Most often, numbness occurs due to nerve compression, damage, or inflammation. Less commonly, numbness occurs due to problems in the brain or spinal cord. Usually, symptoms alone can help you suspect the cause of numbness.
If both limbs on one side are numb, then most likely the cause is a stroke, transient ischemic attack, brain tumor or multiple sclerosis.
With a stroke, there are other symptoms: facial asymmetry, speech impairment, numbness of the limbs, muscle weakness. If you experience any of the above symptoms, you should immediately call an ambulance.
In a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain for several minutes. This happens if the lumen is too narrow due to cholesterol plaques (atherosclerosis). Attacks occur regularly and are manifested by numbness of the arm, leg and/or face (mainly on one side), weakness, dizziness, double vision, and slow speech. The symptom complex depends on which vessel is affected.
Statistically, a third of people with a TIA will have a stroke, so such patients should definitely see a doctor to reduce their risks.
With multiple sclerosis, numbness of the face, limbs, and individual parts of the body is often the first symptom. Numbness can vary in strength, but sometimes it makes it significantly difficult to move an arm, leg, etc. There are no medications that can help cope with this condition. Despite the fact that the symptom may go away on its own, you should definitely seek help from a specialist as soon as possible.
If one lower limb or both goes numb, this may be a sign of cauda equina syndrome, herniated disc, or multiple sclerosis.
In cauda equina syndrome, all 18 nerves located in the lumbar spine are compressed. This may occur due to a hernia, inflammation, tumor, or stenosis (narrowing) of the spinal canal. The result is not only numbness in both legs, but also lower back pain, problems with urination, defecation, and erectile dysfunction.
Radiculitis associated with a hernia occurs due to the fact that the nucleus pulposus, which is located in the intervertebral disc, breaks out and compresses nearby nerve endings. With a hernia, not only numbness occurs, but also back pain and weakness in the limbs. Symptoms usually go away within 6–8 weeks. If this does not happen, the doctor may prescribe more aggressive treatment, including surgery.
With sciatica, most often only one leg goes numb. Sciatica, or lumbosacral radiculitis, is compression of the sciatic nerve, which also causes pain in the lower back. The cause of sciatica can be a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, piriformis syndrome (compression of the sciatic and gluteal nerves by the piriformis muscle), bone fractures and pelvic injuries, tumors. Usually, along with numbness, a person feels aching pain, tingling or burning. Treatment depends on the cause of sciatica.
If part of an arm or leg is numb, the cause may be a herniated disc, thoracic outlet syndrome, a tumor that presses on the nerve plexus, brachial plexitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and common peroneal nerve compression syndrome.
With carpal tunnel syndrome, the wrist or hand (thumb, index, middle, and part of the ring finger) becomes numb or painful. This usually happens to those who work a lot on the computer, knit, drive a car for a long time, etc. Why? The median nerve, which passes to the hand through a “tunnel” (carpal tunnel) of three bones and ligaments, is pinched. Compression of the median nerve below the elbow and above the wrist causes numbness not only in this area, but also around the hand at the base of the thumb. This happens if, for example, the tendon, which is located next to the median nerve, is irritated and therefore enlarged.
Swelling due to injury, fluid retention, pregnancy, and rheumatoid arthritis can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. But the condition usually develops in those whose carpal tunnel is initially narrower than most people's. If there is a need for pain relief, conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, naproxen) can be used. It is usually recommended to reduce the movements that provoke symptoms and apply a splint for a while. If the pain and/or numbness does not go away, surgery may be required.
With brachial plexitis, not only the shoulder, as the name implies, can become numb, but also the entire arm and hand. The mechanism of this disease is as follows: the brachial plexus, from which the nerves go to both arms, is compressed or damaged. Brachial plexitis can be a consequence of a lung tumor, radiation therapy, or birth trauma. Numbness is not its only symptom; often such patients have severe shoulder pain, the pain is replaced by weakness. Symptoms usually resolve with anti-inflammatory treatment with corticosteroids.
