Question: What would cause my left toe and part of my foot to go numb like I had novocaine that is wearing off? This has been happening for several months.

Dr. Hibberd's Answer:

Numbness that comes and goes for several months on one foot and includes the big toe may indicate an irritation of the nerve root in your lower back. Though this is usually associated with back discomfort, especially when related to disc prolapse or degenerative disc disease, isolated numbness may also relate to a disorder of the peripheral nerve or its lining that supplies the toe and foot.

An MRI will often demonstrate local disease, and will help exclude a tumor as the cause of these symptoms, but is not sensitive to nutritional deficiency or many medical causes of neuropathy.