Numb Toes

Numbness in toes can either be limited to one toe or it may be experienced in all the toes. Whatever might be the case, this condition can be highly discomforting for a person. Most of the time, they are either caused when the blood circulation in and around the toes is greatly reduced or if the person has experienced nerve damage.

Arteriovenous malformation, peripheral artery disease, Buerger's Disease, deep vein thrombosis, frostbite - all these can lead to circulation problems in foot, resulting in numbness. However, these are not the only causes behind this condition, as there are numerous others too. Have a look...

Numb toes can be experienced if the person is wearing the wrong kind of footwear. The numbness resulting from wearing high heels or from wearing shoes which are slightly small in size, is very commonly experienced by people.

One of the causes, especially experienced by women, is bunions. Bunions is a deformity that affects the large toe, mainly because of wearing shoes that squeeze all the toes tightly. Bunions, if not treated in time, can spread pain and numbness in the other toes as well.

If someone has flat feet or has high arches, it might put stress on his feet and toes while walking, resulting in numbness. People who have problems in the joints, such as those who have arthritis, may experience this too.

Numbness in leg, particularly toes, could be caused due to a fracture in the bone or a joint of the toes. Any trauma caused to the toes, due to some heavy object falling on it or if some surgery has been conducted on the toes, can irritate the nerves, causing numbness in the process. If any joint in the toe gets dislocated, it can make the toes numb too.

Neuroma is a condition which is associated with an unnatural growth of the nerve. Due to this condition, the messages are not properly transmitted by the nerves, causing numbness in toes. Due to neuroma, the symptoms might spread to the base of the foot, resulting in pain and difficulty in walking.

Peripheral neuropathy is a problem of the blood vessels in the leg and feet of a person. Besides numb feet and toes, this condition can cause sores in the feet, which do not heal easily.

Certain illnesses and medical conditions, such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, leprosy, tumors in the spinal cord, gout, restless leg syndrome, anemia, spondylolisthesis and stroke can cause numbness in toes.

If the numb toes are caused due to ill fitting footwear, changing to a more suitable, comfortable pair of shoes will help in getting rid of the problem. If it is caused due to arched or flat feet, then consulting a podiatrist to identify the foot type, and suggest shoes accordingly, is a good idea.

The treatment depends on the underlying cause which is behind this condition. For example, if the numbness in hands and feet is due to diabetes or gout or peripheral neuropathy, then taking treatment and medication for these conditions might help to minimize the numbness.

Side by side the medical treatments, opting for massages, or other kinds of physical therapies, will bring relief from the associated pain too.

Numbness in toes, as you can gauge from above, can sometimes be due to some very serious underlying cause.

So contacting a doctor immediately, especially if the symptoms such as loss of bowel control, confusion, weakness in the foot, paralysis, problems in speech and severe pain are also experienced, along with the numbness, is a must for timely diagnosis and treatment.