Numb toes: reason
- Disorders of nerve conduction and blood supply.
- Degenerative changes in the musculoskeletal system.
- Tumors compressing the nerve plexus, spinal cord.
- Inflammatory diseases of the joints (accompanied by puffiness and pain in them).
- Alcohol addiction (leads to chronic edema).
- Pathological processes in the lower extremities.
- Lack of minerals and vitamins (eg B12 and calcium).
- Long-term smoking (impairs blood circulation).
Medical examination for paresthesia of the toes
Even if the discomfort does not cause you much inconvenience, consulting a doctor is still necessary. Initially minor discomfort can eventually lead to paralysis and other serious complications. When starting treatment early, both its price and duration will be much less than in the case of late consultation with a doctor. After studying the medical history and examination, the doctor will definitely refer the patient for additional examination. To identify the causes of discomfort, various diagnostic methods may be required, for example:
- X-ray and MRI of joints and spine;
- CT head;
- Vascular ultrasound;
- laboratory tests (blood and urine tests, puncture of intra-articular fluid or cerebrospinal fluid).
What does a person feel?
Numbness (paresthesia) is experienced subjectively. For example, as one of the manifestations listed below, any combination or complete complex.
- Loss of sensation.
- Burning.
- Inability to move fingers or bend them.
- Tingling with thousands of “needles”.
- Goosebumps.
- Itching.
- Discomfort.
Whatever the sensation, if a person’s toes are numb, treatment should be preceded by an adequate examination that will help identify the underlying causes of the disease.
Preventive actions
If the patient complains of numbness in the fingers, the doctor can recommend effective preventive measures.
Usually, numbness itself is not a very dangerous symptom, but if you do not find out the cause of its occurrence in time, then serious difficulties may arise in the future. To prevent this from happening you should:
Only a complete examination can give the doctor a picture of what is happening with the patient and allow him to prescribe quality treatment. This treatment will be aimed not only at relieving symptoms, but also at eliminating the root cause of the disease.
Thus, there are many reasons for the symptoms of numbness in the big toes. Among them there are both conditionally harmless ones and those that can signal the onset of serious health problems. The second type requires mandatory medical intervention. That is why, when they appear, you should not put off going to the doctor for too long.
Numb toes: treatment
After making a diagnosis, the doctor prescribes an individually developed correction scheme. Most often it includes several stages.
- Pharmacological effects (muscle relaxants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).
- A course of manual techniques (restoring blood supply, regulating communication between the nervous periphery and the center).
- Physiotherapy (heating, electrophoresis, SMT, etc.).
- Exercise therapy (relieves muscle tension, tension, improves blood supply to organs).
- Mud wraps (with a lack of microelements, inflammation in the joints).
- Underwater traction of the spine (if there are hernias, protrusions of intervertebral discs, etc.)
- Acupuncture (acts on biologically active points - the projection of the main internal organs and systems).
Treatment methods
If the cause of paresthesia is a certain disease, then it can only be eliminated simultaneously with the elimination of the cause of this disease. The course of treatment is prescribed by a specialist only after an examination. Recommendations may include physiotherapy procedures, medications and even traditional medicine.
Physiotherapeutic procedures include the following: electrophoresis, massage, paraffin baths, physical therapy, magnetic therapy and electrical stimulation.
During treatment, special drug therapy is used to restore damaged blood flow.
If there is a hernia or varicose veins, special surgical treatment is used. Also, to improve the passage of nerve impulses, it is recommended to take multivitamin preparations of group B.
Special contrast baths also help relieve muscle tension. To do this, first dip your feet in cold water, and then in hot water. You can do this every day, holding your feet under water for 30 seconds.
Causes of numbness in fingers during sleep and while awake
Complete and partial numbness of the fingers and toes can be short-term or long-term, occurring during sleep and while awake. Regardless of what the true causes of numbness in the fingers during sleep and wakefulness are, their regularity requires the provision of qualified medical care. If this condition was provoked by physical factors, then medical attention will not be required, and in the event of a pathology developing, the symptom of which is numbness of the fingers, the person will have to undergo a course of drug therapy.
Treatment of numbness at the MART clinic
The reason for contacting the neurologists of the MART medical center is numbness in any area that occurs periodically without any apparent reason and lasts more than 1-5 minutes.
Doctors at our medical center, depending on the causes of numbness identified during the diagnosis process, can use manual therapy, physiotherapy, acupuncture, exercise therapy and other methods of conservative therapy to treat this condition. The course of treatment in each case is selected strictly individually.
By turning to the MART clinic for help in a timely manner, you can accurately determine the cause of the disturbing symptoms, quickly take appropriate measures and prevent the development of possible complications.
Sign up at the MART medical center in St. Petersburg (see map) by phone, or leave a request on the website.
Why does my foot go numb?
