Have you heard of Lego-walking? If you have ever inadvertently stepped on one of these little plastic building blocks while barefoot, you know how painful it can be. Well, individuals compete in distance barefoot Lego-walking – they choose to experience all that pain!
The current record-holder is Salacnib “Sonny” Molina, who last year set up a 19-meter U-shaped course filled with Lego bricks. Molina smashed the old record and walked for 2 hours for a total of 200-course laps and more than 3,800 meters.
Why Is Lego-Walking So Painful?
Each foot has more than 7,000 nerve endings to help us feel pain and alert us to possible damage. It is part of the reason why Lego-walking is so painful.
But we’ve all seen videos of people who have walked on fires or broken glass. How can this be tolerated? Typically, the fires burn to just embers where ash accumulates on the surface. It cools the fire somewhat, but temperatures can still hover around 1,000 degrees. For broken glass walking, the pieces of glass are small and smoothed down, so the walker’s weight is more evenly distributed.
But Legos are hard and durable little bricks, designed to withstand years of abuse and pressure. So when you step on a Lego, the force has nowhere to go except back into the sole of your sensitive foot. Stepping on many Legos can help distribute the pressure, but they never flatten out!
Neuropathy Can Mask Foot Pain and Damage
Neuropathy, or nerve damage, is a common complication of diabetes. This type of nerve damage may cause tingling, pain, and often numbness and loss of sensation, especially in the feet.
An individual with neuropathy may not even realize that they have stepped on a Lego or any other small, sharp object. The foot becomes damaged, and unless the patient frequently inspects his or her feet, the wound can worsen into an ulcer. If poor circulation blocks healing blood from the site, the ulcer can worsen without any symptoms.
At our practice, we use state-of-the-art treatments called Neurogenx to reduce painful neuropathy symptoms and stimulate the damaged nerve.
If you have diabetes, please visit us regularly – at least every 6 months – for a complete foot exam. Meanwhile, avoid any Lego, fire, or glass walking challenges!
We Can Help with Foot and Ankle Pain
If you have any problems with your toenails, or neuropathy or any foot problem like heel pain or plantar fasciitis, discomfort from arthritis, an injury, or just from overuse, please call Michele Kurlanski, DPM at Lighthouse Foot and Ankle Center. Dr. Kurlanski offers expert and professional podiatry services in Cumberland County, Maine. Please call us today at 207-774-0028 to schedule your appointment in our Scarborough office.