What Causes Numbness in the Legs?
Sciatica Clinic Chicago
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Introduction
Numbness in the legs can be caused by an underlying medical condition or from a pinched nerve. Sciatica is caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve and is often accompanied by pain and other symptoms, such as muscle spasms. Degenerative disc disease causes back pain from herniated discs in the spine. Muscle spasms in the leg may also cause numbness, especially if there is a pinched nerve.
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is a pain that runs along the sciatic nerve, which runs from your low back down to your foot. The pain may be sharp or burning and feel like an electrical shock when you move. It may radiate down into one leg, causing it to feel numb or weak. Sciatica can also cause an intense deep ache that gets worse when sitting or standing for long periods of time.
What Causes Degenerative disc disease?
Degenerative disc disease is a common condition that causes pain, numbness and tingling in the lower back and legs. Degenerative disc disease occurs when the discs between the vertebrae in your spine begin to break down, causing them to become less flexible. As a result, there is less space between each vertebrae and this puts stress on surrounding ligaments, tendons and nerves. This can lead to pain or discomfort anywhere from your low back to your buttocks or legs depending on where the affected disc is located.
Muscle spasms
Muscle spasms are common among people who have MS. This is because stress, including physical injuries or over-exercising, can trigger muscle spasms. Your doctor may prescribe a muscle relaxant for you if your legs begin to feel numb and tingly.
- A muscle spasm is an involuntary contraction of a group of muscles that lasts from several seconds to several minutes. It most commonly affects the neck and back but can happen anywhere in the body.
- There are many potential causes of muscle spasms, including stress (either mental or physical), injury, excess caffeine intake and alcohol consumption.
Numbness in the legs may be caused by an underlying medical condition or from a pinched nerve.
Numbness in the legs may be caused by an underlying medical condition, like a pinched nerve, or from a bulging disc or degenerative disc disease. Numbness can also be caused by kidney disease and sciatica. When you have numbness in your legs, there are three main things that could be causing it:
- A pinched nerve in the back is one of the most common causes of pain and numbness in your low back and buttocks area (called lumbar spine).
- Bulging discs are often called herniated discs because they protrude into neighboring spaces between vertebrae. These can press on nerves that travel down both sides of your spine (called sciatica).
- Back muscle spasms around a nerve root cause inflammation which can cause symptoms similar to those associated with other types of spinal problems such as arthritis or stenosis (narrowing) of an intervertebral space due to bone growths called osteophytes forming around joints where bones meet each other at joints such as those found within our spine.
Conclusion
In most cases, numbness in the legs can be treated with physical therapy or medication. When you feel any sort of pain in your legs and feet, it’s important to see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis. If you have any questions about numbness in the legs, please contact one of our board-certified orthopedic surgeons today!
If you are experiencing a sharp pain in your back American Back Center can help to heal you. We have been in business for over 20 years and have successfully treated thousands of patients.
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