In common peroneal nerve compression syndrome, numbness or tingling is felt in the top of the foot or inner leg. The peroneal nerve is a branch of the sciatic nerve and supplies the toes, feet, and legs. A knee injury, a broken fibula, a tight shin cast, and even frequent crossing of the legs can lead to this syndrome. Treatment for numbness involves eliminating the cause. But sometimes a corticosteroid injection may be needed to reduce the swelling, and in some cases surgery is performed.
The cause of thoracic outlet syndrome is that the blood vessels and nerves between the collarbone and the first rib are compressed. As a result, the shoulder and neck hurt, and the fingers feel numb. This can happen due to a car accident, sports injury, or during pregnancy. The syndrome, fortunately, occurs rarely - in 1 person out of a million. Usually, taking painkillers is enough to control symptoms.
Severe calcium deficiency may cause numbness in the toes and hands, abnormal heart rhythm, and seizures. This is a fairly rare condition, the cause of which must be determined by a doctor.
Due to edema, tumors, injuries, etc. Other nerves in the arm may also be compressed, resulting in specific symptoms:
If the limbs on both sides are numb, then the spinal cord may be compressed due to a tumor, injury, hematoma, abscess (abscess), or it is a matter of peripheral polyneuropathy - damage to small peripheral nerves or disruption of their function. It is usually caused by certain medications, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, vitamin B12 deficiency, Lyme disease, or HIV infection. Most drugs that cause numbness include chemotherapy. As a rule, some time after the end of chemotherapy, sensitivity returns.
Diabetic neuropathy is a fairly common occurrence in patients with diabetes. The exact cause of the damage is unknown, but it is believed that metabolic disorders and destruction of small vessels occur, which leads to nerve damage. If numbness has already occurred, it is impossible to completely get rid of it. But the condition can improve if you monitor your blood sugar levels more closely. If the numbness is significant, then you need to follow the doctor’s recommendations to avoid injury to the limbs and subsequent complications.
Exactly how vitamin B12 deficiency disrupts the formation of myelin sheaths on nerves is unknown. But if this substance is not enough, then the legs, rather than the arms, often go numb. Also, a lack of vitamin B12 is accompanied by anemia and weakness. But numbness occurs only with a very serious deficiency. With treatment, symptoms go away within 3 months; in severe cases, recovery can take a year.
When chronic kidney disease worsens, uremia occurs—products of nitrogen metabolism and other toxic substances accumulate in the blood. This leads to peripheral nerve damage and numbness. This condition (uremic polyneuropathy) is an indication for dialysis or kidney transplantation.
Lyme disease and HIV infection can cause inflammation of some parts of the nervous system. With Lyme disease, numbness does not appear immediately, but already against the background of a flu-like state, from which the disease begins. Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics.
With HIV infection, numbness often occurs due to the fact that a weakened immune system allows the development of a cytomegalovirus infection, which affects the nerve fibers. Numbness usually occurs in people who are not taking antiretroviral therapy, which can greatly improve the condition of a person with HIV. Therefore, in order for the numbness to go away, you need to start specific treatment as early as possible.
Why is osteochondrosis not on this list? The fact is that this diagnosis is not known anywhere except in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Usually they blame him for everything that they cannot explain. Degenerative changes in the spine are normal for anyone over 40 years of age. Numbness has other, real causes that can often be dealt with. Therefore, if you are diagnosed with osteochondrosis, you should consult another specialist.
In case of numbness, you should consult a doctor immediately if:
If you have numbness, you should consult a doctor if:
Usually, with numbness, a neurological examination and history taking will provide the doctor with a lot of information, and only then can a preliminary diagnosis be made. But for a final decision, it is often necessary to do an x-ray, magnetic resonance imaging, electromyography or blood tests.
