Foot falls asleep

When I am running or on the cross trainer, about 25/30 minutes into it the right foot starts to fall a sleep and i get pins and needles. Anything I can do about it and why does it happen only on that foot?

That seems to merit a visit to your physician.

Think about it: the symptoms are neurological, and even thought most of the time we attribute such symptoms to circulatory problems that we can easily correct, the fact that you get this while running when you circulation is unlikely to be restricted makes this seem like something else -- a doctor needs to help you with this.

Tight shoes, cramped positions, even just lack of movement all seem unlikely as causes given your report.

Go find out what the doc says.

If it is nothing you can relax, or take simple steps to fix the problem -- if it is something else the sooner you get it treated the better things go.


--
HerbM

Sounds like an impinged sciatic nerve. Probably By your piriformis muscle

http://www.chiro.cc/health_images/piriformis.gif

You probably have a misalignment at the hip joint. It will only be your right foot because bad posture is rarely symmetrical! ;)

there's a large nerve that comes from your spinal column, through your pelvis and down your hip/rest of your leg, if it's getting crushed by a bone/muscle/tendon it's bound to cause problems.

A similar thing can happen in a nerve that goes through your subcramonial space (inner shoulder) if your shoulders are in a bad position it gets nipped and you'll get pins and needles/other neurological symptoms in your arm and hands.

Seeing as it happens during running etc it's probably down to incorrect technique or an imbalance. I'd go an see somebody to assess your posture and correct it.

Some basic glute/hip flexor/hamstring ( lower complex :)) stretches might help.
Particularly the Piriformis stretch, as it is that hip muscle in particular that usually causes sciatica or Piriformis syndrome, the sciatic nerve sometimes runs over it, sometimes over it and sometimes through it depending on genetics so if it's tight, inflamed or out of place it's bound to cause bother.

Unlikely, but food for thought: it could be a magnesium/calcium/other mineral deficiency, but it's probably piriformis syndrome, it's pretty common.

Here's a stretch you could try.

Hold them for about 30 seconds and don't over stretch, you should feel a warm stretch but it shouldn't be eye wateringly painful mentally exhausting to hold for 30 seconds

I'd have a short walk/jump about for a few minutes too first, think of your muscles like bluetac... if you got bluetac when it's cold and pull it out, it'll snap almost straight away... but if you get that blutac and rub it in your hands for a few minutes so it's warm and subtle it will stretch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfP0QssgdXs

different demo of the same stetch, for clarity :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IEa9oM5Igw

A lot of the Time its the swelling of the Glutes brought on by tight Hamstrings as Adam says its pretty common, bad Hip alinement. Stretch the full line of muscles that work the movement, not forgetting the top of the Achcillies, common for having a knot or two.

Thanks that does make sense my left leg is weaker after an operation that i had nearly 2 years ago but still have not been able to get it to full strength and I think that is why the right foot falls a sleep because of the extra pressure.

Master, heres one for you. Find some stairs without carpet, put both feet on the bottom step. Put your Hands on the 4th or 5th step arms straight as the back should be at 90% to the feet. Now drop the Heel on one foot while lifting the Heel on the other with pressure, for 10 secs. Then keep alternating the motion 10 times. You will feel it doing you a world of good ;D. Oh while doing it the arse shouldnt move.