Re: Numbness and tingling in the legs and feet

Posted By CCF Neurology W6 MD on November 25, 1998 at 20:25:39:

In Reply to: Numbness and tingling in the legs and feet posted by Ted on November 23, 1998 at 13:06:56:






I have numbness and tingling in my legs and feet.  It is more prominent in my right leg but occurs also in my left.  It is brought on by sitting for any period of time.  Driving a car is guaranteed to produce it within minutes.  Sitting at the compuer (in a "good" Aeron chair) will cause my three smallest toes to go numb and a "hot" feeling to radiate across my knees.  The numbness starts on the back of my thighs but can be felt in my lower legs too.
I have had an MRI which showed a cavernous hemangioma in L4 and a very slight herniation of the L5-S1 disk.  My Orthopedist says that neither is likely the cause.  He has ordered an additional thoracic MRI and says if that doesn't suggest anything, he'll refer me to a Neurologist.
I am a 53-year old male in otherwise good health.  Any suggestions will be appreciated.
   =
Dear Ted,
thank you for the question.
You should get an appointment with a neurologist who then will do a thorough examination. He/she may order an EMG/NCS to evaluate if the problem results from a pinched nerve in your back (not likely from your description above) or further down after it comes out of the spinal cord.
The sciatic nerve (the longest one in the body) may be affected along its long course and can cause numbness in foot or tingling. Sitting (which causes pressure on the gluteal region and sometimes the nerve in some individual (anomaly or especially thin) can result in the symptoms.
Please don't hesitate to post follow up question or comment.
Good luck.

[oders]

A related discussion, treatmeant was started.

[oders]

A related discussion, treatmeant was started.

[oders]

A related discussion, treatmeant was started.