Managing Lower Limb Numbness In Primary Care
Aug 23, 2022
What could be causing your patient’s lower limb numbness? There are so many questions – could it be a chronic condition? Was there an acute trauma? Did they get new shoes? And the most important question – how do you figure it out?
This week, we’ll talk about some strategies to help narrow down the cause of your patient’s symptoms, share some clinical pearls, some assessment techniques that can point you in the right direction (FAST), and more:
- The most essential history questions to ask
- Special questions just for lower limb numbness
- A quick assessment that will rule in or rule out a variety of causes
- Where to focus your physical exam for best results
- Common causes of lower limb numbness, and what you definitely want on your differential
Like so many other things in the clinical setting, assessing and managing lower limb numbness does get easier with practice. Having some pointers will also help to speed that process up and boost your confidence as a provider.
An example of a dermatome map can be found here: Up-To-Date Dermatome Map
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