physical grumps

[anotheranon]

Not complaints exactly, just concerns:

• My feet and hands go to sleep at the drop of a hat - not from sitting on them or elevating them either. With my hands, it might be carpal tunnel but I have no explanation for my feet, especially considering more exercise = better circulation than I've ever had before. Some snooping on WebMD suggested it might be a lack of B vitamin so I'm going to supplement and see if that helps.
  
  
• My right knee is sticky - not painful, just a bit stiff sometimes. This is definitely fencing related as it's worse on days/mornings after practice. Not sure whether to rest it or exercise it more.
  

Comments

[skill-grl.livejournal.com]

Sounds to me like you need to see a doctor. The circulation thing is worrisome on one level. And, as an athlete, you should worry about your knees. An orthopedist should be able to help w/ the knee thing. Try one that doesn't immediately scream surgery -- shoe inserts and/or physical therapy might be really helpful.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

I'm cautious of my knees due to a family history of knee problems (my grandmother had both of hers replaced). I'm probably due for a physical anyway.

[geekchick]

Someone on my f-list is recovering from a serious B-vitamin deficiency, and she had similar symptoms (hands and feet going to sleep/getting numb). Trying supplements for a bit is probably a really good idea.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

I'm going to give them a couple of weeks and see if there's an improvement. If it turns out to be a vitamin B deficiency I'd love to know what's causing it - I've been eating extremely healthily of late.

[semmie17.livejournal.com]

My dad had that, and the doctor told him he needed more vit B... PLUS more meat. He had to up his meat-eating habits by at least 50%, and include lots of lean red meat because evidently there something with the amino acids interacting with the vitamin B, and the lack of which leads to exactly yours (and his) symptoms.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Ha! So those jokes about how I ought to be drinking the blood of infants are TRUE? :P

In all seriousness, do you have any idea what precipitated your dad's B deficiency? Knowing what to do about it is one thing - knowing how to prevent it (or at least figure why you're having it in the first place) might be something completely different...

[zen4me.livejournal.com]

On the knee thing, is your right knee your base? If its the one you are pushing off of and just overall using to support the majority of your weight while fencing (I can visualize what I mean but am probably not expressing it well), it may be an issue of needing to build the strength up in the muscles that surround/support the knee.

I second skill_grl's suggestion of seeing an ortho though. If they are on their game, they'll recommend physical therapy/exercises (ie exercise ball squats - place ball against wall, your back against the ball and squat, rise, wash, rinse, repeat).

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Actually, it's my left (back) knee that's my base - pushes off my lunges, I step/land with my right (front).

I do squats - with and without weights, and something my previous coach called the "betty boop exercise" which kinda resembles the Charleston (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Baker_Charleston.jpg) in rotating the knee joint around.