Why Does the Outer Side of My Foot Feel Numb?

The symptoms of numbness on the outer side of the foot are relatively common in daily life, and there are many reasons for this. It may be due to physiological reasons or related to diseases. If there is little exercise or long-term pressure, it may lead to poor blood circulation, and numbness may occur at this time. However, this situation generally occurs occasionally. If it occurs frequently, it is necessary to understand whether it is caused by nerve compression.

Numbness on the outer side of the foot is caused by problems with the sensory nerves that innervate this area. This condition belongs to peripheral neuropathy, and there are three common causes for this neuropathy: First, nerve compression. Common diseases that cause nerve compression include lumbar disc herniation and piriformis syndrome. These two diseases compress the sciatic nerve, and the sensation of the skin on the outer edge of the foot is innervated by the sciatic nerve. Therefore, sciatic neuropathy often leads to numbness on the outer edge of the foot. Second, peripheral neuropathy. The most common cause of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes, and other causes include lack of vitamin B, use of certain chemotherapy drugs, alcohol poisoning caused by long-term drinking, etc. These can all cause peripheral neuropathy. Third, local blood circulation disorders. Certain reasons can cause blood circulation disorders in the feet, such as lower extremity vasculitis, varicose veins, and even inappropriate shoes squeezing the feet. Because nerves are nourished by blood, blood circulation disorders can cause nutritional dysfunction of the nerves and result in a numb feeling.