what kind of professional should I see for my weird symptoms?

[carlotta]

Sometime in June of 2004 I developed a numb patch on my right calf. It's about the size of my palm and located about where your hand would end up if someone said "put your right hand on your right calf".

The numbness is just surface. If you poke into the muscle it feels normal.

A few weeks later I realized the area between my right big toe and second toe was the same.

So that's pretty much been the way it's been since then. Every so often I get a very painful nervy fiery line down my calf if it is stretched a certain way. This pain is mercifully brief.

So it's not particularly troublesome, but was a little worrisome, so about October I went to my family doctor about it.

Since then I've seen a neurologist, had a very painful test with electrical shocks and needles (called IIRC an NCV and an EMG, but can't remember what the letters stand for), had two MRIs, (discovered an unsusupected raging case of claustrophobia) and been cleared of any horrible degenerative diseases.

So basically the medical response is "It's no biggie, deal with it".

But say I would like to feel sensation there again?

Who should I see? A physical therapist? A chiropractor? An acupuncturist? Some speciality I haven't heard of?

I call on the vast experience of the teeming millions!

[Jillyvn]

No alarm intended, but have you been tested for MS?

[jsgoddess]

My sympathies. This would drive me crazy.

I don't have a good suggestion regarding someone to see, though if it's nerve damage of some kind perhaps there is a chance it will eventually heal? I hope so.

Do you start obsessing over the numbness? I know I would, so I'm projecting, but I would probably be poking at the skin constantly. I smashed a finger with a hammer once (not fun) and it was numb for a couple of days and I couldn't seem to keep from prodding it.

If that's happening to you, this might be helpful.

I get a sensation I call the creeps if I get really really tired. Formication sounds kinky, but it's actually the sensation of having ants crawl under your skin. It's kind of a tingly numb horrible feeling. And the worst thing about it is it's so hard to distract myself from it, so I end up rubbing the skin on my arms or legs until I can fall asleep.

The solution has been Icy-Hot. If you put something like Icy-Hot on your skin, can you feel that? I find that particular sensation completely overrides feelings of creeps or numbness, and maybe it would penetrate far enough to reach some active nerve endings.

Gosh, I wish I had something better to suggest. I'm sorry. Good luck.

[carlotta]

Rebekkah , yeah, that was what all the needles and electrical shocks and MRIs were for.

jsgoddess thanks for the suggestion. Actually it does get a little worse, a little like what you describe when I get very tired, and then, yes, it's extremely hard to distract myself, so I will get some Icy-Hot to keep on hand and try if that happens again.

[available light]

About a year ago, I had the same thing happen, only it was on my outer thigh instead of my calf. A patch, roughly the size of my hand, that was totally numb to the touch, just like you on the surface only. If I moved the wrong way it hurt like hell - just as you say, a fiery burning kinda pain. Well, I hate doctors and didn't want to go just for that, so I did some poking around on the internet and came up with an admittedly non-expert self-diagnosis of "Meralgia parenthetica", basically numb patch on the thigh. I think it happened because I was sleeping on that side all the time and I pinched some nerves there. After a few months of mostly sleeping on my back, it just disappeared.

So take heart, it may be nothing more serious than a pinched nerve that will resolve itself eventually.

(And, yes, I know you're not supposed to diagnose yourself on the internet, and if it had gotten worse, or not cleared up on its own after a few months, I woulda gone to the doctor.)

[carlotta]

Hey thanks available light . It is really nice to know that it's not just me, and I rather wish I'd taken your route. I kinda felt like all the jabbing needles and electrical shocks and the MRI induced panic attack were to teach me not to complain about a piddling little numbness.

[Nava]

The calf line sounds like what happens to me when one of my nerves gets pinched by two bones. Based on that, and IANAD, I'd say see a chiro.