Numbness of the foot: causes and what to do

Numbness of the foot is an unpleasant phenomenon that almost every person encounters. It can be caused by various reasons. The most common include uncomfortable posture, prolonged immobility of the legs, and tight shoes. In such cases, the numbness is short-lived, accompanied by tingling in the feet and does not pose a danger to the body. But there are other, more dangerous causes - osteochondrosis of the spine, neuropathy, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities. Therefore, if your legs often go numb, you need to consult a doctor and undergo an examination to identify the cause.

If your foot goes numb often and for no apparent reason, you should consult a doctor.

Why does my foot go numb?

Numbness of the foot (paresthesia) is a form of sensory impairment. Paresthesia occurs due to impaired innervation of the limbs. Two nerves are responsible for the sensitive innervation of the foot:

1. Tibial nerve. Its branches provide sensitivity to the sole.
2. Common peroneal nerve. Provides sensitivity to the dorsum of the foot.

Damage to sensory fibers can also occur secondarily, against the background of circulatory disorders, when exposed to toxic substances. Thus, numbness occurs with any pathology of the nerves that provide sensitivity to the foot - pinched nerve fibers, neuropathy of any etiology, impaired blood supply to the nerve.

The main symptoms of paresthesia:

• tingling;
• crawling sensation;
• burning;
• pain in the affected area.

Symptoms may occur acutely or gradually, depending on the cause.

Additionally, the pathology can manifest itself as trophic changes in the skin. Less commonly, there is a complete or partial loss of sensitivity in the toes, heel, and entire sole, which disrupts the supporting function of the foot. Such changes indicate serious nerve damage.

What causes leg numbness?

Numbness in the legs is expressed as a feeling of discomfort caused by loss of sensation. It can cover a variety of areas, from the thighs to the tips of the toes.

Depending on the cause, numbness may be accompanied by other symptoms:

• pain syndrome of various types;
• paresthesia (tingling, goosebumps, burning);
• weakness in the limbs;
• skin itching;
• chilliness;
• cyanosis (blue discoloration);
• decrease in skin temperature;
• paresis and paralysis (loss of motor function);
• dysfunction of the pelvic organs (problems with urination and defecation);
• changes in the skin and nail plates (dryness, fragility, onychodystrophy).

One or more of the following symptoms may be present, but in any case they are of important diagnostic value.

The right foot is going numb: reasons

When there is numbness in the foot, a person rarely goes to the doctor, because he does not associate this condition with the disease. And in vain, because numbness can be a symptom of diseases of the spine, damage to blood vessels and nerve endings. All causes of foot numbness are divided into two groups - pathological (related to disease) and physiological.

Physiological reasons

Physiological causes of foot numbness include:

• uncomfortable posture (crossing your legs);
• incorrectly selected shoes;
• tight socks;
• for women – walking in heels for a long time.

In all cases, numbness is caused by compression of a nerve or blood vessels. Symptoms persist for a short time and disappear after the cause is eliminated.

Osteochondrosis

Often the limbs go numb due to pathological processes in the spine. For example, with osteochondrosis - a degenerative-dystrophic disease of articular cartilage.

With osteochondrosis of the lumbar region, the following symptoms occur:

• numbness of the legs;
• burning, tingling;
• pain in the lumbar spine.

Symptoms occur due to pinched nerve roots.

Diabetes

A common cause of peripheral nerve damage is diabetes mellitus. Due to carbohydrate metabolism disorders, blood vessels, nerves, and the brain suffer.

Due to hyperglycemia, metabolic disorders develop in peripheral nerves, which lead to the development of diabetic polyneuropathy. The pathology is manifested by the following symptoms:

• paresthesia - numbness, tingling, burning;
• decreased or loss of sensitivity;
• trophic disorders.

Changes in the nerves in diabetes are irreversible. It is almost impossible to restore the function of the affected nerve.

Neuropathy

Numbness is a common symptom of neuropathy (nerve damage). The causes of the disease are different:

• deficiency of B vitamins;
• exposure to alcohol;
• exposure to other toxic substances (for chronic poisoning);
• multiple sclerosis.

The mechanism of development of neuropathy is damage to nerve fibers, as a result of which the nerves cease to perform their function.

What diseases can numbness indicate?

• Atherosclerosis. Plaques damage the walls of blood vessels and make them inelastic. The speed and volume of blood flow decrease, and congestion occurs. The process is accompanied by the manifestation of a pronounced venous pattern on the extremities.
• Intervertebral hernia of the lumbar region . Inflammation and dystrophic changes affect innervation and blood supply.
• Radicular syndrome, radiculitis . Associated with pinched nerve bundles and decreased nerve conduction of fibers.
• Thrombophlebitis. It will additionally be indicated by venous nodes protruding above the surface of the calves.
• Inflammation of the sciatic nerve . Accompanied by pain.

