Tingling in the legs: causes and effective remedies

Tingling in the legs often starts quite harmlessly in the toes or feet, but can become quite unpleasant. Find out here where the tingling comes from and how to get rid of it.

If you stay in one position for a long time, you sometimes feel a tingling sensation in your legs. The tingling sensation can be compared to a crawling sensation on your legs. This feeling occurs, among other things, when your foot or leg has “fallen asleep”. The associated numbness makes it much more difficult to get up. Find out here what other causes the tingling in your legs can have and how to get rid of it.

Causes of tingling in the legs

In addition to numbness and feelings of tension, tingling in the legs and limbs in general is one of the many complaints that can be caused by malfunctions in the nervous system. The symptoms can appear suddenly and disappear just as quickly.

• This happens, for example, when a foot or leg has “fallen asleep”. The cause is usually poor circulation, poor sitting posture or a pinched nerve. This type of tingling disappears within a few minutes if you stand up, walk around or stretch a little.
• However, if the tingling in the legs lasts longer or occurs regularly, there may be underlying nervous or other physical problems. If you suspect that poor sitting posture is causing problems, ergonomic office furniture (e.g. from MemoLife) may be a solution for you.

Nutrient deficiency as a cause?

In the case of irregular symptoms, a nutrient deficiency can be the cause of discomfort in various parts of the body, including tingling in the legs:

• A lack of iron, vitamin B12, magnesium or folic acid can be responsible for this, among other things. In the vast majority of cases, an incorrect or unbalanced diet is the reason for the lack of nutrients.

• Excessive consumption of alcohol and nicotine can cause nerve damage.

• In addition, acute and chronic illnesses can have a negative impact on whether and how well the body absorbs nutrients. A long-term nutrient deficiency can lead to serious and long-term damage, which is why it is not something you should take lightly.
• In particular, if you suspect that your body is not getting enough nutrients despite a proper diet, you should seek medical advice and have the deficiency symptoms examined. For specialist medical advice, you can first contact your family doctor.

Tingling in the legs as a warning signal

In addition to harmless causes for tingling in the leg, there are some warning signs that you should pay attention to in order to prevent something worse from happening.

• The cause of tingling in the legs can be damage to the peripheral nervous system. If the tingling occurs more frequently even when resting and does not improve immediately, there may be more serious problems with the nerves or blood circulation. The origin can be in the spine and be triggered by muscle tension or problems with the intervertebral discs.
• However, nerve damage can also be caused by inflammation. Problems in the nervous system and with blood circulation can be long-term consequences of nicotine addiction, alcohol consumption and diabetes, or symptoms of diseases such as multiple sclerosis or fibromyalgia syndrome.

• A common form of the disease that causes tingling in the legs is the so-called restless legs syndrome (RLS). This also causes discomfort in the form of muscle cramps and numbness. RLS mainly manifests itself through a strong urge to move or even uncontrollable twitching in the legs. The symptoms occur mainly in the evenings and at night. People suffering from RLS often suffer from insomnia and the associated symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms can only be alleviated by getting up and relieving the urge to move the legs.
• In addition to the causes of tingling legs already described, RLS is also caused by a disorder in the processing of the neurotransmitter dopamine. This disorder can be remedied by avoiding caffeine and by exercising and stretching. In severe cases, it may also be necessary to treat them with medication. However, this treatment can only be carried out after a medical examination when the possible causes of the dopamine disorder have been clarified.

More exercise to combat the tingling

If you get a tingling sensation in your legs when you sit or do a strange movement, the case is pretty clear: your body is giving you a hint that a nerve is pinched or compressed somewhere. The tingling will disappear on its own as soon as the blockage is removed.

If it takes longer or becomes really uncomfortable, it can help if you stand up, walk around or stretch a little. If you have existing tension, you should do regular exercises (gymnastics, yoga, Pilates, back exercises) or pay more attention to your sitting posture in the future.

In all other cases where you don’t immediately know the cause of the tingling, there’s only one thing that helps: seek medical advice! Tingling in the limbs can be a serious alarm signal from your body. No amount of dietary changes or vitamin intake will help if the cause of your problems isn’t clearly identified.

Read more on Utopia:

• Nutrient deficiency: How to recognize it and what you can do about it
• Barefoot shoes for children: 5 recommended manufacturers
• Vitamins – everything you need to know

Edited by Melanie Grünauer

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