Question
Hello, I'm a 38yr old female with no medical health problems. I woke up this morning realized my upper front thigh above my knee is numb. I'm not in pain, feels awkward. I can walk, skin tone is normal to my right leg. Really strange. what do you think?

Answer

Disclaimer: please do not take any of my advice without at least consulting with your doctor(s) first. If necessary, print this email in its entirety for your doctor(s) to read. In addition, please do not attempt to use this website or my advice as a substitute for your healthcare needs, as a substitute for the advice of your doctor, or as a substitute for any legal advice. There is no way a thorough health evaluation or assessment of any medical condition can be properly made via email. Please only use the contents discussed as a guide or tool to address your health matters with your doctor(s). If any of the information I provide conflicts in anyway with the information your doctor(s) provide, it is always best to default to the information provided by your consulting doctor(s) or to seek additional opinions from qualified, licensed healthcare providers as needed.

Hello L.,

There are a variety causes for the numbness in your thigh.  The area it sounds like you are describing could be locally irritated or stemming from around the L3 area of the spine.  It抯 difficult to say what it is without an evaluation.  For example, if there was local compression to your thigh for a long period while you were sleeping, such as sleeping with your legs crossed or with something heavy on top of your thigh for a long period without you knowing, then you could have damaged some of the nerves around the area supplying the skin.  A 損inched?L3 nerve caused by an alignment issue or sprain, a disc problem, or a joint problem could all cause your symptoms as well.  Perhaps you just tweaked this area of your spine or did some heavy lifting the day before your symptoms appeared.  Lastly, there are other less common causes for your symptoms.  Certain conditions, such as diabetes, can affect nerves sporadically.  I don抰 know your health history, so this may not be a concern at all.  If your symptoms persist, it is important for you to follow up with doctor so that you can be properly evaluated and diagnosed.  After you have a correct diagnosis, then you can be effectively treated.  There are just too many possibilities for me to know what your problem is, especially with the limitations of an email, but hopefully this helps give you some ideas.

As mentioned in my disclaimer, keep in mind that my response to you is not a diagnosis or a substitute for the advice of your doctor(s).  My response should be used for educational purposes only, and you should follow up with your doctor(s) if this problem persists.  

Best of luck with this!

Dr. J.R. Strecker, D.C.