There are different reasons why your foot could be numb or why it tingles. All of these reasons can vary, and some are more critical than others.

1. The first reason that your foot is tingling, and may become numb afterward for a second is because it falls asleep. What you may feel is the “pins and needles” effect, which doesn’t hurt but feels strange.

This happens when you cross your legs for too long, and it happens as a result of putting too much pressure on your nerves. What always relieves this is simply uncrossing your legs so that pressure can be lifted.

This nerve damage is known as peripheral neuropathy, and the only case in which it can become worse is if you’re not moving around a lot. Just make sure you’re active in any way or working out a bit, and not sitting on the couch for a day straight, and you’ll be fine.

2. Another common reason that your foot is either numb or tingly is because of diabetes. This causes peripheral neuropathy. This feeling usually begins in the feet, but can start going up your legs, then to your hands, and finally your arms.

Though the nerve damage can vary, if you feel it in most of your body and you find that it’s because you’re putting pressure on your limbs from crossing them or lying on them, then it may be a first sign of diabetes.

But, like I said, pay attention to when the numbness and tingling happens. Your arms and hands can get numb and tingly when you’re simply lying on them for too long. Other symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes include excessive thirst, fatigue, hunger, or sweating.

3. Another reason why you could feel a prickling in your feet or numbness is because there’s some kind of damage to your spine. If you’ve had a spinal cord injury recently, then that is what may be causing your feet to numb.

Or, you could have Sciatica, which more often occurs to people between the ages of 30 and 50-years-old.

Sciatica is when your sciatic nerve, which begins at your spinal cords and ends down each leg, is irritated. This is one of the most important nerves because it gives you the ability to control your legs and gives you the ability to feel them.

So, if you’re having trouble feeling your feet, then it’s because this nerve is irritated. These feelings of numbness can also run up along either or both of your legs because the sciatic nerve runs through lower back, your buttock, and of course, your legs and feet.

Don’t jump to conclusions though, and automatically assume that you have Sciatica. Other symptoms are involved such as, pain when you move, the pins-and-needles effect on your feet only slightly painful, or lower back pain that may go through to your buttock area.

Pay attention to what you’re feeling, and if you feel too much pain, make sure that you go see a doctor!