Why do many people with secondary progressive MS experience numbness in their hands and leg on the right side?
Numbness is a very common symptom in secondary progressive MS (SPMS), affecting thousands of people. The location of numbness depends on where MS lesions have damaged nerves in your brain and spinal cord.
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Why do many people with secondary progressive MS experience numbness in their hands and leg on the right side?
Numbness is a very common symptom in secondary progressive MS (SPMS), affecting thousands of people. The location of numbness depends on where MS lesions have damaged nerves in your brain and spinal cord.
When numbness occurs on one side of the body, like the right side, it typically means there's nerve damage on the opposite (left) side of your brain or spinal cord. This is because nerve pathways cross over as they travel through your central nervous system.
The specific pattern you're describing - right-sided numbness in both hand and leg - suggests damage to nerve pathways that control sensation on that side of your body. In SPMS, this happens because the disease has progressed beyond the relapsing-remitting phase, and nerves may be damaged beyond repair.
A MyMSTeam member shared: "My left side is still numb, and my right leg is starting to feel numb from the knee to ankle." Another described how "fingers are numb, making it hard to work."
The numbness can make daily activities challenging and may affect your ability to feel temperature, pain, or touch properly. Some members report accidentally burning or cutting their fingers because they can't feel it happening.
If you're experiencing new or worsening numbness, it's important to discuss this with your neurologist, as they may want to evaluate whether your symptoms are progressing.
January 9
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