Numbness in legs | Numbness in legs and feet | Feeling numbness in legs

What causes numbness in legs?

Numbness in legs

Who has not experienced a little numbness or tingling in the legs from time to time? Perhaps it felt more like pins and needles after sitting the wrong way or fatigue after standing too long.

Usually you walk, you shake it, it's not a big deal. But sometimes the numbness in the legs can be due to a more pressing health problem.

A numb leg is most likely not a big deal. But you want to get to the bottom of that numbness so you can fix it. "The vast majority of numbness and tingling we see turns out not to be a concern," says Anthony Geraci, MD, director of the Neuromuscular Center at the Institute for Neuroscience at Northwell Health in Manhasset, New York.

These are some of the things that can mean numbness and tingling in the legs.

Pinched nerve

A compressed nerve, also called a compressed or compressed nerve, is exactly what it sounds like: Some of the structures around the nerve, such as muscles, tendons, tissues, and bones, pinch the nerve and cause different sensations.

This is one of the most common reasons for leg numbness, and any number of things can cause it, including injury.

Herniated disc

A herniated disc is one of the most common reasons for a pinched nerve.

Think of your spine as a series of bones connected by discs. Think of discs as jelly donuts. If the gelatin is squeezed, you have what is called a herniated, slipped, or ruptured disc. "If that jelly is squeezed back, it can press on a nerve and cause numbness and tingling," explains Frese.

The smallest wrong movement can send a disk out of control, he adds. “We see this in many people who lean too much. Leaning forward has a tendency to push gelatin back. ” Lifting something while leaning forward in that position is particularly risky, she says.

Diabetes

When blood sugar is not controlled for long periods of time in people with diabetes, sugar can build up and damage the nerves that carry messages between the brain.

Peripheral arterial disease

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) occurs when narrow arteries reduce blood flow to the arms and especially to the legs. In addition to numbness and tingling, PAD can also make walking painful.

Tumors

In rare cases, a tumor may be growing in a way that presses on a nerve, causing numbness and tingling in the legs.

If it's cancerous, treatment may include chemotherapy, which is also known to cause peripheral neuropathy in some people.


While your numbness is unlikely to be caused by cancer, talk about your symptoms with your doctor. "If you have numbness and tingling that doesn't go away, you need to be seen," says Frese. Many less serious causes of numbness in the legs can even be solved.