Leg Numbness or Paresthesia

Legs | Neurology | Leg Numbness or Paresthesia (Symptom)


Description

The numbness of the legs is an abnormal condition in which you feel a loss of sensation in the legs. You can have numbness in one leg (unilateral) or both legs (bilateral leg numbness). Numbness may also extend to toes.

Causes

Numbness of the legs is usually due to lack of blood supply to the area or nerve damage. Numbness in the legs can also result from infection, inflammation, trauma, and other abnormal processes. Most cases of numbness in the legs are not due to life-threatening disorder, but occur with stroke and tumours. Depending on the cause, loss of sensation may disappear quickly, such as numbness in the buttocks and legs after sitting cross-legged for long. Numbness can occur suddenly or gradually. The chronic numbness in the legs usually indicates some degree of nerve damage.

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