Numbness in legs as a symptom of endometriosis

How common is the symptom Numbness in legs among people with endometriosis?

54,16% of people with endometriosis reported Numbness in legs as a symptom of endometriosis in our survey.

How common is the symptom Numbness in legs among people with endometriosis compared to the non-affected group?

5,32% of people with endometriosis suffer from the symptom Numbness in legs very strong compared to a prevalence of 1,26% among non-affected individuals.
The following table shows the symptom Numbness in legs in people with endometriosis compared to non-affected individuals. The scale ranges from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very strong).

Symptom Numbness in legs in endometriosis - comparison with control group

Numbness in legs in endometriosis
(n = 1730)
45,84%
18,27%
16,88%
13,70%
5,32%
Numbness in legs in non-affected individuals
(n = 159)
78,62%
9,43%
7,55%
3,14%
1,26%

Tabular comparison of the prevalence of Numbness in legs

Symptom severity Endometriosis Non-affected Comparison
not at all 45,84% 78,62% -32,78%
slightly 18,27% 9,43% 8,83%
moderate 16,88% 7,55% 9,33%
strong 13,70% 3,14% 10,55%
very strong 5,32% 1,26% 4,06%

Symptoms that could be related to Numbness in legs

Based on the datasets, we calculated the Kendall correlation. The following symptoms could be related to Numbness in legs.

Symptom name Correlation
Leg pain moderate correlation (46,00%)
Joint pain moderate correlation (35,00%)
Limb pain moderate correlation (33,00%)
Numbness in hands moderate correlation (32,00%)
Back pain weak correlation (29,00%)
Shoulder pain weak correlation (28,00%)
Chills weak correlation (26,00%)
Dizziness weak correlation (26,00%)
Kidney pain weak correlation (26,00%)
Taste changes (e.g. iron taste) weak correlation (25,00%)
Shortness of breath weak correlation (24,00%)
Exhaustion / Fatigue weak correlation (24,00%)
Abdominal pain outside the lower abdomen weak correlation (23,00%)
Pain during urination weak correlation (21,00%)
Nausea weak correlation (21,00%)
Urge to urinate without passing urine weak correlation (21,00%)
Hot flashes weak correlation (20,00%)
Fever weak correlation (20,00%)
Bloated belly / Endo-Belly weak correlation (20,00%)
Fainting weak correlation (20,00%)

Numbness in legs in endometriosis

If you report numbness in your legs, your primary care doctor will usually refer you to a neurologist, an orthopedist, or a pain specialist. However, pain and numbness in the legs can also be a symptom of endometriosis—more precisely, endometriosis of the sciatic nerve, and in exceptional cases, endometriosis of the sacral nerve roots.

Endometriosis is a gynecologic disease. It is primarily characterized by severe lower abdominal pain during menstruation, menstrual irregularities and abnormal bleeding, as well as reduced fertility. These symptoms occur because so‑called endometriotic lesions form in the pelvis and also in other areas of the body; they consist of tissue similar to the uterine lining. These growths can remain superficial or grow into the tissue of organs. This is referred to as “deep infiltrating endometriosis.” The sciatic nerve can also be affected by this deep infiltrating endometriosis.

The sciatic nerve is one of the pelvic nerves and is also the largest nerve in the human body. It is located centrally in the pelvis and arises from the sacral nerve roots, which originate directly from the spinal cord. The sacral nerve roots can also be affected by endometriosis. However, in this location the lesions usually grow only superficially, so destruction of the sacral roots occurs only in exceptional cases. When the sciatic nerve is affected by endometriosis, the rarer form of deep infiltrating endometriosis is found much more often. Early in the course of sciatic involvement, unbearable, agonizing, burning pain in the legs occurs cyclically during your period. The pain begins in the pelvis and radiates to the back as well as the legs and feet. It is typical for the pain to occur along the back of the leg and the outer side of the foot, while the front of the leg is not affected. As the disease progresses, numbness in the buttocks and numbness in the legs become more frequent. To avoid complete destruction of the sciatic nerve, urgent treatment at an endometriosis center is necessary.  

Did you know that you can also have a big influence on endometriosis symptoms yourself? In the Endo App you learn self-management techniques for endometriosis and find many interactive exercises to relieve symptoms.