Does having numbness in your arms, legs and back mean you are risking a stroke?
Expert Answer by James Castle, M.D.
Having arm, leg, and back numbness could mean you are having a stroke. A large determinant is whether one side of the body is affected, or the whole body. If the numbness is contained to one side, this could certainly mean you are having a stroke - in this case, most likely a small stroke in a part of the brain called the "thalamus".
However, if the numbness is on both sides of the body, it is very unlikely to be a stroke. A spinal cord lesion or a peripheral nerve problem are more likely.
It sounds like you should see a neurologist, and soon. Determining which of these scenarios is at work is critically important in trying to fix the situation before it could get worse.
Does numbness in my back mean I'm about to have a stroke?


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