When it comes to health, nobody likes a mystery.
Which is why a mysterious buzzing or vibrating in your foot that seems to come and go at random is so frustrating.
This mysterious–and irritating–ailment is the inspiration for numerous questions on Yahoo Answers, online podiatry threads, and doctor’s visits every year. And for many people, the answer for the odd buzzing is “Pallesthesia.”
The buzzing sensation often comes and goes at regular intervals (a few seconds of buzzing followed by a few seconds of peace). It can feel like a short burst of electricity or a cell phone on vibrate under your skin, which is why the name “pallesthesia” literally translates to–”feelings of vibration.”
Often, pallesthesia is most noticeable at night when you’re lying still, trying to fall asleep. It’s also possible to experience it in other extremities like your hands and fingers.
What exactly causes pallesthesia, and should you be worried about other underlying problems?Is there a cure?
Keep reading!
What Causes Pallesthesia?
To put it briefly, it’s unclear exactly what causes pallesthesia. Or more accurately, there are a number of possible reasons you might be experiencing the vibrating in your foot. The following are some of the most likely possibilities:
B12 deficiency or anemia:
Many people who have suffered from pallesthesia report improvement after upping their dosage of B12 and iron, which makes sense, since these vitamins are key to nerve health, and odd sensations like buzzing could be a sign of deficiency. Check your levels with a simple blood test.
Blocked artery or vein:
Another possibility is a partial blockage in an artery or vein from a clot or some kind of injury. The buzzing sensation may be from the blood forcing its way through the blocked vein or artery.
Stress response and adrenaline:
Does the buzzing feeling in your foot happen when you’re stressed? It may be part of your body’s stress response that sends hormones and blood flow to different parts of the body in anticipation of fight or flight. If you notice that your pallesthesia is happening in response to stress, calming down through breathing exercises or mindfulness can help relieve symptoms.
Compressed nerve or damaged nerve:
Damage to the nerves in the extremities, also known as peripheral neuropathy, can cause pallesthesia in some cases. If you notice any numbness accompanying the vibration, make sure you get to a doctor quickly, since this can indicate damage to the a nerve. Doctors don’t know what causes peripheral neuropathy in many cases. However, about one third are a result of diabetes, which can change blood glucose levels and impact nerve cells’ metabolism.
Medications:
Some medications can cause pallesthesia. If you noticed the buzzing sensation in conjunction with a new medication or increased dosage, talk to your doctor about switching medications, and ask what this means in context of your treatment.
Restless Leg Syndrome:
Some people who suffer from restless leg syndrome, a neurological condition that causes a desire to move one’s legs constantly, report pallesthesia as an accompanying side effect. A good rule of thumb is, if you have other symptoms like pain, fatigue, problems with motor skills, or numbness in addition to the buzzing, it’s worth a trip to the doctor to rule out a larger problem like diabetes, fibromyalgia, arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), or a warning of nerve damage.
How Can I Make the Vibrating Go Away?
Because the causes of pallesthesia are so diverse, treatment will depend greatly on the cause of the buzzing.
If you suspect a vitamin deficiency or confirm this with a blood test, increase your B12 or iron, being sure to take care with antacids or calcium that can block absorption of these vitamins.
If you notice a correlation with stress and the buzzing, learn some breathing exercises as a way to calm down when the buzzing starts.
If the underlying cause is more serious, like peripheral neuropathy, diabetes, MS, fibromyalgia, or arthritis, your doctor will be able to coordinate a targeted treatment approach for the underlying condition that should help with the pallesthesia as well.
Can I Prevent Pallesthesia?
As with treatments, preventing pallesthesia rests on its unique cause. In general, work to keep your body healthy through eating lots of whole grains and fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water, get regular exercise, avoid alcohol and drugs, and avoid repetitive movements that put strain your feet and extremities. Don’t forget a multivitamin, especially one that contains B12 and iron.
The good news is that while pallesthesia is often a mysterious combination of factors, it’s not usually a threat to your health or an indication of something more sinister.
Try the ideas above, and make sure you’re exercising regularly and getting enough vitamins. And don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor to put your mind at ease. Chances are that the buzzing amounts to an annoyance–not a harbinger of bad news. But it’s always better to err on the side of your health.
What about shoulder/ribst
Hi Tyrone! Pallesthesia can occur on other parts of your body not just your feet, so it may be the cause of the sensation you’re experiencing. If it is causing severe discomfort, you may want to speak with your doctor to see if they can diagnose it 🙂
Wow you just put my mind at ease. Great information. Thank you.
