Numbness in the legs is a fairly common symptom, especially among middle-aged and older people. The central cause of discomfort in the legs, or hypoesthesia, is insufficient blood supply to the lower extremities . Numbness is accompanied by loss of sensation, burning, tingling and tightening of the skin.
If numbness in the legs is a rare occurrence and occurs for physiological reasons, then there is no need to worry, especially since it goes away quickly. However, it is worth focusing your attention on regular hypoesthesia without visible signs and consulting a doctor.
The situation can be quite dangerous if the feeling of numbness in the legs is accompanied by impaired coordination of movements , distorted perception of temperature, vision problems and other negative symptoms.
Numbness of the legs is a normal physiological condition if it occurs as a response to an uncomfortable position while sleeping or sitting (the so-called sit-out situation).
After changing the position, especially if you swing the limb in different directions, the unpleasant sensations go away.
Loss of sensation in the legs sometimes occurs during pregnancy . This is due to an increase in the volume of fluid and blood in the body of the expectant mother.
The heart functions “for two people” and does not always cope completely; Thus, blood circulation is temporarily disrupted. But if numbness occurs infrequently, then there is nothing to worry about.
A symptom such as numbness in the legs indicates illness if it is accompanied by a visible change in the skin tone of the limb, dizziness, pain, poor health and fatigue. In general, there can be many reasons for numbness, but the main ones are:
The most common causes of constant numbness in the legs and feet are intervertebral hernias and osteochondrosis - that is, diseases not directly related to the lower extremities. The legs also begin to go numb with any degenerative changes in the structure of the spine.
The second most common cause of numbness in the legs is damage to the central nervous system due to infections, accumulation of toxins, or failure of metabolic processes. Such diseases include polyneuritis and neuropathy - destructive changes in the structure of nerve fibers .
Not a temporary, but a permanent circulatory disorder occurs if numbness of the legs occurs daily and is accompanied by a complete loss of sensitivity. There are also a lot of similar diseases, affecting veins or arteries, and not only.
Numbness in the legs is about equally likely to be a symptom of thrombosis, obliterating endarteritis, arthritis, arthrosis or Raynaud's syndrome. It is also possible that the functioning of the heart is impaired because it does not have time to pump blood in time.
Attacks of loss of sensation in the lower extremities that last more than 3-4 minutes require a visit to a neurologist . There are several effective methods for examining leg numbness to help identify its root cause. These include:
For a complete and accurate diagnosis, these studies are not always sufficient. In this case, the neurologist refers the patient to other specialized specialists, for example, to a traumatologist.
If you have numbness in your legs, you should immediately go to a specialist for examination if this, at first glance, harmless symptom brings with it such negative manifestations as loss of normal speech, inability to move your toes, involuntary “going to the toilet” in an inappropriate place, or very severe weakness. Most likely, dangerous diseases are already at a progressive stage.
Of course, therapy for numbness in the legs is always aimed at eliminating the found cause of this phenomenon and is prescribed only by a doctor on an individual basis. But some methods aimed at improving blood circulation in the lower extremities will, in any case, become an effective addition to complex treatment .
Thus, people suffering from numbness in their legs are recommended to take long walks, jogging, and aerobics. However, you shouldn’t overexert yourself, especially if there are medical warnings.
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Weakened vessels can be strengthened using the Nishi method . There is a simple exercise that anyone can do: lie on your back and place a cushion under your neck. Raise all four limbs up and shake them vigorously for several minutes.
Smoking also provokes vasospasm and a decrease in blood circulation. Therefore, in order for the treatment to be successful and for there to be no relapses of hypoesthesia, you need to overcome this bad habit.