Did you know that, typically,numbness in feet is not something serious, but in some cases, it can be a sign of a severe medical condition that needs medical attention? Learn what causes numbness in the feet and when you should worry about it. Get a consultationwith the best Podiatrists in Brooklyn.
Causes of Numbness in Feet
Many different causes lead to numbness in the feet. Some are temporary, such as sitting cross-legged for hours, standing or sitting too long, twisted ankles, and wearing tight socks, shoes, or pants. Other causes might indicate a deeper problem that needs medical attention, such as:
- Nerve damage or compression:
Injury or compression of the nerves in the foot, leg, or back can cause foot numbness. It can be caused by something minor, like wearing tight shoes or sitting on your foot, or something serious, like the following causes:
- Peripheral neuropathy: It involves damage to the nervous system. Peripheral nerves send signals from the brain to the spinal cord to the rest of the body. Getting any such nerve damaged can cause tingling and numbness.
- Lumbar spine (low back) pinched nerve: This occurs when the nerve root of the lower back gets damaged and leads to numbness in the leg or foot.
- Degenerative disc disease: As you age, wear and tear of joints in the lower back can lead to numbness and weakness in the lower body parts.
- Spinal cord injury: If your spinal cord is injured, it causes numbness in mild cases and paralysis in severe cases.
- Poor circulation:
Having problems in blood vessels may cause foot numbness, such as:
- Peripheral artery disease (PAD): This is a type of peripheral vascular disease (PVD) that specifically affects the arteries in the legs and arms. These arteries get narrowed due to plaque buildup, which lowers the blood flow to limbs, causing numbness in the feet and other extremities.
- Diabetic neuropathy: Not managing diabetes properly can damage your nerves. Its common symptom is numbness in the hands or feet of both sides.
- Medical conditions:
Different health conditions (involving neurological and mental health conditions) can cause foot numbness as their common symptom, such as:
- Small fiber sensory neuropathy: This disorder affects small sensory nerves that make you feel like pins and needles, pain, tingling, and numbness that start from the feet and progress upwards.
- Hypothyroidism: This condition occurs when the thyroid gland is underactive and not able to produce enough thyroid hormone in the body. It can cause different symptoms, which also include foot numbness, burning, and tingling.
- Kidney failure: If your kidneys fail for any reason, it can lead to muscle cramps, weakness, or numbness in the feet.
- Multiple sclerosis: This condition occurs when the immune system attacks myelin, the protective layer of the nerves, which results in nerve damage and communication disruption between nerves, usually causing numbness in the feet, or can lead to more severe symptoms.
- Lyme disease: It is an inflammatory disease caused by a tick bite, which can cause peripheral neuropathy if left untreated, causing foot numbness.
- Morton’s neuroma: It is a benign tumor of a nerve, which causes discomfort in the foot, involving numbness in the toes.
- Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS): This is a rare neurological disorder that occurs when the immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system, and one of its symptoms is numbness and weakness in the feet.
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: It occurs when a group of inherited neurological disorders affects peripheral nerves, causing loss of sensation along with weakness and numbness in the legs and feet.
- Lupus: This is an autoimmune disease that makes the immune system attack the nerves of the body, causing numbness, tingling, and in some cases, inability to move body parts.
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): It is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and pain, which affects nerves and leads to numbness.
- Stroke: Stroke occurs when blood flows to your brain is blocked or there’s bleeding in the brain, which causes weakness and numbness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
- Shingles: It is a viral condition that occurs when you get infected with the varicella-zoster virus. Its early symptoms include tingling, pain, and burning on one side of the body. Feet numbness might be an early symptom or a long-term complication.
- Anxiety: Anxiety disorders and panic attacks typically cause physical symptoms, which include tingling and numbness in the hands and feet.
- Vitamin deficiency (especially B12): Having a deficiency in vitamin B12 can cause symptoms like numbness and tingling in the feet as an early symptom or long-term complication.
- Other factors:
Besides the above-mentioned causes, some other factors also cause foot numbness, such as:
- Frostbite: Numbness is a very common sign of frostbite, along with redness, pain, blisters, and waxy skin.
- Heavy alcohol use: Excessive drinking can lead to nerve damage, causing symptoms like numbness, a feeling of pins and needles, and other painful sensations.
- Medication side effects: Medications like chemotherapy can sometimes damage the peripheral nerves and cause numbness, weakness, and pain.
When to worry?
Numbness in the foot is generally temporary, but you should see a doctor if:
- Numbness doesn’t get better after resting (indicating nerve or circulation issues).
- Numbness comes along with pain, redness, or swelling.
- You are struggling with walking or standing, which indicates a serious nerve problem.
- Additional sensations like tingling, burning, tics, or itching.
- Vision changes or dizziness
You should seek emergency care immediately if foot numbness occurs with any of these symptoms, such as:
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Loss-consciousness
- Difficulty speaking
- Severe headache
- Inability to control movement
- Numbness after a head, back, or neck injury
Numbness in the feet can be due to various reasons. While most of them aren’t serious, some need medical attention. Make sure that when you have the above-mentioned symptoms along with numbness in your feet, you seek medical attention immediately.
Need help with foot numbness? Visit our podiatry clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment now!!!! At Doral Health & Wellness, we have Podiatrists with extensive education and expertise. If you’re ready to take the next step in managing your pain, we recommend consulting with our healthcare provider to explore the right treatments or therapies for you.
Always listen to your body and adjust your daily routine to prioritize your well-being. Trauma to the tendons, muscles, and bones of the foot is quite common. It’s not a good idea to put off seeing FootDoctor Brooklyn until you are in a lot of pain. Our address is 1797 Pitkin Avenue, New York, NY 11212. To make an appointment, please call +1 718 367 2555 or send an email toinfo@doralhw.org.
