Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesWhen to Get HelpDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
When to Get Help
Diagnosis
Treatment
Contrary to popular thought, the numbness or tingling feeling when anarm or leg has “fallen asleep” has less to do with blood circulation and more to do with nerves. Specifically, it’s calledparesthesia.
Paresthesia is an abnormal sensation felt in your body due to the compression or irritation of nerves. It may be mechanical—as in apinched nerve—or it may be due to a medical condition, injury, or illness.
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Paresthesia Symptoms
Paresthesia may cause various symptoms on your body. These symptoms may range from mild to severe, and they may be fleeting or long-lasting. The signs may include:
Paresthesia usually affects only one arm or leg at a time. But both arms and legs may be affected, depending on the cause.
What Causes Paresthesia?
Some causes of paresthesia are more concerning. These can include:
If the symptoms of paresthesia won’t go away within 30 minutes or keep coming back for unknown reasons, you should seek evaluation to find out what is causing the abnormal sensations. If the cause of your paresthesia may be due to an acute central nervous system condition, like a stroke, then time is of the essence. Seek a diagnosis and medical care immediately.
Understanding Peripheral Neuropathy
A healthcare provider can work with you to understand the problem and perform the right diagnostic tests to determine the cause.
Common diagnostic procedures for paresthesia include:
Your healthcare provider will choose these tests based on a physical exam.
Shaking your arm or leg, moving to a better position, and waiting a few minutes is often an effective self-care treatment.
Your physical therapist may prescribe spinal exercises that can relieve compression of your nerve and restore normal sensations and motion to your arm or leg. If you have weakness along with paresthesia, your PT may prescribe strengthening exercises to restore normal mobility.
If a herniated disc is causing theabnormal sensations, and if you have failed to improve with conservative measures like PT, you may benefit from surgery to help relieve pressure on your nerve or nerves.
The goal of surgery, like alaminectomyordiscectomy, is to allow the nerve to function normally again. After surgery, you may benefit from physical therapy to help you regain normal mobility again.
Ifperipheral neuropathyfrom diabetes is the cause of the paresthesia, the symptoms are often relatively permanent and may change only slightly with medication.
Treatment for paresthesia depends on your diagnosis. Your healthcare provider can help determine the best course of action for you to take.
Summary
You may call it annoying—that tingling or pins and needles feeling that floods your armor legwhen you’ve been resting in the same position for too long. Medically speaking, it’s called paresthesia, which occurs when a nerve has been compressed or damaged.
Most of the time, it passes quickly, soon after a quick shake or a brisk walk. It’s time to consult your healthcare provider if the symptoms linger for more than 30 minutes. You may require special treatment if your paresthesia is due to a serious underlying cause.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Paresthesia.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Herniated disc.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Peripheral neuropathy.Merck Manual Professional Version.Numbness.Razazian N, Yavari Z, Farnia V, et al.Exercising impacts on fatigue, depression, and paresthesia in female patients with multiple sclerosis.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(5):796-803. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000834Fritz JM, Lane E, McFadden M, et al.Physical therapy referral from primary care for acute back pain with sciatica: a randomized controlled trial.Ann Intern Med. 2021;174(1):8-17. doi:10.7326/M20-4187
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Paresthesia.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Herniated disc.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Peripheral neuropathy.Merck Manual Professional Version.Numbness.Razazian N, Yavari Z, Farnia V, et al.Exercising impacts on fatigue, depression, and paresthesia in female patients with multiple sclerosis.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(5):796-803. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000834Fritz JM, Lane E, McFadden M, et al.Physical therapy referral from primary care for acute back pain with sciatica: a randomized controlled trial.Ann Intern Med. 2021;174(1):8-17. doi:10.7326/M20-4187
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Paresthesia.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Herniated disc.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Peripheral neuropathy.Merck Manual Professional Version.Numbness.Razazian N, Yavari Z, Farnia V, et al.Exercising impacts on fatigue, depression, and paresthesia in female patients with multiple sclerosis.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(5):796-803. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000834Fritz JM, Lane E, McFadden M, et al.Physical therapy referral from primary care for acute back pain with sciatica: a randomized controlled trial.Ann Intern Med. 2021;174(1):8-17. doi:10.7326/M20-4187
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Paresthesia.
American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Herniated disc.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Peripheral neuropathy.
Merck Manual Professional Version.Numbness.
Razazian N, Yavari Z, Farnia V, et al.Exercising impacts on fatigue, depression, and paresthesia in female patients with multiple sclerosis.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(5):796-803. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000834
Fritz JM, Lane E, McFadden M, et al.Physical therapy referral from primary care for acute back pain with sciatica: a randomized controlled trial.Ann Intern Med. 2021;174(1):8-17. doi:10.7326/M20-4187
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