I know the regular qualifications, you are not a doctor, let alone my doctor and this does not constitute medical advice. If it don’t get any better by tomorrow I will probably see a real doctor.
But I noticed this morning at work that there is a numb spot on my upper calf. Just below the kneecap, extending to the right, roughly “D” shaped and no more than an inch or two in any direction, nothing to the left past the shin bone. No pain, redness or swelling, seems pink and warm, so I figure the blood flow hasn’t been cut off, and it’s gotten no worse or better since about 9:30 or 10 this morning. Pretty sure it wasn’t there when I showered this morning, I only noticed when my leg was itchy and I randomly crossed over into the numb spot.
Is this something I should be worried about?
Probably not the same thing, but I have had almost exactly the same symptoms on my right calf, just below and to the right of the patella, for maybe 40 years. It’s never gotten better or worse, and I only notice if, like you, I go to scratch that spot or something like that.
I think I know what caused mine, however, and this is probably not the same cause as yours (or you would probably remember). Just before I first noticed this, I was running up some concrete steps and fell hard at the landing on my right knee. Hurt like hell for a couple of hours, I guess. A few days later, after all the pain was gone, I first noticed this numb spot. I figured I had jammed a nerve when I fell.
Roddy
My thought is it’s a nerve problem, because one it hasn’t gotten any worse in almost 8 hours and it gets marginally better when I sit down.
I just figured I’d ask the teeming millions incase I’m a moron medically and I should be HEADING TO A DOCTOR RIGHT NOW!!!
ETA: I should mention that it’s not “pins and needles” numb, but it’s more like the dentist went to give me some novacaine and hit my leg instead
Hey, I once had a numb spot on my right calf, about the same size too. Mine was a little more lateral than yours sounds.
So anyway, it persisted for, I dunno, months. Every so often I would notice it and think “hey is that bad?”. At some point the same area started flaring with ripping nervy pain in response to some movements and I finally went to the doctor.
After one of the most painful medical procedures of my life (including my four unmedicated births mind you), a nerve conduction study, one of the most frightening medical procedures of my life, an MRI (hey, I have claustrophobia! Who knew? Not me, not until I was screaming like I was being tortured) and a very low-tech uneventful neurological exam, it was determined that the numb spot was no big deal and would probably go away on its own.
After several years it went away. Hope yours does too.
I’ve had a similar-sized numb spot on one leg off and on for 20 years. Not in the same location as you, but in a consistent location on me. Docs have always just shrugged and said “sometimes that happens.”
I suggest you do go ahead & see your GP as soon as it’s convenient, but I’d also suggest that panicking is unneccessary.
Sounds pretty serious. No time to get to a doctor. Go to your garage and apply a disc sander to the numb spot until it is gone (you should be able to tell).
That would cut away a LOT more flesh than strictly needed - much too deep. A disc sander is similarly overkill - not as deep, but it’d take off much more area than needed.
Haven’t you people ever heard of lemon zesters??? :rolleyes:
Sounds like a lateral cutaneous sural nerve mononeuropathy. As long as you dont get any muscle weakness and the numbness stays the same over time, you should be okay sticking it out. Just with that complaint, a doctor isnt going to do anything. The pattern you describe isnt consistent with a brain or spinal root problem. These sorts of things arent uncommon, and are usually caused by local viral infections or trauma.
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