What's Causing My Feet to Feel Numb?

Your nerves play a huge role in your body’s ability to communicate what it’s feeling. If you touch something that’s overly hot, for example, your nerves communicate that to your brain, warning you of the danger. This allows you to pull your hand away and prevent yourself from getting burned.

Sometimes, though, that communication system breaks down. That can lead to numbness in the area. In other words, if you’re feeling numb in your feet, it could be a nerve problem.

We can help. As a specialist in neuropathy, which is nerve dysfunction, Dr. Jonathan Carlson can help you find out what’s going on with your feet. He then works with you to find treatment to alleviate your symptoms and protect your nerves. If you’ve been dealing with persistent numbness, visit Dr. Carlson at Hawai’i Pain and Spine on the Windward side of O’ahu in Kailua. 

What causes numbness in your feet

Some numbness and tingling in your feet is temporary. If you cross your legs for too long, for example, it can cut off circulation and lead to your foot “falling asleep.”

But if you consistently have numbness in your feet, a health condition could be to blame. Those include:

• Neuropathy caused by diabetes or other conditions
• Fibromyalgia
• Multiple sclerosis
• Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
• Sciatica
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome

With a lot of these conditions, the numbness arises because something is going wrong with your nerves. With diabetic neuropathy, for example, high blood sugar levels damage the nerves. Or with sciatica, the sciatic nerve that runs down your buttock and leg gets compressed.

In other words, restoring sensation to your feet often centers around addressing the underlying nerve problem.

Addressing foot numbness by treating nerve issues 

Dr. Carlson treats foot numbness by finding out what’s behind the issue. If inflammation or another problem is creating pressure on nerves and causing your numbness, he might recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or corticosteroid injections.

If your numbness comes from neuropathy, treating it often means managing the underlying condition. At the same time, Dr. Carlson may recommend specific treatment to help to restore sensation. Some of the innovative options he offers include:

• Laser therapy
• Neuromodulation
• Regenerative medicine treatments
• Spinal cord stimulation

If you’ve been experiencing persistent foot numbness, don’t wait to visit Dr. Carlson so you can find out why. In some cases, seeking treatment means intervening before a condition can cause lasting damage to your nerves.

For the care you need to protect your feet, we’re here. Schedule an appointment by calling our office today.