Numbness in the limbs can be caused by many reasons such as spinal disc herniation, spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, stroke, radiculopathy, and atherosclerosis.
Numbness in the hands and feet is a common condition, can be found at any age, affecting the patient’s daily life. Initially, the signs are often very mild, the patient only feels numbness in the fingertips, tingling, paraesthesia, tingling, cramps, aches and pains…
Over time, the level of numbness and pain increases, the fingers become more numb and painful, spreading down the arm and forearm, making it difficult to move and grasp. The toes, feet, ankles, calves, thighs, buttocks, and lumbar region can also experience similar symptoms.
MSc. Dr. Pham Thi Xuan Thu, Orthopedic Trauma Center, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that there are many causes of numbness in hands and feet, the most common of which are the following diseases:
Herniated disc: The intervertebral disc has a cartilaginous structure, a cavity located between the vertebrae. Disc herniation is a phenomenon in which one or more intervertebral discs located between the back and neck vertebrae are damaged and slip out of their original position. They press on the spinal cord and nerves in the spinal canal, leading to pain and local sensory disorders such as numbness in the limbs.
Numbness in the hands and feet is a common condition and can warn of many diseases. Image: Phi Hong
Spinal stenosis: This is a condition in which the space inside the spinal canal is narrowed, causing pressure on the nerve roots and spinal cord as they pass through the spine. Spinal stenosis has diverse symptoms that vary from person to person, such as pain from the neck spreading to the shoulders and arms, back pain spreading to the buttocks, thighs and legs, numbness in the arms and legs, muscle weakness in the arms or legs. When the stenosis is severe…
Degenerative spine: This disease causes cartilage and vertebrae to wear away and the degenerative spur complex can compress nerve roots, causing pain and numbness in the neck area that spreads down to the arms or pain from the lower back down to the legs.
Carpal tunnel syndrome: The carpal tunnel is a tunnel that runs through the middle of the wrist. In the middle of this tunnel is the median nerve, which is responsible for providing sensation to the fingers including the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and part of the ring finger. A compressed median nerve can cause symptoms of numbness, tingling in the hand and fingers, and more severe symptoms include loss of sensation and muscle weakness in the hand area.
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: These two diseases cause damage to articular cartilage and progressive arthritis in the joints of the hands, wrists, knees, ankles, and feet. Patients may also experience numbness in their limbs and limited movement.
Stroke: Numbness in the limbs can be a sign of a stroke if combined with symptoms such as sudden weakness or numbness in the arms or legs. Especially if the symptoms are only on one side of the body, difficulty or slurred speech, misaligned vision, sudden dizziness or loss of balance, sudden severe headache…
Multiple sclerosis: In patients with multiple sclerosis, the immune system attacks the protective coating around nerve fibers. Symptoms depend on the affected nerve. Numbness and tingling are among the most common multiple sclerosis symptoms.
Polyradiculoneuritis: Occurs when the peripheral nervous system is damaged, causing sensory disturbances, leading to numbness in the limbs. If not detected and treated promptly, the patient may die from respiratory failure and pulmonary aspiration.
Atherosclerosis: This is the leading cause of myocardial infarction, stroke, and cerebrovascular accident. Numbness in the limbs is caused by atherosclerotic plaques that adhere to the blood vessel walls, causing hardening, narrowing of the lumen, and compression of the nerves.
Diabetes:High blood sugar levels over a long period of time can lead to nerve damage called diabetic peripheral neuropathy. This causes nerve damage that results in numbness and tingling in the arms, hands, and feet.
Thyroid disorders: The thyroid gland produces hormones that help regulate the body’s metabolism. Untreated thyroid disorders can damage the sensory nerves to the arms and legs, causing numbness and weakness.
Raynaud’s syndrome: This syndrome occurs when inflammation of the blood vessels leads to narrowing, limiting blood flow to the hands and feet. The lack of blood supply causes the fingers and toes to become numb, cold, pale, and very painful. Symptoms are often worse when the hands and feet are cold or tense.
Lack of vitamins or minerals can also cause numbness in the hands and feet. Vitamin B12 is necessary for healthy nerve function. Vitamin B12 deficiency causes numbness or tingling in the hands and feet. Accompanying symptoms may include fatigue, difficulty maintaining balance, difficulty seeing straight, hallucinations, etc.
Doctor Thu consults on patient’s health condition. Illustration photo: Tam Anh General Hospital
In addition to pathological causes, numbness in the limbs can occur due to incorrect posture such as lying on your side, using a pillow that is too high, carrying heavy objects, sitting or standing in one position for too long, or being lazy to exercise… Accidents such as falls and collisions can also damage peripheral nerves, causing numbness in the limbs. Prolonged stress and fatigue can stimulate nerve cells near the skin’s surface, causing itching and numbness.
Dr. Thu said that many people tend to take hand and foot numbness lightly, or even ignore treatment. Over time, this condition can cause prolonged discomfort, loss of appetite, insomnia, affect motor function, difficulty walking, grasping, incontinence, muscle atrophy, limb paralysis… If symptoms appear continuously and last for more than 6 weeks, the patient should go to the hospital for examination. In cases where hand and foot numbness only appears for less than 5 weeks, it may be due to mechanical factors and requires further monitoring.