Of course, there is no universal way to get rid of numbness, regardless of the cause of this condition. You need to act based on what exactly triggered the numbness. For example, a set of exercises often helps with carpal tunnel syndrome. If numbness is associated with diabetes, then you can only more carefully monitor your blood sugar levels. Vitamin B12 deficiency is corrected with therapeutic doses of appropriate medications.
Why can't you ignore numbness? The fact is that a person can damage a numb part of the body and not notice it. Therefore, even if there are no additional serious symptoms indicating a stroke or other serious condition, it is still worth contacting a neurologist with numbness.
Numbness is a sensation that very often occurs on the skin of the legs or arms. It is characterized by tingling, burning, chilliness and tightness. If your arms and legs are numb, you need to find out the cause of this phenomenon and begin treatment, since such a symptom, for the most part, is a sign of various diseases.
Causes of numbness in hands and feet
Numbness of the limbs is a very unpleasant sensation that very often occurs when the nerves are pressed for a short time, mainly when a person takes an uncomfortable position. When you change position, it goes away literally within a few minutes. It does not help? Then why do my arms and legs go numb? Severe numbness can indicate various diseases of the arterial vessels. Such diseases can cause obliterating atherosclerosis, blood circulation disorders, stroke and other ailments, which can result in gangrene. Numbness of the limbs also occurs due to injury to various nerves with tunnel neuropathy, osteochondrosis and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Hands and feet often go numb if the body lacks vitamin B12. This vitamin takes part in the metabolic processes of nerve fibers, so its low content can lead to impaired sensitivity of the skin.
The hand may become numb due to carpal tunnel syndrome, which is caused by prolonged use of a computer mouse. As a rule, in this case, a feeling of numbness first occurs in the first, second or third finger of the hand, and then severe pain is felt.
The reason why a person’s arms and legs often go numb can also be:
There are cases when only the left arm and leg go numb. This is a sign of ischemic stroke of the inferior and vertebral cerebellar arteries. This disease may be accompanied by shallow rapid breathing and a state of fear or anxiety.
Treatment of numbness in hands and feet
If you find out why your arms and legs are numb, do not rush to see a doctor to find out how to treat this unpleasant sensation. Do you have diabetes, varicose veins, thrombophlebitis or limb injuries? You can eliminate numbness by using a tincture of pickled cucumbers and vodka.
Cut the cucumbers into strips and pour vodka. Add pepper to the mixture and place it in a dark place for 7 days. The finished infusion must be strained.
This product must be rubbed into the skin of the extremities that are numb.
At home, you can cleanse blood vessels and cure numbness using a mixture of honey, lemon, parsley roots and celery.
Pass all ingredients through a meat grinder. Mix the resulting mass with honey.
Take this medication in the morning, 10 g.
Those who often experience numbness in their arms and legs should do simple gymnastic exercises daily to improve blood circulation in the extremities. For example, locking your wrists, squats, clenching/unclenching your fingers, moving your legs to the sides.
When should you see a doctor if you have numbness in your arms and legs?
Are your arms and legs very numb and you don’t know what to do? Don't be alarmed, the rare feeling of numbness does not lead to serious consequences. You should see a doctor and take medications only if you have:
It would not be superfluous to undergo an examination and a course of therapy in cases where the arms and legs lose sensitivity for a long period of time.
Numbness of the lower extremities is an alarming symptom that signals that the baby may have problems with the lower extremities, nervous system, bones and heart or blood vessels; numbness is only one of the signs of any illness.
Legs can become numb not only in children, but also in adults and the elderly. The reasons why a child’s legs go numb are different and there are quite a few of them. And if the baby complains that the limbs are burning, numb, tingling, freezing, or that sensitivity is completely lost, this is a serious reason to go to see a pediatrician.
Loss of sensation in the legs is accompanied not only by tingling and freezing, but also by other signs indicating that a malfunction has occurred in the child’s body. If you pay attention to when the lower limbs may go numb, you can follow a pattern and understand that sensitivity is most often lost immediately after sleep or during prolonged physical activity (running and outdoor games).
