Numb Big Toe
I am 51 years old, healthy, reasonably fit and I do not have diabetes.
I completed an 11 day backpacking trek last week at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.
On the final day of the trek I had by hiking boots laced tight because we were going down steep, rocky trails.
For the last few hours of the trek my left foot occasionally felt like it had gone to sleep.
That night, several hours after removing my boots, I noticed that most of the big toe on my left foot was numb although it was warm to the touch and motor control of that toe seemed normal.
I saw a medic at the clinic about this problem the next day.
He advised that my condition was most likely due to compression of the nerves along the top of my foot by the boot and that it would clear up on it own.
A week has now passed with no improvement in my numb toe condition.
Should I be worried or does this condition take weeks to clear up?
3 comments
Vivian Abrams DPM
Based on your description, I believe one possibility is that the medic was correct. When a nerve is bruised it can take many months to recover. Nerves don’t really rush to heal themselves. Be patient.
Viki
I know it has been a long time since this post but how did this ever turn out for you? I have the exact same symptoms but from wearing uncomfortable dress shoes at a wedding for too many hours and it’s been three days since then and my left big toe still feels numb (especially deeper inside). I can have sense of touch on the outside of it and motor control is just fine, just a dull numb/tingly feeling in the very center of it. How long will this take to get better? Thanks!
mark
just hiked a ton and am having the same problem… did you numb toe eventually go away?