![]() ![]() If your GP performs this examination and diagnoses neuropathy, you might be able to jump straight to an MRI. This test is no less valuable than the more sophisticated one I described above. When I saw patients with your symptoms, I would examine their lower legs and feet and, with their eyes closed, test to see if they could feel the sensation of being touched with cotton wool, a pin, a metal instrument or a vibrating tuning fork. If a neuropathy diagnosis is confirmed, the next step would be scans of the lumbar spine – ideally an MRI – to establish the cause. This involves placing an electrode that releases tiny electrical impulses on the leg, and measuring how well the impulses travel down the nerve. You may need a nerve conduction study, a specialised test to assess nerve damage, which will be performed at the neurophysiology department of your local hospital. The odd feelings in your feet are the result.Īsk your GP to refer you for further investigation. My suspicion, therefore, is that you may also have osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine – the lower back – which is irritating the nerve roots that supply your legs. In your longer letter, you explain that your symptoms affect both feet and, aged 69, you are in good health, aside from osteoarthritis in the hands and neck. ![]() Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common causes, though others include long-term excessive alcohol intake, low levels of vitamin B12, and an underactive thyroid gland. What could it mean?Ī: YOUR symptoms suggest the problem is peripheral neuropathy – the sensations that occur when peripheral nerves, such as those in the arms and legs, are damaged. Q: OVER the past two years, on waking, I have felt as if I have sponges on the bottom of both feet. ![]()
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