Children may also complain that not both legs go numb at once, but one foot. Such symptoms indicate existing problems with the nervous system. If sensation is lost in the ankle, it may indicate past injuries or spinal problems.
Among the most common symptoms accompanying loss of sensitivity are:
The reasons why a baby may complain of numbness are often hidden in hereditary factors, various chronic ailments, injuries, or the lack of necessary vitamins and microelements in the diet.
A deficiency of nutrients in a child’s body leads to various disorders. These include numbness in the legs. Basically, sensitivity can be lost due to a lack of vitamin B12, which is responsible for metabolic processes and the spread of nerve impulses throughout the body.
By compensating for the lack of this substance in the body with the help of a balanced diet and vitamin supplements, you can get rid of the problem completely. You also need to remember that vitamins and microelements are very important for the growing body and the child’s immunity as a whole.
Limbs may go numb if the nervous system is damaged. In this case, loss of sensitivity is only a symptom of a disease such as polyneuritis. It occurs as a result of deformation processes in nerve cells that occur during infectious diseases, metabolic disorders and intoxication during severe poisoning. Neuropathy can also be a cause of numbness in the extremities.
It develops in children against the background of diabetes mellitus. When this disease is detected in combination with a temporary loss of sensation in the lower extremities, neurologists prescribe physiotherapy and medications to overcome the disease and associated symptoms. Often the disease is treated on an outpatient basis, but if it is in an advanced stage, the child is placed in a hospital.
In addition to numbness due to diseases of the nervous system, children often complain of goosebumps running over the skin, sharp pain, general weakness, freezing of the extremities and a temporary decrease in motor activity.
Since many nerve endings pass through the spine, their compression can lead to various disorders in the body, which most often affect the lower extremities and joints. The cause of numbness in the legs can be pinched nerves of the spinal column due to congenital or acquired injuries. Also, similar symptoms can occur during the period of active growth of the child, when he begins to turn from a toddler into a teenager.
Sensitivity can often be impaired in children who engage in active sports such as football, karate or basketball. Each of the above sports puts stress not only on the spine, but also on the lower limbs, sometimes causing short-term loss of sensation. But this is not at all dangerous and goes away when the load on the child’s bone and muscle corset is reduced.
All organs and tissues in the human body are nourished by the circulatory system, which is why if the blood supply is disrupted, serious health problems can begin and numbness of the limbs is only the most minor of them.
Prolonged squatting or cross-legged often leads to compression of the vascular network of the lower extremities and their numbness. As a result, blood flow is disrupted and sensitivity disappears. As soon as the pressure stops, sensitivity returns and the limbs become mobile again.
With obliterating endarteritis, characterized by narrowing of the vascular network and impaired blood flow, the child may feel the leg become numb or begin to tingle. Also, one of the symptoms of this disease is a feeling of constant coldness in the legs. Vasodilators and antispasmodics effectively combat this disease.
Raynaud's syndrome can also lead to loss of sensitivity, leading to constant spasm of small vessels and deterioration of blood circulation in the legs. At the moment, this disease has been little studied by doctors, so they cannot yet say exactly what causes it. In addition to numbness, this disease is characterized by swelling, spasms and cramps. To combat this disease, doctors prescribe antispasmodics and vasodilators, which eliminate numbness of the limbs and expand the vascular walls.
Also, problems with sensitivity of the lower extremities can be observed with heart disease. In children, they are often represented by a congenital heart defect, which is characterized by general weakness, chest pain, fatigue, numbness in the legs and other symptoms. If such a pathology is detected, the child is often prescribed surgery, which eliminates not only problems with the heart, but also with the sensitivity of the lower extremities.
If numbness in a child’s lower extremities is not observed systematically, then you can help him in the following way:
In addition to all of the above, traditional medicine will help to cope with the problem of impaired sensitivity of the limbs in a child.
