Leg Pain and Numbness

Pain in any part of the body is quite a common symptom that can result due to a variety of reasons. However, when one observes pain along with numbness or a tingling sensation, one cannot ignore it. Numbness is a tingling sensation or a loss of sensation that one experiences in the part of the body due to different reasons.

Causes of Pain and Numbness in Feet
One of the most common and minor causes of numbness and pain in the leg is sitting cross-legged or with the foot under the body for a long time. This is not a serious condition, however, sitting in the similar position frequently for a longer time can result in the damage of the peroneal nerve.

Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition that arises when the tarsal nerve is inflamed, impinged or compressed in the tarsal tunnel. This condition is similar to the carpal tunnel syndrome observed in hands. Rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, incorrect sports activities, etc. can give rise to this syndrome. Symptoms of it include pain and burning sensation in the leg or toes, swelling in feet, etc.

Sciatica
Sciatica is a condition that results due to compression of the sciatic or the ischiatic nerve that arises from the lower back and runs down the leg. Disc herniation, injury or trauma are the common causes of sciatica whereas pain that arises in the lower back and runs down in one of the leg is the classic symptom of it. Apart from that, burning and tingling sensation in the thigh and leg are the other symptoms. This is also one of the major causes of leg pain and numbness during pregnancy.

Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is caused due to narrowing of certain areas in the spine that result in compression of the spinal cord or the spinal nerves. If the nerves of the lower back get compressed, one experiences pain and burning or tingling sensation in the leg. Spinal tumor, spinal injuries, osteoarthritis, etc. are the common causes of spinal stenosis.

Injury
Injury or fracture in the leg is yet another important cause. Injury can occur due to a variety of reasons which can sometimes, even lead to broken leg. Pain, tenderness, cramps, numbness, swelling are the symptoms of a broken leg or fracture in the bones of the leg.

Apart from these, severe arthritis, herniated disc, spondylolisthesis, etc. are the other causes of pain accompanied with numbness in feet. As mentioned above, these are quite serious conditions and hence, one needs to consult the doctor if one experiences any of the above mentioned symptoms.

Treatment of Pain and Numbness
The doctor may advise the person to undergo X-ray or MRI in order to diagnose the condition. Primarily, in case of tarsal tunnel syndrome, medications may be given to ease the pain and swelling. Secondly the doctors may even advice physiotherapy to treat the condition. However, if none of these treatment methods work, the patient may be required to undergo a surgery. The treatment for sciatica includes bed rest, physiotherapy, medications to relieve pain, etc. Similar to the above cases, spinal stenosis is also treated with the help of medications, therapy and surgery (only in extreme cases). The treatment of injury completely depends on the severity of the condition and varies accordingly.

One should remember that all the above mentioned conditions can be treated effectively if timely treatment is undertaken. Therefore, it is advised to not to ignore these symptoms, but, to heed to them immediately. This write-up is to be used only for educational and informative purposes. Take care!