Pain in leg and numbness in foot

Pain in leg and numbness in foot

If you’ve ever stayed in the same position for too long and had your leg or feet erupt in pins and needles when you stood up then you know how uncomfortable it can be. While situations like this aren’t uncommon and have no lasting risk, if you’re experiencing ongoing numbness in your legs or feet there could be a serious problem. In cases like this, there is often a condition like fibromyalgia, diabetes, herniated discs or other conditions leading to these symptoms. If you’ve been experiencing conditions like this and wonder if you need to see a specialist, this article may shed some light.

What Causes Leg and Foot Numbness?

While we’ve mentioned a few things that can be responsible for numbness in your feet and legs on a temporary basis, we’re going to explore some that can lead to ongoing conditions of this type. First, we’d like to introduce you to a term, transient paresthesia. This is the clinical term for temporary numbness in the feet and legs such as that caused by sitting in the same position too long.

Longer-term experiences can come from a condition such as diabetic neuropathy, a direct result of damage to the nerves caused by diabetes. The symptoms that patients with this condition experience include tingling, pain, and numbness in the feet. Severe cases of this condition can cause these symptoms to extend to the feet.

Sciatica is another condition that can cause these kinds of symptoms. This nerve runs through the legs from the lower back and produces numbness and tingling when it becomes compressed or irritated. Sciatica has many causes but can be treatable.

Another potential cause of these symptoms is Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome, a condition that results from the nerve that runs along the side of the ankle and down the backside of the leg becoming squeezed, compressed, or damaged. The term refers to the narrow space this nerve travels on the inside of the ankle.

Peripheral artery disease or PAD is another potential cause of these symptoms when the arteries it’s named for narrow and reduce the amount of blood flow available to the lower extremities. Cramping in the hips and legs is common in these patients when ascending stairs or walking. A few moments of rest will usually relieve these symptoms.

Alcohol use is another source of these symptoms when consumption is taken to excess. The toxins that naturally occur in alcohol can attack the nerves in the feet and legs resulting in damage that causes numbness.

If you are experiencing symptoms like these and want to begin the process of trying to relieve or at least identify their cause it’s time to make an appointment with a specialist. If you live in the Chalfont, PA area you can call Delaware Valley & Spine and make an appointment with Todd Bromberg. They’ve been helping patients like you tackle nerve and spine concerns with expert care. With the proper treatment, the symptoms can be relieved or eliminated, allowing you to live a fuller life.

Home Services Foot Numbness

Foot Numbness – Symptoms, Causes & Treatments

Foot numbness, also known as peripheral neuropathy, is a problem that we see very often as foot and ankle specialists. Numbness may occur in the bottom of the feet, top of the feet, the toes or the legs. There are many causes for numbness in the legs, feet and toes. Foot numbness may be painful, but in some cases, it may present only as an annoying sensation or absence of sensation. The most common causes of numbness in the legs, feet and toes as well as treatment for numbness in the feet will be described below.

Symptoms of Foot Numbness

Patients with peripheral neuropathy, or foot numbness, may describe the sensation as a feeling of leather or cardboard on the bottom of their feet. Some compare the foot numbness to the tingling and swollen sensation we feel after a Novocaine injection during a dental procedure. Others complain of burning, extreme tightness, itching, crawling, weakness, cramping or freezing sensations combined with numbness in the legs, feet and toes. All of these complaints may suggest peripheral neuropathy and warrant further evaluation by your foot and ankle specialist, such as sensation testing in the physical exam, nerve conduction studies, nerve fiber density testing or quantitative sensory testing.

Causes of Foot Numbness

The most common cause of peripheral neuropathy or foot numbness in the US is diabetes. Other things such as thyroid disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, alcohol use, chemotherapy and other drugs may cause it as well. In addition, nerve entrapment at the level of the spinal cord may result in numbness in the legs, feet or toes.

Trauma or entrapment to the peripheral nerves beyond the level of the spine may also result in foot numbness. For instance, common peroneal nerve entrapment results in numbness, pain or weakness on the leg or ankle, or numbness in the top of the foot. Superficial peroneal nerve entrapment causes numbness only on the top of the foot and toes. Deep peroneal nerve entrapment causes numbness only in the toes. Tarsal tunnel syndrome, or posterior tibial nerve entrapment, causes numbness or pain in the bottom of the foot.

Pain in leg and numbness in foot

Treatment for Foot Numbness

Numbness in the feet, whether it be in the legs, top or bottom of the foot, or the toes, may be treated with certain types of physical therapy, such as anodyne therapy. In diabetics, better control of their glucose levels may diminish the sensation of numbness in the feet and legs.  Supplementation of B vitamins may also result in improvement in foot numbness, as well as alpha lipoic acid. If nerve entrapment is known to be the cause of the numbness in the foot, legs or toes, then surgical decompression of the nerve either at the spinal cord level or in the leg or foot itself may provide relief.

FOOT NUMBNESS

There are many causes for foot numbness. Treatment options are available and are based on the underlying cause. One should see a foot and ankle specialist if they experience numbness in the feet, legs or toes.

Request An Appointment

When should I worry about foot numbness?

Make an appointment to see your doctor if the numbness in your foot is causing you to trip or fall frequently. You should also see your doctor if the numbness in your foot is getting worse. If you have diabetes, make an appointment to see your doctor or podiatrist for foot numbness.
10 Signs You May Be Suffering from Nerve Pain.
Numbness or tingling in feet and hands..
Loss of balance and falling..
Throbbing and sharp pain..
Extreme sensitivity to touch..
Dropping things with your hands..
Muscle weakness..
Heavy feeling in arms and legs..
Dramatic drop in blood pressure..

What causes numbness in one foot?

The most common cause of peripheral neuropathy or foot numbness in the US is diabetes. Other things such as thyroid disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, alcohol use, chemotherapy and other drugs may cause it as well.

What does neuropathic leg pain feel like?

People with peripheral neuropathy generally describe the pain as stabbing, burning or tingling. In many cases, symptoms improve, especially if caused by a treatable condition. Medications can reduce the pain of peripheral neuropathy.