Since numbness of the limbs is a very serious problem, before self-medicating, it is necessary to undergo an examination to identify the cause of the problem, and only then choose a method to combat it. If the pediatrician has not identified anything serious and the problem does not constantly bother the child, it can be dealt with using traditional medicine, but if the loss of sensitivity is caused by an illness, then it is necessary to eliminate it, and the numbness will disappear on its own after the illness is defeated.
All people are familiar with the feeling when, due to an uncomfortable position of the hands, they can lose sensitivity and go numb in the hands and fingers. If this phenomenon is short-lived, then it is associated with compression of the nerve endings and should not be alarming.
However, if numbness occurs for no apparent reason and continues for a long time, or does not stop at all, then this is a clear sign of an existing pathology.
What diseases cause your fingers to go numb, the causes and treatment of this unpleasant and sometimes dangerous phenomenon are further in the article.
Characteristic symptoms of numbness in the hands are discomfort in the hand, forearm and elbow area. In this case, there may be tingling of the skin and a feeling that goosebumps are crawling on them. In this case, a person’s threshold of sensitivity to a numb arm or leg decreases, a feeling of coldness occurs, and sometimes pain.
When the appearance of this symptom is associated with pathological processes, quite often the skin at this moment acquires a bluish tint. In medicine, this phenomenon is called paresthesia.
Temporary hand numbness can be caused by:
Such obvious causes can be easily eliminated: it is enough to change your position from time to time, move your hand, and, if necessary, massage the stiff area a little so that blood circulation occurs without obstacles. If you have to sit a lot at work, arrange physical minutes every one and a half to two hours.
The most common cause of numbness in the fingers is considered to be short-term pinching of a bundle of nerves and blood vessels by connective tissues or muscles located in this area. If a limb becomes numb for a short period of time and such symptoms disappear after changing the position of the hand or vigorous massage, there is no particular cause for concern.
If this feeling persists for a long time and neither a change in body position nor a massage helps to get rid of the problem, we can assume a serious infringement of the area on which the blood supply to the median nerve depends.
There are a number of diseases whose symptoms are manifested by numbness:
If the problem of numbness in your hands arises, you should not brush it off, hoping that it will “go away on its own.” First of all, you need to analyze your lifestyle, the comfort of your pillow and sleepwear. Of course, a consultation with a general practitioner is also required, who will prescribe the necessary examinations and, in doubtful cases, refer you to specialized specialists - a neurologist, cardiologist, hematologist. And remember! Timely initiation of treatment in most cases guarantees a favorable outcome.
To figure out how to treat numbness in the hands and fingers, it is necessary not only to diagnose the symptom, but also to determine the cause of its development. To do this, standard tests are prescribed - you need to donate blood and urine.
Of the hardware methods used:
Each method provides additional information that helps not only make a diagnosis, but also choose the optimal treatment methods.
If numbness in your hands occurs suddenly, you should definitely seek qualified medical help. But if these sensations are rare, short-lived and do not cause severe discomfort, then you can get rid of them with the help of special physical exercises.
An excellent prevention of hand numbness is morning exercises, which you can do without getting out of bed. Rotate your hands first in one direction, then in the other direction. After this, to warm up the shoulder joint, make circular movements with your hand.
In addition, traditional medicine offers a wide range of treatments for this condition. We have selected the most popular and effective ones for you. Here are some of them:
Also very popular methods for treating numbness of the hands are local effects that help restore tissue trophism. There are several ways, including:
A person must take care of his or her health independently. Then his health will always be good, and no discomfort will interfere with his usual way of life. If any disease is detected, timely adoption of measures to eliminate the disease can guarantee a favorable outcome and the lowest cost, both in time and money.
If your hands go numb at night due to incorrect posture during sleep or an uncomfortable bed, these factors should also be excluded. It is necessary to purchase a high-quality, not too hard orthopedic mattress and a small pillow that will provide complete rest to the spine and will not support the head in a too elevated position.
