numbness

Hi! My little toe and the next toe near it on my right foot and the nerve at sole that goes to this toes and the side of foot near the little toe has felt numb for the last two months. Sometimes I feel pain in the foot when I walk and also at night. It is most noticeable when I walk. It started when I sat in a car for three hours and I got a lot of pain at the backside of my leg.  Next day the pain in the leg had disappeared and my foot got numbed instead. My reflexes seems normal. I have no spine problems that I know of. What are the possible causes? Should I be concerned? What can I do?

[Adam Tanase, D.C.]

Depending on your age and activity levels, it could be a spinal disc-related issue, stenosis, or nerve root irritation.

Problems of this nature can be self-limiting, but I would suggest you receive appropriate examination to determine the exact cause. This can be done through a chiropractor or spinal orthopedist.