Left leg goes numb

With a unilateral lesion, the spine is most often “to blame” - the cause is sought in the upper parts of the nervous system.

• Right-sided osteochondrosis.
• Pinching of the spinal roots.
• Spinal canal stenosis with its narrowing.
• Arthritis – damage to the joint gives a feeling of “cotton limb”.

Right leg goes numb

• Left-sided osteochondrosis.
• Spondylolisthesis - the vertebra is displaced from the normal axis, pinching the root.
• Tunnel syndrome, with it a number of roots are affected at once, so the numbness can be “wandering”: thigh, knee, calves.

Left or right foot goes numb: what to do

The treatment strategy for paresthesia directly depends on the cause. If the legs go numb for a short time, and the development of the symptom is associated with an uncomfortable posture or tight shoes, drug treatment is not indicated. If the symptom bothers you frequently, it is necessary to identify the underlying disease. After the examination, specific treatment is prescribed.

How to help at home

If numbness occurs rarely and is not accompanied by other symptoms, you can get rid of it yourself. To do this, you need to follow the following recommendations:

1. Move. You can take a walk or just move your foot. This will improve blood circulation in the leg.
2. Change your position. Postures that put pressure on the nerves should be avoided.
3. Remove shoes and socks that are too tight. This will restore normal blood flow to the feet.
4. Massage your foot. Massage will help you get rid of the symptom faster and improve blood flow.
5. Warm your foot. If your feet begin to go numb after being in the cold, you need to place your feet in a container of warm water.

In addition, it is recommended to wear comfortable shoes, practice yoga regularly, and stretch.

Most often, feet become numb due to uncomfortable shoes.

Why you shouldn't ignore leg numbness

Ignoring the symptom and neglecting to visit a doctor can lead to adverse consequences and progression of the pathology underlying the numbness.

Failure to seek medical help in a timely manner can lead to the following consequences:

• complete and permanent loss of sensation;
• loss of motor function (paresis, paralysis);
• intervertebral hernia, sequestration of hernia;
• dysfunction of the pelvic organs;
• amyotrophy;
• atrophic ulcers;
• leg deformity;
• gangrene.

The outcome can be very depressing, so you should not delay visiting your doctor.

Diagnosis of the cause

To identify the disease that leads to numbness, you need to undergo an examination. The doctor prescribes a number of instrumental and laboratory tests.

Drug treatment

Drug treatment is selected depending on the cause. To get rid of the symptom, you need to treat the primary disease. Symptomatic treatment is not used.

What diseases can cause numbness in the leg?

Most often, numbness is explained by neurological damage. In particular, localization in the legs characterizes the pathology of the lumbar or sacral spine. Superficial sensitivity is provided by receptors and nerve fibers that transmit signals to the brain. Damage to the central or peripheral part of the nervous system causes conduction disturbances and the development of neurological symptoms. Also another important cause is vascular spasm or blockage of the arteries.

Functional causes of numbness:

• staying in an uncomfortable position for a long time;
• hypothermia;
• wearing uncomfortable shoes or tight clothing;
• pregnancy;
• lack of vitamins (calcium, magnesium, sodium, B vitamins);
• taking medications (anticonvulsants, diuretics, nicotinic acid, cytostatics).

Functional numbness is a transient phenomenon and is easily eliminated by eliminating the influencing factor, while pathological numbness requires diagnosis and treatment.

Pathological causes of numbness:

• pathologies of the spine (degenerative changes, protrusion, hernia, osteochondrosis, stenosis, tumor);
• nerve damage (neuritis, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome);
• injuries accompanied by damage to blood vessels and nervous tissue;
• peripheral neuropathies (they occur against the background of diabetes, hypothyroidism, alcoholism, toxic substance poisoning, connective tissue diseases, cardiovascular pathologies, viral infections or vitamin B deficiency);
• pathologies of the vessels of the extremities (atherosclerosis, thrombophlebitis, obliterating endarteritis, angiopathy);
• Morton's neuroma (benign formation on the plantar part of the foot);
• Raynaud's disease (angiotrophoneurosis with damage to small arterioles);
• multiple sclerosis (autoimmune damage to the nerve fibers of the spinal cord and brain);
• other conditions that potentially cause compression of nerves and arteries (arthritis, myositis, bursitis, tendinitis).

The doctor’s task is to establish the exact cause. For this purpose, anamnesis collection, examination, laboratory and instrumental research methods are used.