Neuropathies
Numbness of the foot is detected in neuropathies of the peripheral nerves of the lower extremities. As a rule, there is a local decrease in sensitivity in a certain area of the foot. The topic is determined by the affected nerve:
- Sciatic nerve neuropathy.
Numbness covers almost the entire foot or appears in its individual areas. Piriformis syndrome affects the fingers more. - Tibial nerve neuropathy.
A lesion at the level of the popliteal fossa is manifested by almost total numbness of the foot, tarsal tunnel syndrome - hypoesthesia along the inner and outer edges, involvement of the medial plantar nerve - numbness of the inner edge, calcanodynia - hypoesthesia of the heel. - Peroneal nerve neuropathy.
When the common trunk or deep branch is affected, numbness of the dorsal surface of the foot is noted. When the superficial branch is involved, only the medial dorsum of the foot is affected. - Femoral nerve neuropathy.
Hypoesthesia is determined by the medial edge of the foot.
Polyneuropathy
Unlike mononeuropathies, in which one limb is affected, polyneuropathies are characterized by symmetrical involvement of the legs and arms with a decrease in sensitivity of the “socks” and “gloves” type. Multiple nerve damage occurs in the following diseases:
- Refsum's disease;
- Roussy-Lévy syndrome;
- neural amyotrophy of Charcot-Marie-Tooth;
- chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.
Nerve damage is possible due to tumors, severe liver and kidney diseases. Sometimes polyneuropathies of alimentary, toxic-infectious origin are detected. The most common cause of toxic polyneuropathy is alcoholism.
Traumatic injuries
Numbness of the feet accompanies spinal injuries and damage to peripheral nerves. In patients with spinal cord injury, the severity of symptoms, the prevalence and nature of neurological disorders are determined by the severity of the injury. In victims with a violation of the integrity of the peripheral nerves, the zone of loss of sensitivity corresponds to the area of hypoesthesia with neuropathy of the corresponding nerve trunk.
Another possible cause of numbness is compression of the neurovascular bundle by bone fragments at the time of injury, maintaining a tourniquet for too long during bleeding, or significant swelling of the limb. In severe cases, the development of myofascial compartment syndrome with severe pain and subsequent loss of sensation in the distal limbs is possible.
Due to the increase in edema, the risk of compression remains in the first days after applying a plaster cast, especially if the patient does not ensure an elevated position of the leg. Numbness in such cases is complemented by cyanosis, the foot takes on the appearance of a pillow, and the patient complains of strong pressure from the plaster.
Numbness of the foot
Morton's neuroma
Numbness in the fingers occurs in the later stages of Morton's disease. Due to the thickening of the plantar nerve sheath, patients suffer for a long time from burning pain and shooting pain in the distal part of the foot. The pain noticeably decreases after removing shoes. The constant nature of the pain syndrome and hypoesthesia of the fingers, as a rule, indicate the need for surgical intervention, since conservative methods at this stage become ineffective.
Other nervous diseases
Numbness of individual areas of the foot is observed with radicular syndrome involving the 1st and 2nd sacral roots. In the first case, hypoesthesia spreads along the outer edge of the foot. In the second, numbness of the plantar surface and 1 toe is determined. In addition, impaired sensitivity in the foot area is detected in people with paresis of central origin due to strokes, tumors, and inflammatory diseases of the brain and spinal cord.
Vascular pathologies
Numbness of the feet is a typical manifestation of diseases accompanied by obliteration of the vessels of the lower extremities. The symptom is combined with a feeling of fatigue, chilliness of the extremities, and weakness in the legs. Paresthesia is possible. Muscle cramps and intermittent claudication are observed. The listed signs are detected in the following arterial diseases:
- obliterating atherosclerosis;
- obliterating endarteritis;
- thromboangiitis obliterans.
Similar symptoms are found in patients with Mönckeberg arteriosclerosis, a pathology in which calcium salts are deposited in the walls of the arteries. Calcification most often affects the arteries of the legs. With simultaneous involvement of the upper extremities, not only the feet, but also the hands become cold.
Acute occlusion of the vessels of the extremities can occur against the background of the diseases listed above, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, hypertension, arrhythmias, endocarditis, tumors of the lungs and heart, periarteritis nodosa. Numbness, paresthesia, and coldness of the limb quickly increase and are accompanied by pain. In the absence of timely assistance, paresis appears, then zones of necrosis form, and gangrene of the limb develops.
Diabetes
Many people with diabetes complain of numbness in their feet. The symptom is detected in all forms of the disease, including steroid diabetes mellitus and MODY diabetes. The likelihood of numbness correlates with the severity and duration of the disease. The disorder is especially pronounced during the development of diabetic foot, which in most cases occurs in a neuropathic manner.
Numbness of the feet with diabetic neuropathy is combined with tingling, burning, pain in the toes, short-term cramps, and muscle weakness. Possible loss of temperature sensitivity and hypersensitivity to touch. In patients with the ischemic form of diabetic foot, pain, persistent swelling, weakening or absence of pulsation in the arteries of the foot prevail.
