Why do my feet go numb, at least once in my life many think. Officially in medicine, this is called paresthesia. In a predominant percentage of cases, the phenomenon itself is not a disease, but only a signal indicating possible malfunctions in the body. Paresthesia can be observed only from one half of the body, can develop symmetrically. Sometimes numbness is accompanied by other sensations, for example, soreness, burning. In some, only the feet go numb, in others, the sensations cover all the fingers, or only some, spread along the leg above: on the shin and thigh.
general information
Doctors have long been studying paresthesia as a phenomenon, as well as exploring its possible causes. The feet become numb more often in those who use uncomfortable shoes. If the subject is very cramped and strongly presses on the fingers, and first and foremost, the blood flow is disturbed. A prolonged stay in a stable position can provoke an unpleasant phenomenon, this is typical of those who almost do not move during work. In order to keep the limbs healthy for as long as possible, you need to responsibly select the shoes in which the person goes to work. It is recommended to avoid heels, too narrow models. Experts advise to purchase shoes a little larger than necessary. When trying on, you need to pay special attention to the sensations when moving: the first and last fingers should not rest against the sock. If this happens, it is better to refuse in favor of a more spacious instance.
Subcooling is another possible cause. The feet become numb if the limbs are in a too cold environment for a long time. First, the sensation covers the fingers, then gradually spreads to other parts. To get rid of paresthesia, you need to carefully and accurately warm up your legs. Soon all the unpleasant sensations will disappear.
Sometimes it's harder
If the condition does not go away for a long time, it appears often, it is not possible to identify the obvious cause of paresthesia, if numbness is accompanied by pain, it is worth contacting a qualified doctor. Perhaps the phenomenon indicates a serious illness. A wide variety of pathological conditions are known that can initiate paresthesia. Sometimes this phenomenon develops as atypical for pathology, so it is completely impossible to independently understand why it comes.
Diagnosis: what happens?
Often the problems of the musculoskeletal system are causes causing paresthesia. The feet are numb, as the articular or cartilage tissue has become a localized area of ​​the degenerative process. In this case, certain parts of the limbs lose their sensitivity, mobility worsens. The second is more noticeable in the activity of the fingers. It is known that numbness often worries patients with osteochondrosis and people who have a curved spinal column. The cause of the phenomenon may be a hernia between the vertebrae, localized near the lower back or in the sternum. In diseases covering the spinal column, spinal compression is possible. If you do not start timely comprehensive treatment, this condition can cause irreversible paralysis of the limbs (both or one)
Sometimes, the doctor determines the valgus deformity as a cause, that is, such a specific curvature of the foot, in which the thumb changes shape, a bone acts. Sometimes paresthesia is a consequence of injury, contusion. If the movement is accompanied by pain, there is a chance of a fracture or a bone crack. Shocks most often injure the first and last toe. If at the same time the foot and the last finger go numb, the ankle may be dislocated.
Pathology of the nervous system can affect the condition of the limbs, which makes the feet numb. The causes of paresthesia may be pinching of the roots of the nervous system. If the peripheral nerve is affected, the thumb points first. There is a danger of neuralgia, accompanied by a sharp, severe soreness. The diseased area attracts attention with local heat. A possible cause is an infringement of the sciatic nerve. In this case, paresthesia is noted only on one side of the body. The limb to the touch becomes colder, the muscles are at times relieved by convulsions, the cold is predominantly given in the last finger.
Internal organs and manifestations of their pathologies
It happens that a numb leg from the knee to the foot. There are many reasons for this condition, one of the possible is the pathological condition of the heart or vascular system. With these violations, other variations of paresthesia are also possible: such can only spread to the foot, covering fingers or not, and can spread to the femoral zone. If the fingers were numb at first, and at the same time with the legs, such a sensation gripped the hands, we can assume acute ischemic disease. Paresthesia of the extremities is a signal of a microstroke and insufficiency of the functioning of the cardiac system. Perhaps the condition indicates atherosclerosis. Plaques formed from cholesterol located on the vascular walls slow down and disrupt blood flow.
You should consult a doctor if your toes and feet are numb. The cause of the phenomenon may be, for example, a metabolic failure. If the condition occurs frequently, persists for a long time, accompanied by a burning or tingling sensation, if the paresthesia is symmetrical, it may be due to diabetes. Such a symptom of the disease is not found in everyone, but it is possible and described in clinical practice. The main danger associated with violations is the increased risk of long-term healing ulcers. There is a danger of the symptomatic complex “diabetic foot”.
Causes and consequences
It is worth contacting a specialist if the upper leg of the right foot is numb. The reason for this phenomenon may be a lack of vitamins in the body. The doctor, evaluating the patient’s condition, probably recommends checking for a sufficient concentration of vitamins from group B. Their lack can initiate neuropathy. A distinctive feature is the gradual spread from the feet higher at night. Often the condition symmetrically covers the upper limbs.
