Tingling toes after standing for a long time?

August 31, 2013 6:32 PM

I've just started a new job that involves a lot of standing, some walking, and at the end of a shift, my two big toes are somewhat numb and tingling.

My friend suggested that maybe I pinched or pulled a nerve. Any ideas?

Is it more likely to be my shoes, or the way I'm standing? (I'm really hoping it's not the shoes, as I can't afford new ones.)

Some relevant facts:
- I'm wearing Doc Marten's that have been great for long walks (2 hours+)
- I'm standing on mats; I don't know if they are proper anti-fatigue mats, but they seem pretty good and where I work is good on health & safety
- I have Morton's toe

posted by jb to Health & Fitness (12 answers total)

Posture. Posture, posture, posture. When you notice the tingling or the numbness, remind yourself to stand up straight.
posted by tooloudinhere at 6:42 PM on August 31, 2013

And yeah this is most likely a pinched nerve.
posted by tooloudinhere at 6:42 PM on August 31, 2013

When I was waiting tables at a restaurant I'd get this by the end of the night. I got some sole inserts and focused on shifting my weight over the course of the night which minimized it.
posted by Strass at 6:48 PM on August 31, 2013

I have experience and fixed several issues like this. There is no easy trick. You have to listen to the signal your body is sending, make a priority of your wellbeing and use your intuition to explore the different modalities out there to fix it.

Z-health Performance was effective for me at dealing with chronic nerve issues like this. You have to stop and do exercises periodically and you have to work on improving your posture long term...

Yoga also strengthens and aligns the body and nervous system and improves posture when you invest the time...

Chiropractors help, and I go to a chiropractor for my nervy tingling stuff, but it's useless outside of some program that changes the way you move and stand.

You are getting a pretty clear signal from your body to change something... listen carefully.
posted by alcahofa at 6:56 PM on August 31, 2013

You have Morton's Toe?

Well, this is awkward. You might have Morton's neuroma
posted by hobo gitano de queretaro at 7:24 PM on August 31, 2013

Best answer: Anything's possible, but having had Morton's Neuroma, and the surgery to correct it, I'm doubting that it's affecting your two big toes. Most MN's cause actual pain between the 3rd-4th toe. Mine eventually was large enough that it felt like I was standing on a piece of gravel. Standing exacerbated it, but it finally got bad enough it was painful just sitting.

I did factory work for six months standing on a concrete floor and had numb toes due to nerve compression on the ball of the foot. Inserts and different shoes made all the difference, but the job still sucked. Quit, but I got a great pair of shoes for hiking.

Simple fix would be trying a new pair of shoes. Everything else above is still good life advice.
posted by BlueHorse at 8:41 PM on August 31, 2013

Response by poster: new shoes really aren't a possibility right now - also, I wouldn't know what shoes to get, given that I've already got great shoes (for everything else). Even shoe inserts will stretch my budget.

But you mention that your numbness was caused by compression of the balls of your feet? that's definitely where I feel the most pressure. Would a pad specifically targeting there help?
posted by jb at 8:58 PM on August 31, 2013

Best answer: You could try some sort of insert pad, but it may or may not work. If there isn't enough room already in your boot, you're going to wind up with more compression. That's what happened to me when I first went to an insert. The only thing that finally helped was a shoe with more room at the front (in the toe box) After new shoes to give the room and support I needed, then using the insert made all the difference. If I don't have a strong mid-sole with good arch support, the ball of my foot hurts, and the heel aches. I'm pretty sure my bout with plantar fascitis was due to crappy shoes and no arch support.

Since you have Morton's toe that makes it even more critical that you have plenty of room in the front of your boot. Have you tried loosening your laces on the bottom half of the boot as far as they can possibly go? You mentioned 2+ hour walks--that's quite a bit different than being on your feet for eight hours. At the end of the day, you're going to have swollen feet. It just can't be helped. The only other thing I can think might help as a temporary solution would be to unlace your boots completely and put your feet up when you eat lunch. Don't take them off, just unlace them. That, and the elevation, should help with circulation.

Good luck. I hope there's an answer on the thread that will help. Sore feet suck!
posted by BlueHorse at 9:41 PM on August 31, 2013

Long shot, but since it's common these days is there any chance you're developing Type 2 diabetes? Diabetic neuropathy
posted by XMLicious at 10:12 PM on August 31, 2013

Response by poster: The doc martens are shoes - the toe box seems large enough and I have to lace them tightly at the arch to keep them from slipping. I'll see if I can get a pad/insert in there.

As for diabetes - it runs in the family, but I've recently had a lot of blood tests due to dizzyness/fainting, and my doctor didn't mention anything - just that I have low blood pressure and need to drink more water.
posted by jb at 5:42 AM on September 1, 2013

Best answer: Have you checked whether your Docs have a removable insole? Replacing the insoles of shoes goes a long way to making them more supportive. Finding the right ones may take some experimentation - I'd suggest looking at FootSmart or a similar site, at least to narrow down what you might be looking for in terms of support & cushioning.
posted by EvaDestruction at 8:35 AM on September 1, 2013

Sometimes when this happens to me I take a moment to check my knees. I have a habit of locking them instead of keeping them loose. It usually helps when I bend them slightly while standing. Hope that helps!
posted by The Hyacinth Girl at 11:58 AM on September 1, 2013 [1 favorite]