Assessment
Questionnaire
Have a symptom?
See what questions
a doctor would ask.
See what questions
a doctor would ask.
During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques to assess the symptom: Leg weakness. These will include a physical examination and possibly diagnostic tests. (Note: A physical exam is always done, diagnostic tests may or may not be performed depending on the suspected condition) Your doctor will ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to openly share any pertinent information to help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.
It is also very important to bring an up-to-date list of all of your all medical conditions, medications including dosages, and names of numbers of any specialist you see.
Create your printable checklist by answering questions that your doctor may ask below:
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Why: to establish if acute or chronic.
Why: e.g. foot, lower leg, thigh.
Why: helps to determine which muscles and/or nerves are affected.
Why: helps to determine the cause of leg weakness e.g. muscle power decreases with use in myasthenia gravis.
Why: can determine possible cause of leg weakness.
Why: diabetes and chronic renal failure can be a cause of peripheral neuropathy ; diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol are risk factors for cerebrovascular disease.
Why: some medications can cause peripheral neuropathy e.g. amiodarone, phenytoin, nitrofurantoin; some medications may increase risk of thrombotic cerebrovascular disease e.g. oral contraceptive pill , hormone replacement therapy; some medications can increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke e.g. warfarin.
Why: is a major risk factor for cerebrovascular disease.
Why: can be a cause of peripheral neuropathy.
Why: Stokes, Diabetes, High Cholesterol, Hypertension, Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Why: a painful joint or muscle disease may interfere with assessment of leg power.
Why: if there is also paresthesia in the involved extremity this usually suggests neuropathy (disease of the nerves) as a cause.
Why: may indicate that the cause of leg weakness originates from disorders of the lumbar spine.
Why: e.g. weakness of the muscles of the face would suggest a diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease, a mass in the brain or spinal cord.
Why: may suggest cerebrovascular disease or mass in brain.
Why: e.g. difficulty with speaking, difficulty with swallowing, visual field defects, cranial nerve palsies, weakness of the arm and leg on the same side, spasticity of affected limbs.
Why: e.g. frequency of urination, excessive thirst, weight loss, fatigue, increased infections. Diabetes may be complicated by a painful peripheral neuropathy with a glove and stocking pattern numbness or a neuropathy that features predominantly muscle weakness.
Why: e.g. symptoms begin 7-10 days after an infective illness. It results in muscle paralysis which typically ascends from the lower to the upper limbs. Sensory loss (numbness) is usually minimal. The disease usually begins 7-10 days after an infective illness.
Why: e.g. sudden severe leg pain, pallor of skin, paresthesia or numbness of lower leg, paralysis or weakness of leg.
Why: e.g. long history of backache; pain initially in the lumbar back area and then radiating distally into buttocks and legs; numbness may be present in groin, medial thigh, big toe or little toe; with continued nerve root compression may get muscle weakness.
The following list of conditions have 'Leg weakness' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
Select from the following alphabetical view of conditions which include a symptom of Leg weakness or choose View All.
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Copyright © 2011 Health Grades Inc. All rights reserved. Last Update: 1 February, 2012 (4:12)
