Undiagnosed Nerve Disorders May Be Widespread Among Americans, Doctors Warn [Video]

A constant feeling of strange tingling and numbness along a person’s legs might be much more common than assumed in some parts of the U.S., new research out Wednesday suggests. Researchers have found evidence that a substantial majority of older adults in Flint, Michigan are experiencing neuropathy, an uncomfortable ailment caused by nerve damage that can raise the risk of other serious health problems such as infections and falls. Often, these patients were even unaware that they had it.

The research was led by scientists from the University of Michigan. In 2021, they began the Flint Neuropathy Study, hoping to better understand a form of the condition known as distal symmetric polyneuropathy, or DSP. DSP is thought to be the most common form of peripheral (outside of the brain) neuropathy and is characterized by numbness, tingling, and pain that begins in the feet but can spread elsewhere.

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