Yoga can have many beneficial effects that extend beyond the time spent on your yoga mat. The Mayo Clinic advises that yoga can reduce stress, increase flexibility and provide a host of other pleasant effects. Unfortunately, yoga can have adverse effects as well. Sore muscles abound for beginners and some people report a tingling in their feet after practice as well.
Short-Term Tingling Causes
If your yoga session involved several inverted postures or postures where you were bending forward or sitting on your feet, the tingling could simply be a matter of blocked circulation; your feet should return to normal quickly. This sort of foot tingling is usually not a symptom of an underlying issue. According to The Boston Globe, when the feet have too much pressure put on them, the nerves can become unreliable and send incorrect messages to the brain.
Injury and Nerve Damage
You may have an injury in your feet and not even know it. You don't have to have broken a foot, ankle or toe for your tingling to be nerve damage-related. If you have been in a car accident, taken a fall or endured a sports injury, ask your doctor to test for nerve damage. Those who perform repetitive motions with their feet are at risk as well. If you use a sewing machine with a floor pedal or play the piano or organ, you may have a repetitive motion injury in your foot. Wearing a cast can also cause problems with your nerve endings because the extremity was held in an unmoving position for so long, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Diabetes
The regular occurrence of tingling in your feet after yoga, other exercise or normal daily activities can indicate more serious issues. According to the American Diabetes Association, loss of sensation in the feet is a regular sign of pre-diabetes and is present in more than half of sufferers. Diabetes causes blood vessels to harden, as does artery disease, which lessens the flow of blood to the feet. Since the feet are among the farthest places for the heart to pump blood to, this is one of the first localized feelings of tingling for many people.
Other Causes
Tingling feet can also be caused by many other factors. Alcoholism, a deficiency of B and E vitamins, infection, problems with the autoimmune system, and kidney and liver disease can cause a "pins and needles" feeling in the feet. Some medications for those with HIV or undergoing chemotherapy list tingling feet as a side effect. Exposure to environmental or dietary poisons could also cause nerve damage in the feet, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Medical Assistance
Yoga is a wonderful practice, but always listen to the signs your body gives you. Tingling feet can be indicative of a number of greater health issues that, if left untreated, could have serious complications. Don't hesitate to contact a physician to discuss the issue and figure out the reason for your tingling feet. Being in your best health will help you to perform well both in and out of the yoga studio.