It’s also worth weaning yourself from falling asleep with your arms up. In addition, you should take care of comfortable clothes for sleeping. She should not squeeze her hands or restrict her movements.
If the causes of the trouble are diseases, then the doctor refers the patient for examination (urine and blood tests, X-ray and MRI of the head and neck, radiography of the joints of the arm and hand).
The choice of specialist to prescribe treatment depends on what caused the numbness in the fingers. To begin with, a person can contact a therapist, who will listen to the symptoms and refer the patient to a specialized doctor.
If the cause of numbness is heart disease, then a referral to a cardiologist and appropriate examinations are necessary; in case of neurological pathologies, you will have to visit a neurologist.
To avoid encountering these diseases, you should:
We should not forget about preventive examinations, which are recommended to be performed at least once a year.
Numbness in the legs and arms is accompanied by chilliness, tingling, tightness, and burning. Symptoms are typical for osteochondrosis, migraine, intervertebral hernia, diabetes mellitus. Hands and feet go numb due to a deficiency of microelements and vitamins if a person abuses alcohol.
Symptoms are disturbing in case of ischemic heart disease, with impaired blood circulation in the arms and legs. The limbs of the arms and legs may go numb due to tunnel syndrome, in which nerves are compressed in narrow areas.
Numbness occurs when a nerve is affected because the joint becomes deformed. The symptom may be caused by rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, or a genetic disease.
People with numbness in their arms and legs often do not know what to do correctly - consult with their doctor or wait until the symptoms disappear on their own. If your arms and legs often go numb, you should not delay this; an urgent examination is necessary. When, in addition to numbness, severe pain and weakness occur, a person loses sensitivity and coordination of movements is impaired. After this, the patient cannot distinguish cold from warm, it is necessary to consult a neurologist.
For Raynaud's disease. Pathology is a consequence of stress and intoxication of the body. Most often it develops subsequently from hypothermia and overwork. Pianists' hands most often go numb. Please note that in addition to the fact that a person is bothered by numbness, his limbs quickly freeze. Raynaud's disease is dangerous because it damages the ears, nose, and chin. Always with Raynaud's syndrome, problems first arise with the hands, and after a while with the hands.
If measures are not taken in time, the consequences of numbness can be different. It's not scary when blood circulation is only disrupted. It is dangerous when gangrene develops in the extremities of the legs. Therefore, it is important to prevent complications.
Remember that if numbness bothers you, you need to stop smoking. Nicotine is a deadly poison for blood vessels! You will have to give up coffee, strong tea, and alcohol for a while.
The diet should include as much hot food as possible. Oatmeal and buckwheat porridge should be a tasty and healthy dish for you. It is recommended to have sprouted grains for breakfast.
It is important to constantly strengthen the body; one of the best ways is running; in winter, skiing. Sport improves blood circulation in the legs and arms. People with impaired blood circulation in the extremities need to include in their diet food with a large amount of iron and microelements.
1 . A contrast bath is an effective remedy. First put your feet in cold water, then in hot water. Follow the same steps for the limbs of the arms. After contrast baths, apply turpentine ointment to your limbs and put on warm woolen socks (mittens). The procedure is performed within two weeks.
2. Wrap with honey . The procedure is carried out before bedtime. You need to take natural honey and lubricate the areas that are constantly going numb. After this, wrap the limbs with plastic film, then with cotton cloth. The numbness will go away after just a few wraps.
3. Camphor ointment is used to relieve numbness. It is necessary to thoroughly rub your hands at night. Wear warm gloves on top. 3 sessions will be enough for the numbness to completely stop.
4. Ledum will help get rid of an unpleasant symptom. To do this, you need to take wild rosemary - a tablespoon, apple cider vinegar - 3 tablespoons. Leave for a week. The tincture is rubbed three times a day into the affected areas of the legs and arms.
