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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Have Pain In The Leg Along With Coldness Feeling. Had A Injury Earlier. What Could The Coldness Be A Sign Of?

My friend injured her leg the other day, it seemed shallow (like a deep skinning, how you would "skin" your knee. a scrape). Parts of the injury were white immediately (under layers of skin, I believe) and it was cleaned well. Now the injury is feeling cold, and she seems to be in a lot of pain. What could the coldness be a sign of? She was doing well until today, this is the third day.
posted on Fri, 7 Jun 2013
Twitter Fri, 7 Jun 2013 Answered on
Twitter Sat, 8 Jun 2013 Last reviewed on
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hi and thanks for the query,

The feeling on cold would depend on the type of initial therapy she received, the ambiant temperature and simple changes in sensations. Some other person needs to touch different parts of the body to actually ensure that this feeling of cold is objective.

However, feeling cold could simply mean there is a reduction of blood flow to the periphery. This is caused by contraction of arteries, a normal physiological response. It would have been more disturbing if other signs and symptoms like lack of sensation or uncontrolled bleeding were associated. But if the sensation is still ok, normal muscle function and she feels pain, it means a normal state of nerve function.

I do not think she needs to panic now. Taking her medications, analgesics and antibiotics if needed should be sufficient. Persistence or aggravation of the pain after a few days would compel her to seek a reevaluation from her primary care physician.

Thanks and best regards,
Luchuo, MD.
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Have Pain In The Leg Along With Coldness Feeling. Had A Injury Earlier. What Could The Coldness Be A Sign Of?

Hi and thanks for the query, The feeling on cold would depend on the type of initial therapy she received, the ambiant temperature and simple changes in sensations. Some other person needs to touch different parts of the body to actually ensure that this feeling of cold is objective. However, feeling cold could simply mean there is a reduction of blood flow to the periphery. This is caused by contraction of arteries, a normal physiological response. It would have been more disturbing if other signs and symptoms like lack of sensation or uncontrolled bleeding were associated. But if the sensation is still ok, normal muscle function and she feels pain, it means a normal state of nerve function. I do not think she needs to panic now. Taking her medications, analgesics and antibiotics if needed should be sufficient. Persistence or aggravation of the pain after a few days would compel her to seek a reevaluation from her primary care physician. Thanks and best regards, Luchuo, MD.