The REAL Reason Your Feet Go Numb After 60 (It’s Not Your Feet)

Your feet may be the last place the problem started. Numbness, tingling, or burning in your feet after 60 is often written off as age, bad shoes, or diabetes. In this video, we look at a cause that's common, easy to test for, and frequently missed. Your longest nerves run all the way to your toes, and they're the first to suffer when the coating that protects them runs short. That coating depends on vitamin B12, and getting B12 out of food becomes harder with age. We walk through why, and how two of the most widely used medicines, metformin and acid reducers, can quietly lower B12 over the years. You'll also learn why you should never stop either one on your own, and the exact sentence to say at your next appointment. You'll also learn the Ipswich Touch Test, a six-toe check a family member can do on your feet tonight with one fingertip, plus a simple daily foot routine that helps protect you from unnoticed injuries and falls. This video is for anyone over 60 with numb or tingling feet, anyone taking metformin or a daily acid reducer, and the people who look after them. Tell me in the comments: numb, tingling, or burning, and for how long? I read every one. Subscribe to Chalk Talk Health for a new look at what your body is telling you, every week. 📚 Scientific sources: These are the studies and references behind today's video: Hicks CW, Wang D, Windham BG, Matsushita K, Selvin E, et al. (2021). Prevalence of peripheral neuropathy defined by monofilament insensitivity in middle-aged and older adults in two US cohorts. Scientific Reports, 11, 19159. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-98... Richardson JK, Ching C, Hurvitz EA (1992). The relationship between electromyographically documented peripheral neuropathy and falls. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 40(10), 1008–1012. https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstr... National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B12: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Vit... Rayman G, Vas PR, Baker N, Taylor CG Jr, Gooday C, Alder AI, Donohoe M (2011). The Ipswich Touch Test: a simple and novel method to identify inpatients with diabetes at risk of foot ulceration. Diabetes Care, 34(7). https://geriatrictoolkit.missouri.edu... The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust. The Ipswich Touch Test: screening for neuropathy at home (Quality in Care Diabetes, 2012). https://qualityincare.org/case_studie... Aroda VR, Edelstein SL, Goldberg RB, et al. (2016). Long-term metformin use and vitamin B12 deficiency in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2015-3754 Lam JR, Schneider JL, Zhao W, Corley DA (2013). Proton pump inhibitor and histamine 2 receptor antagonist use and vitamin B12 deficiency. JAMA, 310(22). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24327... American Diabetes Association. Standards of Care in Diabetes (recommendation on periodic vitamin B12 measurement in people taking metformin). #PeripheralNeuropathy #VitaminB12 #HealthyAging This video is for educational and informational purposes only. I am not a doctor, and the information shared here is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about your health. Chapters: 0:00 Your feet are the messenger 0:18 Why the longest nerves fail first 2:19 How common numb feet are after 70 3:33 Warning signs that shouldn't wait 5:04 Vitamin B12 and the four-step relay 7:34 The Ipswich Touch Test 8:51 Douglas's story 11:11 Two common medicines that lower B12 14:31 What to expect and when 15:44 Your step-by-step plan