It is likely that paresthesia indicates a failure of the kidneys. This phenomenon initiates symmetrical numbness of both halves of the body. The symptom is more pronounced early in the morning. Paresthesia is observed in conjunction with puffiness, clearly visible if you feel sore legs.
If the leg goes numb from hip to foot, this can be caused by a malignant disease. With this pathology, a neoplasm that grows in the body can put pressure on nerve tissue. A distinctive feature is the chronic nature of the phenomenon. Oncology paresthesia is often observed against a background of pain. At first, the sensations are weak and practically do not attract attention, gradually increase. If you start the disease, in the last stages the pain will be very strong, almost unbearable.
Blood and invasion
If the leg goes numb from hip to foot, venous disease may be the cause. The pathological condition of the circulatory system is accompanied by a deterioration in the quality of blood flow. This is observed with thrombophlebitis, develops with varicose venous expansion, venous insufficiency and thrombosis. If you do not start the therapeutic program on time, a complication in the form of a necrotic process is possible. There is a risk of gangrenous lesions of organic tissues, and the only treatment option may be a radical operation.
If a person suffers from acute anemia, one of the symptoms of the condition is paresthesia of the toes. There is a likelihood of a fungal disease that indicates similar manifestations. First, the toes become less sensitive, then the sensations worsen. Some note frequent tingling.
Is it possible to get rid?
It is best to consult a doctor to find out why this or that paresthesia arose (for example, the foot of the left leg is numb). The reason will determine the approach to fixing the problem. It is very difficult to determine on your own why the numbness arose, in an impressive percentage of cases it is simply unrealistic. At the appointment, the doctor will first collect the medical history, question the person and examine the areas of the body that are disturbing with unpleasant sensations, then give a referral for tests and examinations. When collecting an anamnesis, the specialist will specify what the accompanying symptoms have been lately, and also ask you to recall all the diseases that worried the person.
If paresthesia is disturbed when the foot of the left leg is numb, the cause is determined after research. The patient will be advised to provide a blood sample to the laboratory to evaluate the sugar content in order to exclude diabetes. They also do a general screening of blood quality in order to assess the likelihood of a pathology of the hematopoietic system, the presence of a focus of inflammation in the body. To exclude renal diseases, it is necessary to pass urine for a specialized study. Additionally, the patient is referred for an x-ray, if there is reason to assume a fracture, a crack. The same research method is prescribed if it is possible to suspect the oncological nature of paresthesia or degenerative joint diseases.
Question Features
Not so simple if the feet are numb. Causes and treatment are closely interrelated: the second is taken from the first. Since sometimes the phenomena initiating paresthesia are combined, it is not easy to choose an appropriate correction program. It is better to entrust the choice to a qualified doctor. Most often, it is necessary to treat either the vascular or nervous system, or both at once. Self-medication is strictly not recommended. If you want to use traditional medicine, their use must be agreed with a qualified specialist.
If paresthesia occurred once, does not last long, this was obviously preceded by squeezing part of the leg, there is no reason to worry. If the phenomenon is one-time, it can be easily explained, there is no need to consult a doctor. It should be remembered that sometimes it is caused by degenerative processes localized in the discs between the joints of the spinal column, which is why the feet become numb. Cause and treatment is the area of ​​specialization of an orthopedic surgeon or surgeon. A local therapist will refer you to a highly specialized doctor, taking into account the peculiarities of the case. The pathological process manifests itself in just such a symptom, since the spinal cord is responsible for the person’s ability to move, and osteochondrosis affects the organic tissues adjacent to it.
Infection and other phenomena
Sometimes it happens that a person is worried, because the foot of the right leg is numb. The cause of this phenomenon, as well as appearing on the right, may be Raynaud's disease. The term refers to a complication that forms against the background of acute infection. A distinctive feature is unpredictable vascular spasms that disrupt the work of arteries. At the same time, parts of the body suffer from ischemia, tissues do not receive the necessary oxygen. Such attacks are observed against a background of viral invasion, prolonged exposure to cold, sunlight, stressful situations. One of the factors that suspect Raynaud's disease is numbness, accompanied by itching and a change in the shade of the skin in the direction of blue.
In each individual case, it is better to consult a doctor to find out why the foot is numb. The cause may be high blood pressure. With hypertension, blood flow disturbances are observed, tissues do not receive the nutrition necessary for normal functioning.
Situation development
It is likely that a person develops any of the above pathologies, but previously paresthesia did not appear. If suddenly the situation changed, and numbness began to worry, you need to see a doctor. It is a mistake to assume that this is a normal manifestation. If the feet are numb, the cause and what to do should be determined by the doctor leading the case. Perhaps the disease was complicated by another, there is a likelihood of a worsening of the current one. If paresthesia is observed against the background of dizziness, general weakness, when coordination problems are worried, you should make an appointment as soon as possible.
Neurologists and endocrinologists will come to the aid to determine the causes and selection of therapy. Sometimes the assistance of a vascular surgeon or cardiologist, a professional in the field of manual therapy or a neurosurgeon is necessary. The only way to treat paresthesia is to combat the cause of the phenomenon.
