Questions Your Doctor May Ask - and Why!
During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in his assesment of the symptom: Leg paresthesia.
These may include a physical examination or other medical tests.
Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing
your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information
you can share with your doctor may help them with their diagnosis.
Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:
- How long have you had the leg paresthesia?
Why: to determine if acute or chronic.
- Is it unilateral or bilateral?
Why: symmetrical involvement of both legs suggest peripheral neuropathy. If leg paresthesia is asymmetrical or confined to one limb this may suggest individual nerve disease.
- What area of the leg and/or foot is affected by paresthesia?
Why: may help determine the cause.
- History of trauma or injury to leg?
Why: e.g. broken leg or foot may damage nerves and cause leg paresthesia.
- History of a back injury?
Why: may suggest spinal canal stenosis.
- Risk factors for peripheral atherosclerosis?
Why: e.g. smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure.
- Medications?
Why: some medications may cause peripheral neuropathy with a glove and stocking pattern paresthesia including isoniazid, vincristine, phenytoin, nitrofurantoin, cisplatinum, amiodarone.
- Dietary history?
Why: may assist in determining the risk of Vitamin B1, B12 and folic acid deficiency.
- Alcohol history?
Why: will help determine the risk of alcohol peripheral neuropathy.
Questions your doctor may ask about related symptoms:
Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse
your condition. These may include:
- Pain in the involved leg or foot?
Why: may suggest lumbar spine spondylosis (degeneration), spinal stenosis, tumor of the cauda equina (distal tip of the spinal cord and its nerves), spondylolisthesis (forward movement of one lumbar vertebrae on the one below it), herniated disk or pelvic tumor.
- Incontinence of urine?
Why: If incontinence or urine is present, this may suggest poliomyelitis, cauda equina tumor or metastatic tumor of the lumbar spine.
- Symptoms of spinal canal stenosis?
Why: e.g. long history of backache; pain initially in the lumbar back area and then radiating distally into buttocks and legs; paresthesia may be present in groin, medial thigh, big toe or little toe.
- Symptoms of peripheral atherosclerosis?
Why: e.g. intermittent claudication (cramp like pain in the calves with exercise, relieved by rest), calf pain with rest, occasionally may have transient paresthesia of the leg accompanying the pain and fatigue of claudication.
- Symptoms of acute lower limb ischemia?
Why: e.g. sudden severe leg pain, pallor of skin, paresthesia or numbness of lower leg, paralysis or weakness of leg.
- Symptoms of Diabetes mellitus?
Why: e.g. frequency of urination, excessive thirst, weight loss, fatigue, increased infections. Diabetes may be complicated by a painful peripheral neuropathy with a glove and stocking pattern paresthesia.
- Symptoms of Guillain-Barre syndrome?
Why: e.g. symptoms begin 7-10 days after an infective illness. It results in muscle paralysis which typically ascends from the lower to the upper limbs. Sensory loss (paresthesia) is usually minimal.
» Next page: Types of Leg paresthesia
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