David,

Thanks for your question. 

Certainly there is a lot more information that is required before any medical professional can give you an idea of the cause of your symptoms.  Have these symptoms been progressing?  Did they start suddenly, or over time?  Do you have any weakness?  Is there any pain associated with your numbness?  And there are many, many more questions to be asked and answered.

You MUST see your physician for an evaluation of your symptoms.  He/she will ask the above questions plus many more.  Then the physician will perform a physical examination including a neurologic examination.  He/she will probably ask for some blood work in addition to requesting some imaging studies which may include X-rays, CT scans, or even MRIs. 

These symptoms could be caused by problem in the spine, or a problem in the brain.  If the area of numbness is small, this could be an isolated nerve problem.  Any speculation at this time would only be a guess.  You need a face to face evaluation.

So please call for an appointment as soon as possible to get to the bottom.  The sooner you know the cause, the sooner treatment can be started.

Best wishes.

Martin Cane, M.D.