This way, when your limbs are constantly going numb, there is no need to sit and wait for the disease to begin to progress. Many people do not take this symptom seriously. In vain, numbness can be a sign of a serious pathology in the body. Pay attention to all your body's signals to prevent health complications in the future.
Loss of sensation in the right hand usually does not cause much concern, because there is practically no pain, and only a slight tingling of the limb or a sensation of “pins and needles” occurs.
So, the simplest reasons for leakage:
But what to do if your hand constantly goes numb? In this case, it is best to seek help from a specialist. What diseases can cause numbness in the right hand?
As with the right hand, the simple reasons are the same. But the diseases that cause numbness in the left hand are completely different. It must be remembered that only with frequent and long-lasting paresthesia can one refer to serious illnesses:
Most often, hands go numb at night, during sleep. Symptoms of numbness in this case manifest themselves in the form of stabbing unpleasant pain, which intensifies when moving the limbs. But just wait 5-10 minutes and the discomfort will go away.
But not only these reasons cause paresthesia of the hands. Diseases that cause numbness during sleep:
First you need to make sure that numbness in your hands is not due to external factors, that is, all the rules of comfortable sleep are followed. If everything is fine with this, but your hands are still numb, you need to see a doctor, preferably a therapist or cardiologist. The doctor may send you for a blood test, or will immediately determine the cause of the problem and give the necessary recommendations.
Pregnant women very often face the problem of numbness in their hands, because the body begins to intensively restructure itself, enduring a double load. So, what are the specific causes of paresthesia during pregnancy?
The main reasons here are problems with the nervous system and blood supply. This is due to the fact that the hands end both the nervous system and the circulatory system. Therefore, they react to any failure of these systems. With rare exceptions, numb hands indicate pathologies in the cerebral cortex.
To solve the problem of hand numbness, it is necessary to identify the exact cause. To do this, you need to contact a neurologist. The examination begins with a classic examination: measuring blood pressure and establishing the neurological status. In most cases, this is enough to identify the cause. With rare exceptions, additional tests are prescribed - electromyography or ultrasound of arteries and veins.
Numbness in the legs is a symptom of various diseases, primarily characteristic of the spinal column. Often it is paresthesia the feeling of numbness and goosebumps on the skin is called in medicine , that becomes the first sign of pathology, far ahead of other symptoms. Therefore, with regular paresthesia, it is recommended to undergo an examination to identify why the legs are numb, the causes of this phenomenon and possible diseases.
Among the reasons that cause systematic numbness of the extremities - arms and legs - there are several of the most common:
Despite the differences in the causes and course of these diseases, in all cases, numbness of the limbs is associated with disturbances present in the functioning of the nervous and circulatory systems.
The patient in this case complains of coldness in the legs, pain, “cottoniness” of the lower extremities and the presence of “goosebumps”. The clinical picture intensifies if a person spends a long time in a static position, lying or sitting.
If your big toes are numb, most likely the cause is in the lumbar spine, which is responsible for their innervation. If there is a hernia or protrusion of the discs in the area of 4–5 lumbar vertebrae, then numbness of the big toes is likely.
2 Systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, malignant tumors and spinal tuberculosis also contribute to the manifestations of paresthesia. This is due to the destruction of blood vessels and nerve fibers.
3 Carpal tunnel syndrome is typical for people engaged in the same type of work, maintaining a static posture for a long time. For example, an office clerk sits at her desk with her legs crossed. This position leads to compression of the nerves located in the popliteal region. Even prolonged sitting in a soft chair can cause weakness in the foot and numbness of the left or right leg below the knee due to compression of the nerve trunk.
4 Multiple sclerosis , a disease caused by the destruction of neuron membranes. Numbness of the limbs and face is one of the main symptoms of the pathology. Lower extremity paresthesia can range widely from mild symptoms to severe difficulty walking.
