Numbness and burning sensation on left side of leg

Dear Ask The Doctor: Im 46 years old and on 03-04-2012 Sunday I started getting a burning sensation in a spot just left of my left leg in the calf area. Burning is still there and it is numb along with very sensitive to touch like bedsheets? Is it a nerve issue or blood clot. There is NO irratation anywhere on the leg and it is not hot? Just wierd that is popped up with no warning. It is now Tuesday 03-06-2012 and nothing has changed?

Dear Richard: It is not likely that the symptoms that you described may be produced by a developing deep venous thrombosis (blood clot in the leg), it seems rather a peripheral nerve problem. There are multiple causes of numbness and sensation problems in the extremities: vitamin deficiencies (Vitamin B12), nerve compressions at the level of the spine, problems with the peripheral nerves of the leg, and metabolic causes as problems with the Thyroid gland and Diabetes. Once that your physician ruled out the nerve compression at the level of the lumbar spine, vitamin deficiency, and thyroid problems, might be important to rule out some other metabolic causes as Diabetes, which can produce the symptoms that you described above.