Features of the fight
It happens that a person has a numb left foot. The causes and treatment of this phenomenon according to the results of the doctor’s examination can be as follows: pathological processes affecting the nerve endings requiring compression exclusion. If it turns out to remove the provoking factor, the advancement of the impulses of the nervous system will be restored, numbness will go away. Muscle relaxants are used to combat pathology. Such medicines relax, inhibit the activity of inflammatory foci, relieve soreness, if any. Sometimes doctors recommend using "Midokalm", "Nimbex", "Esmeron". The frequency of use of the drug is up to three times daily. Dosage is determined by age, pathology, tolerance. The duration of admission is chosen by the attending physician.
Sometimes a vitamin course allows you to exclude factors from which the feet become numb. The doctor will tell you the reasons and how to treat at the reception, choosing the optimal vitamin complex for a particular case, everything will depend on the lack of a trace element in the patient's body. Vitamins help increase the body's ability to withstand aggressive factors, reduce the tendency to swelling. Vitamins are necessary for the normalization of blood flow, the transport of impulses by the nervous system. A comprehensive program allows you to deal with spasms, overstrain, increased tone.
Factors and the fight against them
As the doctors say, people often come to the reception for whom, against the background of the fact that the foot is numb, the right leg, treatment. The cause of the phenomenon (equally the left half of the body, and symmetrical) may be an infectious disease. This requires a course of antibiotics. Immunostimulants are also prescribed. Among the most common antibiotics, the Grammidin, Zinnat, and Sumamed drugs are worth mentioning. The choice in favor of a particular one depends on the characteristics of the disease. The duration of the course in most cases is no more than two weeks. The frequency of use of the composition is from one to three times daily.
To minimize risks and increase the effectiveness of drug treatment, it is necessary to supplement the therapeutic program with gymnastics. It is recommended that you start the morning with exercise, and choose sports as your daily habit.
Sometimes they help if the feet are numb, folk remedies. The causes of the phenomenon, as indicated above, may be different, but the recommendations of alternative medicine are common for everyone: you need to eat balanced, in moderation. It is important to monitor the saturation of the diet with proteins, carbohydrates, lipids. You can not eat any one nutrient, neglecting others. It is wise to abandon bad habits, exclude tobacco products and alcohol from everyday life, since these are very toxic substances that aggressively affect internal organs and constrict vessels, which leads to spasm. With a tendency to numbness, it is recommended to exclude strong coffee and black tea from the menu.
What is statistics talking about?
From medical reports it is known that up to 70% of patients who go to the doctor because of numbness of the legs suffer from osteochondrosis. This is largely due to the widespread occurrence of this disease. The process is accompanied by cartilage dystrophy, impaired elements of the nervous system, disruption of blood flow and impaired limb performance. Many factors are known due to which osteochondrosis is possible. In some, everything is explained by genetic propensity, in others, the reason is age-related changes. Osteochondrosis worries those who lead a sedentary life, and also regularly encounters unbalanced loads. With osteochondrosis, not only the feet, but also the knee are often numb.
Do not underestimate the risk of osteochondrosis. This pathology initiates the transformation of organic tissues, as a result, the blood flow in the extremities is disrupted. Therapy of the disease should be comprehensive. Duration is determined by the stage and features of the case. , – . , .
Conservative treatment is medication and exercise, and surgical treatment is indicated, if no positive changes are observed, the disease progresses, despite the long duration of mild correction. With osteochondrosis, it is important to eat properly and clearly follow the doctor's instructions in the aspects of rehabilitation.
Hernia
Sometimes paresthesia is caused by a hernia. This is formed if the pulpous center of the disk between the vertebrae is displaced, at the same time the integrity of the fibrous ring is violated. A hernia is often formed in the lumbar region or sacrum. Numbness, the accompanying phenomenon, is chronic. If a hernia is just beginning to develop, paresthesia is observed against a background of weak legs, soreness. There may be problems with emptying the bladder, impaired functioning of the pelvic organs.
The cause of a hernia is the inability of muscle tissue to cope with the stresses that the vertebral column undergoes due to the lifestyle of a person. There is a shift in the area located in the spine, the tissues are torn.
Home treatment
According to qualified specialists, healer recipes in the fight against paresthesia are ineffective. There are several well-known home-made medicines, but all of them, as professionals say, are extremely doubtful. Some advise making cucumber tincture. To make it, you need three pickles. The products are cut into cubes, put in a jar, add hot chopped pepper (three pods), half a liter of vodka. A homemade drug is insisted for a week and rubbed in the evenings into sore areas of the leg.
If the foot of the right leg is numb, treatment and causes are closely related. You can try to eliminate the pathology using a compress with lilacs. To prepare it, take a glass of inflorescences take half a liter of vodka, insist a couple of weeks in a cool room. In the finished liquid, the fabric is soaked, the fabric is applied to the numb area. The duration of therapy is a couple of weeks, the frequency is daily once.