What Causes Leg Numbness at Night?
Causes of leg numbness, which sometimes worsens at night, include inadequate blood flow to a particular area, nerve damage, infection, trauma and inflammation, states Healthgrades. The symptom rarely indicates a severe condition, but it can signal stroke or tumor.
Leg numbness involves a loss of feeling in the legs that sometimes reaches the toes, and it occurs in a single leg or both legs, explains Healthgrades. Prickling or burning sensations, known as paresthesias, typically occur alongside leg numbness that commonly aggravates at night. Prolonged sitting with the legs crossed causes pressure on nerves and leads to temporary leg numbness that subsides quickly.
A compressed nerve in the lower back causes leg numbness and pain in the legs and back, according to Healthgrades. Numbness in both legs possibly results from a more generalized condition, such as pernicious anemia or multiple sclerosis, affecting different body parts. Multiple sclerosis is a serious condition that also causes tingling and intense itchiness. Other causes of numb legs include neurological conditions, such as alcoholism, hypothyroidism, heavy metal poisoning, diabetic neuropathy, and injury to the neck or back.
Prompt medical treatment is necessary for leg numbness with accompanying symptoms, such as leg weakness, slurred speech, paralysis, confusion or lack of bladder control, notes Healthgrades. Chronic leg numbness is likely a symptom of nerve damage.
