A sensation in the legs that indicates diabetes or multiple sclerosis

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According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, numbness of the face, body, or extremities (hands and feet) is one of the most common symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and can occur very early in the disease.

But numbness or tingling in the leg pain can be caused by a number of conditions other than multiple sclerosis, some of which can be cured or reversed.

This means that while multiple sclerosis may be the cause of what's happening in your legs, you shouldn't assume that it is. Sometimes numbness in the feet can be a sign of an undiagnosed condition, such as diabetes or a nutritional deficiency, that requires urgent treatment.

Here are some of the more common causes of numbness or tingling in the feet, as well as some of the signs that may indicate one or another condition.

It is important to note that only a doctor can determine what is causing your foot symptoms, and you should report any changes in sensation in your feet (or anywhere else in your body ) neurologist or primary care physician.

Another sure sign that multiple sclerosis is the cause is if you experience weakness in the same area as the numbness or in the opposite leg.

“People with multiple sclerosis may have more weakness with one side and more numbness on the other,” notes physician and professor Nancy Nilon.

To determine whether foot symptoms are caused by multiple sclerosis, according to Nilon, a neurologist will most likely perform a physical exam that will measure your response to vibration and temperature changes in that area.

Your doctor will also want to test your reflexes, which are more likely to be MS than other potential causes of foot numbness.

Some symptoms may prompt your doctor to consider conditions other than multiple sclerosis.

“Often the location of the discomfort indicates something else,” says Nilon, because multiple sclerosis rarely causes changes in sensation in just one area of ​​the foot, such as , in the heel or big toe”.