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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Why does my leg go numb when I run?

    Lately when I have gone for a run my left leg from my knee down has gone numb around ten minutes in.

    On my last run I got to 2km and had to stop because I couldn't feel it, it took 3 hours after this run for my leg to feel normal again.

    It worried me a bit so I booked into a GP and he told me to stop running and playing netball i.e. stop high impact sports. My problem is this is that he isn't really identifying a problem and I LOVE netball and enjoy running.

    Additional details, I have a lipoma (diagnosed in the same appointment) in my lower back on left side just above buttocks which does cause pain. Also have a large ganglion cyst on left foot.

    Could either lump be causing numbness by putting pressure on a nerve? Any other suggestions & any recommendations for treatment?
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    Andrew has a Masters in Chiropractic and his interest in Sports Chiropractic has led him to treat many athletes from junior to elite levels in … View Profile

    This is probably something you would want a physical therapist (Chiro, physio, osteo etc) to examine a little closer.

    Numbness in the leg can be caused by several things. Possibly peripheral nerve entrapments, vascular or arterial causes and even spinal canal stenosis in the lumbar spine. The term intermittent claudication or neurogenic claudication refers to a numbness that comes on with exertion and is relieved with a period of rest.

    To properly diagnose the condition, a thorough history, physical examination and assessment will determine what the true cause of the numbness is. Often a scan maybe required to investigate things further.
    The limpoma and ganglion cyst may be unrelated to the numbness. There are other more common causes are mentioned above that you would most certainly want to rule out first.

    Hope this helps!

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    Ali treats people from all walks of life and a variety of complaints. His interests lie in treating and rehabilitating sports injuries, treating headaches and … View Profile

    Numbess is usually a result of nerve pressure or interuption of blood flow and the causes can be many. Commonly, such problem can be coming from your back where a nerve may be getting compressed or it can also be coming from interuption of blood flow in the leg with physical activity.

    As mentioned above, a detailed history and physical assessment needs to be conducted in order to come up with a diagnosis. Only then can your condition be treated effectively. If there is no change with treatment or if your condition requires further examination then a referral for a CT or MRi scan would be provided.

    All the best!

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