Foot Orgasm Syndrome - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Introduction

Foot orgasmic syndrome involves experiencing an orgasmic or sexual excitement on stimulating the foot. The foot orgasmic syndrome, however, may not be a pleasurable activity for the person suffering from it. The condition may not seem serious to most people, but those who suffer from this condition bear the consequences that result in severe embarrassment and shame. Doctors first reported this condition in a woman who showed signs and symptoms of foot orgasmic syndrome. However, not enough patients suffer from this condition to understand the prevalence of foot orgasmic syndrome.

What Is Foot Orgasmic Syndrome?

Foot orgasm syndrome is a condition in which one may experience sensations similar to those experienced during sexual activity on stimulating the foot. This condition is very rare and has no gender prevalence. FOS (foot orgasmic syndrome) is caused by an abnormal nerve sensation when the person or another touches their foot. The person experiencing orgasmic sensations may or may not be sexually aroused during the event. This condition can be frustrating and annoying as stimulation of the foot can also happen in normal daily activities.

What Are the Causes of Foot Orgasmic Syndrome?

• Some doctors believe foot orgasmic syndrome occurs due to a signal mixup in the brain. This hypothesis is based on the fact that the nerves of the foot and vagina enter the spinal cord at the same level. Hence, it is also thought that the brain is unable to differentiate between the two regions and consider the sensations of both identical.

• Some researchers believe foot orgasmic syndrome is caused by partial nerve regeneration (axonotmesis), after which information from a small reinnervated skin area on the left foot and somatic and autonomic information from the vagina on at least S1 spinal level is misinterpreted by the brain as the information is being only originating from the vagina. In simple terms, the brain misinterprets the nerve sensations received from the vagina and those received from the foot sensations.

• Some research studies also believe it to be a chemical imbalance in the brain that is the cause of foot orgasmic syndrome. However, studies are not very conclusive of the same. Further studies need to be done to conclude if chemical imbalances in the brain could cause foot orgasmic syndrome.

• While investigating a patient for foot orgasmic syndrome, some doctors also found the nerves of the affected foot to be damaged. They believed damaged nerves could send wrong signals to the brain that got mixed up and thought that information that came from the left foot actually came from the vagina.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Foot Orgasmic Syndrome?

• The person may experience single or several orgasms a day triggered by foot stimulation.

• Orgasms may differ in frequency and intensity depending on the degree of stimulation of the foot.

• The stimulation can be either in the form of light touching, tickling the skin of the foot, or pressing certain areas on foot.

• The orgasmic events may occur from a single event to multiple events ranging from five to seven orgasmic events in a single day. The increased orgasmic frequency could be equally frustrating for the patient.

• Foot orgasmic syndrome can affect the right foot, left foot, or even both.

• The areas of the foot involved may be the toes, the upper surface of the foot (dorsal surface of the foot), the arch of the foot, the heels, the sole, or even the ankle.

• The person may or may not be sexually aroused upon experiencing the orgasmic sensations.

• The person may experience sexual urges and involve in sexual activities.

• Signs of depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders.

• Feeling of shame and embarrassment.

• Frustration and irritability.

How Is Foot Orgasmic Syndrome Diagnosed?

Foot orgasmic syndrome is usually diagnosed based on a combination of the patient's symptoms, clinical signs, and a few investigations:

• A qualified medical doctor also performs a physical examination of the patient.

• Along with the clinical signs and symptoms, a detailed medical history of the patient is noted to consider mental health issues.

• Investigations include checking the signs and symptoms of the patient on physical stimulation of the foot.

• Certain specific areas of the foot may be further repeatedly stimulated to find out the exact areas that show exaggeration of the symptoms.

• Investigations include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to find out if there are any structural abnormalities present in the brain.

• MRI scans also show the electrical activities of the involved muscles and electrical stimulation of the nerves transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).

• The foot orgasmic syndrome is confirmed when the TENS shows results (sensations traveling from the foot to the vagina and from the vagina to the foot) of the person receiving an orgasmic sensation on stimulating the foot.

• Along with the clinical signs and symptoms, a detailed medical history of the patient is noted to take mental health issues into consideration. Signs of depression and anxiety may also support the diagnosis in some cases.

How Is Foot Orgasmic Syndrome Treated?

Since foot orgasmic syndrome is rare, not many treatment options are available. The treatment for foot orgasmic syndrome includes injecting anesthesia into the part of the spine where the nerves of the foot enter the spinal cord (S1 dorsal root ganglion). Injecting anesthesia reduces or eliminates the orgasmic sensations received from the foot. Doctors may repeat this procedure a few times if the sensations persist or reoccur after a few days. Blocking of the left S1 dorsal root ganglion reduced the symptoms of FOS.

Conclusion

In conclusion, foot orgasm syndrome is not considered a disorder but rather a condition. It is also not considered a sexual or paraphilic disorder. Though it may not be a commonly known phenomenon, doctors find foot orgasmic syndrome interesting. Most people are not aware of the existence of this syndrome and the treatments for it. Seeking the proper treatment at the right time can also save a person from the frustration it brings. One should not hesitate to seek treatment and speak about their concerns with a qualified doctor, as it will only save the person from worsening symptoms.