Question:
Is there danger in crossing legs?

Okay, this may sound crazy, but, when I went to see my Doctor (lipid control Doc) he told me that as I lose weight it's important to not cross my legs, since there is a nerve, or something that can cause my foot to drop, leaving me without the control to flex my foot. Has anyone heard of this before?    — [Anonymous] (posted on November 14, 2001)

November 13, 2001
They were just talking about this on Oprah. There is a nerve and it is a danger, but have you ever heard of it happening to someone??? I haven't. I think it's just one of your doctor's beliefs or fears he's trying to pass onto you. I love crossing my legs now because I could never do it before!
   — Amy E.

November 13, 2001
I remember reading about that theory years and years ago. But, all the thin women I know cross their legs and I've never known one single person with this condition. When/if I get to the point that I can cross my legs....You'll hear me whooping for joy...that's something that I've never been able to do.
   — [Anonymous]

November 13, 2001
I know of someone who suffered from foot drop, but not due to crossing legs. He was laying a brick sidewalk and was kneeling on a log for an extended period of time. It was frightning for him and took months to overcome. But, due to crossing legs, I do not think someone will be doing this for such a period of time to cause foot drop. I know that now that I can cross my legs I have more problems with my foot falling asleep than before when I was overweight. Strange but it happens.
   — Tawny F.

November 14, 2001
I have been told for years about not crossing legs even when I was thin. The reason had to do with circulation. Now I try to cross my legs but sometimes I'm not aware of it.
   — Nynese W.

November 23, 2001
I don't think it's true however at 112 pounds down (so far) I can now "start" to cross my legs some and there is no way I'm going to be scared to do so! It feels so good physically as well as emotionally to be able to cross them. :) I think the danger is with the circulation and the possibility of blood clots. My Mom had a clot in her leg (from a cross country train ride) that went to her lung(s) and could have killed her. She now has Pulmonary Hypertension thanks to that clot and she was told NOT to cross her legs. So I think those warnings are for circutory problems not nerves. But if you are concerned, don't do it. But I think that most of us who have WLS are leg crossers as we could'nt and now we can. :)
   — Danmark

August 28, 2002
I have just been diagnosed with a pinched nerve behind my knee due to crossing my legs. This has caused muscle damage and foot drop. I am 5 1/2 months post op. I just thought I would let you know to be on guard.
   — Tracy D.

August 28, 2002
Hey! That is my favorite position now that I am able to do it! Just yesterday, I was talking to a man and crossed my leg. Then I looked at my knee and smiled from glee. I guess he thought I was a weirdo!
   — Lisa N M.

January 18, 2003
Just thought I would post my 2 cents worth on this, in case someone else has the problem and looks it up on here! YES, CROSSING YOUR LEGS EXCESSIVELY CAN CAUSE "FOOT DROP" AND SHOULD BE DISCOURAGED. I have just gone through a 2 month ordeal from this very thing. By the time I had been to a regular MD, a neurologist (who was convinced it was nutritional neuropathy because of my surgery, even tho my blood work was fine!), a neurosurgeon who at first thought it was my back, then discovered it was "peroneal palsy" and wanted to do surgery immediately, to an orthopedic surgeon who put me on high doses of steroids to try to reduce the inflammation of the nerve and has me in a special leg brace to support my foot and doing physical therapy 3 times a week, and says I may yet have to have surgery to release the nerve. He explained that it happens more in people who have suddenly lost great amounts of weight because that nerve is only covered by skin and rests directly on bone. When we suddenly lose a lot of weight, we lose the "fat pad" that helped to protect the nerve before and that we didn't usually cross our legs that much because we couldn't! I sat at my computer at work all day and on the couch in the evening with my legs crossed, normally left leg over right. I paralyzed the peroneal nerve in my left leg and it got to where I couldn't even walk or raise my foot. So, even though we CAN cross our legs now, DON'T!
   — Carolyn I.