5 Raynaud's disease , a disease that has not been fully studied, often ends in atrophy, as well as gangrene of the lower extremities as a result of impaired blood flow. This disease causes paroxysmal numbness in the legs, and the numbness may be accompanied by painful sensations, pallor or bluishness of the skin of the toes. Raynaud's disease also manifests itself in the upper extremities in a similar way.
6 Rheumatoid arthritis , in which deformation of the joints occurs, which entails compression of the nerve fibers. Most often, the disease manifests itself as a complication after a severe infection.
7 Discomfort may appear as a result of ischemia , provoked by a characteristic narrowing of blood vessels, atherosclerosis. This pathology often occurs in elderly patients. But in recent years, there has been an increase in the occurrence of atherosclerosis in fairly young people due to the presence of bad habits and an unbalanced diet, which increase the risk of cholesterol deposits.
The patient should describe his sensations in detail, since based on the nature of the numbness, the doctor can make a preliminary conclusion and much more quickly identify the exact cause of the discomfort.
It is necessary to establish the cause of the pathology in the shortest possible time, since many diseases accompanied by dysfunction of the nervous and circulatory systems can rapidly progress, leading to the development of thrombosis, irreversible destruction of the peripheral nervous system, and the growth of a malignant tumor.
If reactive arthritis is suspected, for example, a scraping from the urethra is taken to test for chlamydia. Confirmation of oncology occurs through testing for tumor markers. Rheumatoid arthritis is detected by serological analysis, and bone puncture makes it possible to diagnose osteomyelitis or tuberculosis.
Angiography and duplex scanning allow you to determine the condition of the vessels. Thus, duplex scanning reveals atherosclerosis and chronic venous insufficiency.
Rheovasography of arteries is a reliable method for diagnosing chronic arterial insufficiency. During the procedure, a high-frequency current is applied to an area of the patient's body while resistance readings are taken. The result is recorded in the form of a curve, the nature of which can be used to judge changes in the vessels.
Using MRI and CT, it is possible to determine disorders in the patient’s nervous system.
A decrease in the ankle pressure index characterizes the narrowing of the arteries in the legs. The brachial-ankle index is the ratio of arm systolic pressure to ankle systolic pressure. Normally, the coefficient should not go beyond 0.9 - 1.45.
After receiving the diagnostic results, based on the symptoms of the disease, as well as the anatomical characteristics of the patient, doctors can develop a personalized treatment program that allows for positive dynamics to be achieved. Naturally, the use of therapy or the need for surgical intervention directly depends on the reason why the legs are numb. Consequently, it is not possible to recommend the use of the same remedies for numbness in the legs.
Indeed, for spinal tuberculosis, it is necessary to use chemical and antibiotic drugs that destroy the causative agent of the disease, while for oncology, radiotherapy and possibly surgery are prescribed. However, there is a group of procedures that can significantly alleviate the patient’s condition in almost any disease that causes numbness in the legs:
Drug treatment , in addition to the use of specific drugs, often includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Manual therapy allows you to restore joint mobility and eliminate compression of blood vessels and nerves. Exercise therapy is a proven rehabilitation method that helps normalize blood supply and reduce the risk of pathology progression.
Physiotherapeutic procedures such as ultrasound, magnetotherapy, microcurrents, phonophoresis accelerate tissue regeneration and eliminate the consequences of prolonged hypoxia.
Along with official methods aimed at treating numbness in the legs, many clinics successfully use su-jok therapy, hirudotherapy, stone therapy , acupuncture and other methods of alternative medicine.
When faced with systematic numbness in the legs, it is necessary to identify the cause of this condition as early as possible. You shouldn’t give in to despair; even with multiple sclerosis, you can achieve positive dynamics and stable remission.
Numbness of the legs is a symptom indicating a disorder in the functioning of the musculoskeletal, nervous or circulatory systems.
What to do if your legs go numb? It is imperative to undergo diagnostics.
Schmorl's nodes in the spine are dangerous due to their consequences, since they lead to a deterioration in the condition of the spine as a whole, and then to the occurrence of an intervertebral hernia.