Okay, when someone's foot falls asleep, conventional wisdom says that it's because they cut off circulation to that foot, and when circulation returns, it hurts.
But what exactly causes the painful tingling sensation? If it really is blood-flow related, does that mean that your nerves are starved while circulation is cut off, so they stop working, and then when they come to life again, they're in pain from their ordeal? Or perhaps oversensitive from being insensate for so long?
Or is it your brain turning up the volume on those nerves when it doesn't hear anything for a while, and then suddenly being assaulted with way too much loud static from the awakening nerves?
I'm mostly asking because my leg has started falling asleep in a certain place for no reason, and the position I hold it in seems to turn the effect on and off. I'm guessing I may have a pinched nerve in my hip, but lacking any real understanding of this phenomenon, I don't know if that's even a valid guess.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Worst part is when your foot falls asleep during the day, and then it is up half the night.
Posted by Puppy (Member # 6721) on :
Thanks, guys!
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Hey, no fair posting with two different screen names in the same thread. Now I'm going to be all confused and call you "A Puppy Named Dog".
Posted by Puppy (Member # 6721) on :
But Puppy is a name, so it would be "A Rat Named Puppy" ...
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
but see, that's what happens when you confuse people! ;-)
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
![[Confused]](confused.gif)