Everyone by now has heard that Joe Mauer has been placed on the 15-day DL due to "bilateral leg weakness." What not everyone knows is what that exactly means and how serious it can be.
Bilateral leg weakness is muscle weakness in both legs. Symptoms can include weakness, fatigue, muscle aches, fever, muscle pain, leg pain, and tingling or numbness in the legs.The condition is neurological, not musculoskeletal. That is, it has nothing to do with Mauer's recent arthroscopic knee surgery.
The key to treating bilateral leg weakness is determining the underlying cause. It's often an indicator of something else, and can be brought on by a number of conditions. It could be a viral infection or the by-product of a bout with influenza. It can be caused by a tick bite or West Nile Virus. In rare cases it can be a sign of multiple sclerosis, multiple myeloma, or even ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).
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