The symptom can also be observed in diabetic macroangiopathy. In this case, both small arteries and large-caliber vessels are affected. Along with numbness and chilliness of the feet, intermittent claudication and intense pain in the muscles of the thighs and legs are detected. Patients are diagnosed with ischemic heart disease and atherosclerosis of the cerebral arteries.
Diabetic foot and macroangiopathy can be complicated by tissue necrosis and the development of gangrene of the fingers and foot. With dry gangrene, numbness of the distal parts of the foot is combined with severe pain, pallor or bluish-marbled coloring of the skin, itching, burning, and tingling. Wet gangrene is manifested by cold temperatures, swelling, the formation of blisters, and severe general intoxication. After tissue necrosis, numbness in both types of gangrene is replaced by complete loss of sensation.
Other reasons
Numbness of the foot can be detected in the following cases:
- Rheumatological diseases
. Raynaud's syndrome develops against the background of collagenosis, vasculitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and occupational diseases. Numbness suddenly appears on the feet and hands, is complemented by coldness, pallor of the extremities, and is replaced by aching pain, burning, and distension. - Orthopedic pathology
. A Becker cyst is formed due to the accumulation of fluid in the intertendinous bursa along the back of the knee. At first it is asymptomatic, then it begins to compress the nerve, which is manifested by numbness, tingling, and pain in the sole area. - Mental disorders
. In some patients with panic disorder, numbness in the feet appears during a panic attack and disappears within a few minutes. With hysteria, the symptom is more permanent and is often part of a bizarre clinical picture that does not fit into the symptoms of a particular disease.
Numbness on the left and right sides of the body: what are the differences?
Numbness of the right arm or leg, simultaneous or sequential, occurs with osteochondrosis, scoliosis, herniated intervertebral discs, when the blood supply to tissues and the conductivity of nerve endings are disrupted. If this syndrome was preceded by a sensitive acute headache or injury, the cause may be much more serious - a stroke or a brain tumor.
When a sensitivity disorder is observed on the left side of the body, a person feels a tingling sensation, and the motor functions of the limbs suffer. If at the same time the facial muscles go numb, blood pressure rises, and dizziness appears, this suggests an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke or serious pathologies of cerebral circulation. Therefore, numbness on the left is considered a more dangerous symptom than on the right.
Diagnostics
Neurologists are involved in determining the cause of foot numbness. Patients with vascular diseases are referred to a vascular surgeon. An endocrinologist takes part in the examination of patients with diabetes. The doctor finds out when and under what circumstances the sensitivity disorder occurred, how the symptom changed over time, and what manifestations it was accompanied by. To clarify the diagnosis, the following procedures are performed:
- Physical examination
. The specialist evaluates the appearance of the foot, color, skin temperature, and pulsation of the arteries. Reveals signs of edema and inflammation, hyperkeratosis, cracks, abrasions, trophic ulcers. - Neurological examination
. The doctor examines reflexes, determines the boundaries of sensitivity disorders, the presence of muscle atrophy, and neurogenic contractures. - Vascular studies
. The condition of the arteries is studied using ultrasound, duplex scanning, rheovasography, capillaroscopy, thermography, and peripheral arteriography. - Electrophysiological methods
. To differentiate neuropathies and clarify the level and severity of the lesion, patients undergo electromyography and electroneurography. - Visualization techniques
. To clarify the genesis of the pathology, ultrasound of soft tissues, radiography of the spine, CT or MRI of the brain, and other studies may be prescribed. - Lab tests
. As part of a laboratory examination, sugar levels are determined and cholesterol fractions in the blood are examined. To establish the nature of the underlying pathology in Raynaud's syndrome, tests are performed for specific markers.
Foot sensitivity test
Contraindications for MRI
There are a number of circumstances under which tomography cannot be done. But, fortunately, there are few of them, because this method is quite modern and high-tech. Only people with metal structures in the body or those who wear a pacemaker will have to choose other methods of medical examination in order to understand why their fingers are numb. The fact is that these non-removable metal “parts” can negatively affect the magnetic field inside the equipment. That is why those who come to see a doctor are asked to remove their jewelry and watches before taking the desired position on the couch. Diagnostics will run for 40 minutes. Sometimes this time can be slightly shortened or extended - it depends on the patient’s condition and the complexity of his illness.
Usually the result is given immediately. This is a conclusion printed on a sheet of paper and photographs showing the affected area in a “section”. With this in mind, you can visit a general practitioner and, together with him, think through methods of further treatment. Be sure to convey to the general practitioner in detail the information you received from the radiologist - the accuracy of the recommendations provided depends on this. They may be associated with taking medications, global (or not so much) surgical intervention, or undergoing certain procedures (perhaps in a clinic located near your place of residence). The doctor selects several options, each of which takes into account the patient’s condition.