the boots all the time, but it still hasn't completely cleared up.

The point of my anecdote? Perhaps one of your habits is causing nerve damage by putting pressure on a joint.
posted by limeonaire at 9:11 AM on November 4, 2006