Glad the info was helpful 🙂
Can this be related to stenosis and herniated disc?
I had 3 surges on my foot about 1 year ago and it just stared like vibrating out of the blue could this be a blockage somewhere
Thank you.,I have been increasing my exercises to every other day. I also have been bleeding heavily over the past three weeks. Now I am experiencing these buzzing sun my foot and sometimes up my leg… it may be b12 deficiency and iron .. so I will try it
This article didn’t help, if anything it just my theory true and I’m kinda freaking out now!
Hi I have broken both my ankles some years ago and I’m now experiencing the vibration and numbness in my feet. I’ve had blood test and I’m not diabetic. But I also experience shirt blast of pain in my toes and to throw a spanner in the works I get a lot of puns and needles in my arms and hands usually when I awake from sleep ??
Well I was freaking out at the blood clot part. I wish I would have seen the fibromyalgia part first. This I have. I feel somewhat better but I may take a B12 vitamin to see if it helps.
I have a history of blot clots, 3 times. Four months ago I had knee replacement surgery and suffered one while in the hospital. I am currently on blood thinner, but wonder if I need to be concerned that this might be a clot?
Hi Rose! We recommend asking your doctor about it if you suspect it could be another blood clot.
hi from last week i am feeling same vibration like a mobile in my left foot,please any body can advise any home remedies for that.
It will be appreciated
Try using b complex i did and it worked in am instant. In about 3 days the buzzing sensation stopped completely.
I can’t believe so many of us have this. I’m seeing a neurologist again after he suspected that the recent sensation of ‘buzzing’ in my left foot could be the result of a small 8mm tumour which showed up on an MRI of my spine. Funny thing- this tumour I don’t care about- NOT to say that if he decides to operate I’ll be happy! I just want the damned burning/tingling that’s troubled me at night for years to go away so that I can sleep. I’m terribly sleep deprived because of this. More recently when this ‘buzzing’ started in that same foot, I had a series of acupuncture sessions which worked. But now it’s back. Exhausting it all is …….
I’m on the same boat as you! Hope you found help
Wow I’m sorry everyone! This article was honestly very helpful. I’ve honestly been suffering with this for the past 5 years now . It’s on my left foot mainly but it’ll buzz up my legs and my hands .. tingling creepy crawling buzzing feeling I get . If anyone knows what I can do to get rid of it that would be awesome! I just want to sleep normal and rest normal I feel like I can’t . I don’t want to live like this!
I’ve been bothered for five years with ‘buzzing’ feet. I have seen many doctors and all they prescribe is anti-anxiety medications which I refuse to take. The only relief I can get at night is to ‘strap’ ice blocks to my feet which relieves the buzzing temporarily so that I can at times get some sleep.
Hi! I about 1/2 hr ago first time ever at age 63 experienced strange vibrations, constant, in both feet. I was watching a documentary that had some low frequency sounds and deep voiced people being interviewed and thought it was transmitting through the sub woofer speaker I have on the floor about 3 feet away yet I turned the volume off and still felt it. Living in a concrete structured 9 story high rise, I then thought maybe it was the boiler in the building’s basement over stressed as we’ve had serious plumbing problems in this old building. I then rested my feet (legs) up off the floor, at that moment I knew it was something very unusual, systemic. I did a word search and very glad to find this website! I have a ruptured L5/S1 disk, the last disk just above my hip vertebra (sacral) since 1985. About 2 months ago I was prescribed B12 by a dietitian. She didn’t say why, yet I knew B vitamins are important. I took them sub-lingual for a while then let it go as I kept forgetting to buy it while shopping. This is a very strange sensation. I thought a couple of times about 9 months ago I had precursor to something like restless legs syndrome. Now thanks to this site I will contact the doctor and see about being seen sooner than my October appointment. I’m overweight and fringe on type 2 diabetes yet not extremely. Maybe this is a warning that type 2 diabetes is encroaching further in my life. Any input would be appreciated. I just dissolved a B12 pill of the 2 left in my 50 pill bottle left from over a couple months ago. I don’t feel any difference taking a 1000 mcg pill. I was prescribed 1000 every other day or 1/2 pill every day under the tongue, but forgot why the dietitian wanted this. Is it very unusual to have sudden onset with this sensation of vibration in my feet? It’s a very strange phenomenon as I know almost to within 15 minutes when it started very first time ever, almost as though a switch was turned on. It’s very strange and never heard of this before. The vibrations are also increasing now in last 10 minutes while typing this. To what degree do some of the others feel this? Right now it’s 2 times a strong as a half an hour ago. My best to you all! Thanks for sharing! Mike