Have you ever felt a tingling sensation in your legs in the hours after a run? I was plagued with this a few months ago and did some research on it to find out what that was about.

After runs, especially if I had my feet up, I noticed that my legs felt like there was electricity running through them. It was a weird sensation!

Tingling legs, or that pins and needles feeling, can be annoying as heck and if I was sitting or lying down it was all I could think about!

At first I didn’t associate it with running, since it never happened before.

Once it happened for about the third time, I realized it was happening on days that I ran.

So I looked into it, and what it may have to do with running.

I realized it was probably a nerve issue. Numbness and tingling almost always is according to Joe Uhan, a physical therapist, running coach and writer for the website I Run Far.

There is an article on the site that lists the 6 signs that a running injury is nerve pain.

Causes of Tingling Legs

In older runners, because of aging and the different diseases and changes in the body that go with it, we are more susceptible to this tingling feeling…though runners of all ages can experience it, since damage can occur for a number of reasons.

A common reason a runner may be causing nerve damage without realizing it, are the things we do when we run that restrict the blood flow to the various nerves.

Our running form can be an issue, if we are clenching any parts (like fists) and we don’t correct that. Check yourself on your runs and see if you are clenching parts of your body and try to relax them. Being mindful of this every once in a while on a run can help us train ourselves to have better form.

We can also restrict flow by wearing too tight shoes. I’ve gone from wearing the same size as my regular shoes when I first started running (and ended up with black toenails that then fell off), to wearing shoes a half size bigger…but still got blisters.

Now my shoes are a full size bigger and I have no blister issues. I have had occurrences of pain on the top middle of my foot, which was alleviated by not tying my shoes so tightly.

You obviously want your shoes to stay firmly on your foot, especially in your heel area, but don’t tie them so tight that it restricts blood flow. Your toes should also have room to move, which is why I wear the wide versions of my running shoes.

When you are running, if the top of the foot is starting to hurt, stop and re-tie your shoes less tightly. I thought I had a stress fracture when this happened to me, but I was tying my shoes so tight my foot was straining against the laces.

If you over-pronate, your gait may be contributing to nerve entrapment. This occurs when the nerves become compressed.

Overpronation is when your foot rolls inward as you run. If you are having foot issues, you should see a podiatrist and tell them you run. They will help you find inserts or give you advice on shoes to help correct that.

What to Do??

Nerve pain can also feel like a muscle strain or other injury, so if you are rehabbing or resting an area and finding that it isn’t working, the pain may be due to nerve damage and not what you originally thought it was. If that is happening to you, get that checked out so you don’t do more damage.

As with anything of this nature, your doctor or PT is the best person to talk to. They will be able to recommend the best course of action to make sure you are running safely.

Whenever you see a medical professional, it is a good idea to tell them you are a runner.

If you deal with tingling, pins and needles or numbness don’t just run through it and hope it goes away. Nerves are sensitive and can cause all kinds of issues in all areas of the body, not just where they are being hurt so check this out with a doctor.

Also, if this has been a chronic issue for you, you will want to investigate with them whether there is an underlying issue that doesn’t have to do with your running.