Leg numbness could be attributable to a spread of frequent and uncommon well being situations, from diabetes to spinal deformities. These situations could also be associated to nerves or circulation, or one thing else like an harm or life-style components.
Nerve-Associated Causes
The next nervous system situations are frequent causes of leg numbness:
Peripheral neuropathy
Herniated disc
“Most likely the most typical reason for leg numbness is peripheral neuropathy,” says Ram Alluri, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Keck Drugs of the College of Southern California in Los Angeles. Usually, this presents as numbness and different sensations, like burning or tingling, beneath the knee down by means of the foot, Dr. Alluri says. Peripheral neuropathy is attributable to injury to small nerves, usually as a result of diabetes. It could possibly additionally happen as a result of different well being situations, chemotherapy remedies, or extreme alcohol consumption.
“With tingling and numbness beneath the knees, it will possibly counsel diabetes,” particularly if somebody hasn’t been to the physician in years, says Lukasz Jaros, MD, a household drugs doctor at Northwestern Drugs in Chicago. In that case, Dr. Jaros says, he’ll order an A1C check to test for diabetes.
“As a backbone surgeon, the most typical cause I see leg numbness is a herniated disc,” says Alluri. This happens when a part of a disc in your backbone, which acts as a cushion between bones, pushes out and presses in opposition to your spinal nerves. This will additionally trigger leg ache when it impacts sure nerves.
One other potential reason for leg numbness — together with ache — is sciatica, wherein sure nerves working out of your decrease again to your legs turn into compressed or irritated.
Sciatica ache usually looks like burning or an electrical shock, and tends to turn into extra frequent over time, says Jaros.
A uncommon however critical reason for leg numbness generally is a tumor, an infection, or different abnormality that presses on nerves within the spinal twine itself. This can be the case when somebody has ache taking pictures down each legs. “We’d probably be sending them to the emergency room for imaging and probably a neurosurgical intervention” to forestall everlasting spinal nerve injury, says Jaros.
Circulatory Causes
The next blood vessel situations may cause leg numbness:
Peripheral arterial illness (PAD)
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a sort of blood clot
Decreased blood circulation from peripheral arterial illness could make your leg really feel numb or heavy, says Alluri. Usually, he says, a blood clot in your leg will trigger redness and a heat or sizzling sensation, however it will possibly additionally trigger numbness in some folks.
Systemic Well being Circumstances
Some comparatively uncommon causes of leg numbness embrace the next situations:
A number of sclerosis (MS)
Vitamin deficiencies, particularly vitamin B12
Usually, leg numbness in a number of sclerosis can be a part of a spread of signs, and would require specialised prognosis and therapy. A vitamin B12 deficiency could be a lot simpler to acknowledge and diagnose, usually utilizing a easy blood check.
Harm and Bodily Elements
Sure different bodily points may cause leg numbness, particularly:
Peripheral nerve compression
Harm or trauma
Positional nerve compression
Peripheral nerve compression happens when a construction presses in opposition to a nerve beneath your backbone, corresponding to in your knee or ankle. This may increasingly happen as a result of arthritis, bone spurs, or one thing else. Any harm that causes nerve injury in your legs or toes may also trigger numbness.
Generally, the positioning of your physique — corresponding to crossing your legs a sure approach — can compress nerves and trigger momentary numbness. In that case, sensation ought to return inside a couple of minutes of adjusting your place. “If it occurs a couple of times, it’s often not one thing that must be handled,” says Jaros.
Sure Medicines
Some medicines might trigger numbness in your legs or arms by damaging small nerves. These medicine can embrace:
Coronary heart and blood stress medicine
Most cancers or chemotherapy medicine
Sure infection-fighting medicine
Seizure remedies
HIV/AIDS remedies
Different poisonous substances which will trigger numbness embrace:
