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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffNumbness describes a loss of sensation or feeling in a part of your body. Numbness is usually caused by irritation or compression of a branch of a nerve in the periphery of your body. Diseases affecting the peripheral nerves, such as diabetes, also can cause numbness. Rarely, numbness can be caused by problems in your brain or spinal cord.
Typically, numbness is similar to having your leg fall asleep. Fortunately, numbness by itself is only rarely associated with potentially life-threatening disorders such as strokes or tumors.
Your doctor will need detailed information about your symptoms to diagnose the cause of your numbness. A variety of tests may be needed to confirm the cause before appropriate treatment can begin.
- Briemberg HR, et al. Approach to the patient with sensory loss. http://www.uptodate.com/ome/index.html. Accessed Aug. 20, 2010.
- Paresthesias. In: Ferri FF. Practical Guide to the Care of the Medical Patient. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Mosby; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/website/view/preview?printing=true&URL=http%3A//www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/215581151-4/1041808883/1417/265.html%3Fprinting%3Dtrue%234-u1.0-B978-0-323-04836-1..50005-8--cesec298_322. Accessed Aug. 20, 2010.
- Stroke: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/detail_stroke.htm. Accessed Aug. 20, 2010.
- Rosenfeld J, et al. Numbness: A practical guide for family physicians. American Academy of Neurology. http://www.aan.com/familypractice/pdf/FINAL%20NUMBNESS%203.pdf. Accessed Aug. 20, 2010.
- Raynaud's disease. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/raynaud/ray_all.html. Accessed Aug. 20, 2010.
- Numbness. National Multiple Sclerosis Society. http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/what-we-know-about-ms/symptoms/numbness/index.aspx. Accessed Aug. 20, 2010.
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