- On the Web:
- Better Health Channel - Pins and needles (Nov. 01, 2026)
paresthesia
-
What is paresthesia?
Paresthesia is a usually temporary, painless sensation on the skin, such as prickling, tingling, itching, burning, numbness, or a crawling feeling. It is typically felt in the hands, arms, legs, and feet, but can occur elsewhere on the body, often without warning. Paresthesia is generally caused by damage to or pressure on the peripheral nerves (nerves outside the central nervous system) due to disease, injury, or other conditions.
Temporary paresthesia can result from sustained pressure on a nerve, such as the "pins and needles" feeling from sitting or sleeping awkwardly. Chronic paresthesia can be caused by nerve damage, neurological disorders, or diseases such as multiple sclerosis and diabetes. Diagnosis involves physical exams, medical history, and tests such as blood work, imaging, and electromyography. Treatment varies depending on the cause, and can include medication, physical therapy, or supplements.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are common sensations people feel during paresthesia?
Paresthesia involves unusual skin sensations that are typically temporary and painless. These sensations can manifest differently, including numbness, burning, prickling, tingling, or itching. Some people describe it as a "crawling" feeling.
These sensations are commonly felt in the fingers, hands, arms, feet, and legs, but they can occur elsewhere on the body. Most people experience temporary paresthesia as a "pins and needles" sensation, often in an arm or leg, due to sustained pressure on a nerve.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What usually causes paresthesia to happen?
Paresthesia is typically caused by any condition, injury, or disease that damages or puts pressure on the peripheral nerves (nerves outside the central nervous system). This can manifest as temporary or chronic sensations like burning, prickling, tingling, itching, or numbness on the skin, usually in the arms, hands, legs, or feet.
Nerve compression can result from injuries, scar tissue, tumors, or enlarged blood vessels. Stroke, multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, sarcoidosis, and transverse myelitis are examples of neurological diseases that can result in chronic paresthesia. Additionally, paresthesia can be linked to nerve entrapment conditions such as radiculopathy and carpal tunnel syndrome, vitamin deficiencies, psychological conditions, and exposure to toxins or certain drugs.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How does paresthesia differ from normal touch sensations?
Paresthesia is an unusual, typically painless sensation felt temporarily on the skin, such as numbness, burning, prickling, tingling, itching, or a "crawling" feeling, often without warning. It is caused by pressure on or damage to nerves outside the central nervous system.
Normal touch sensations, or tangoreception, result from direct contact with relatively solid objects. Touch receptors, such as touch spots or free nerve endings in the skin, are stimulated by mechanical contact that deforms the body surface. Paresthesia differs in that it arises from nerve issues rather than external contact.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are some examples of temporary and long-term paresthesia?
Paresthesia is an unusual skin sensation, typically painless, that can manifest temporarily or chronically. Temporary paresthesia is often experienced as "pins and needles," commonly felt in an arm or leg due to sustained pressure on a nerve from awkward sleeping or sitting positions. Chronic paresthesia can arise from traumatic nerve damage or neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis and stroke. In diabetes mellitus patients, paresthesia, especially in the lower limbs, can indicate diabetic neuropathy.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How do doctors diagnose and treat paresthesia?
Doctors diagnose paresthesia through a patient's medical history, physical examination, and tests. These include blood tests to check thyroid and liver function, electrolyte and vitamin levels, toxins, and inflammation. Imaging techniques like X-rays, CT scans, or MRI may be used, as well as electromyography, spinal taps, and nerve conduction studies.
Treatment varies depending on the cause. Carpal tunnel syndrome can be treated with wrist splints, anti-inflammatory drugs, exercise, and physical therapy. Paresthesia related to vitamin deficiency can be managed with supplements.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
paresthesia, unusual, typically painless sensations felt temporarily on the skin. The sensations range from numbness or burning to prickling, tingling, itching, or a “crawling” feeling and often occur without warning signs. They usually are felt in the fingers, hands, arms, feet, and legs but can also be felt elsewhere on the body. In general, paresthesia is caused by any disease, injury, or other condition that places pressure on or causes damage to nerves in the periphery of the body (nerves lying outside the central nervous system).
Paresthesia has numerous causes, and, depending on the specific cause, the sensations may be temporary or chronic. Most persons have experienced temporary paresthesia in the form of a “pins and needles” feeling, which most often is felt in an arm or a leg; this sensation typically results from sitting or sleeping in a position that places sustained pressure on a nerve in the affected part of the body. Nerves can also be compressed by other factors, including enlarged blood vessels, tumours, infections, and scar tissue. Chronic paresthesia can be caused by traumatic nerve damage or by neurological diseases or disorders, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, transverse myelitis (inflammation of the spinal cord), and sarcoidosis (an immune disorder in which small clusters of inflammatory cells accumulate in tissues throughout the body). In patients with diabetes mellitus, paresthesia, particularly in the lower limbs, may be an indication of a complication of diabetes known as diabetic neuropathy.
Paresthesia that is painful often is caused by conditions involving nerve entrapment (when a nerve running between two structures in the body becomes compressed), such as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) or radiculopathy. In CTS, the nerve that runs through the carpal tunnel passageway in the wrist is affected by inflammation. Radiculopathy involves the compression of a nerve root (the site where a nerve exits the spine); this may be caused by a herniated disc, by bone spurs, or by trauma. Symptoms of paresthesia can also emerge following animal bites and insect bites and stings; lead poisoning; tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use; chemotherapy; radiation therapy; local anesthetics; and deficiency of B vitamins, including folic acid. The sensations may also manifest in the context of a psychological condition known as conversion disorder (or functional neurological symptom disorder), which is characterized by a wide variety of sensory, motor, and cognitive symptoms. In rare instances, paresthesia may be triggered by an autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), which produces a pleasant tingling sensation.
" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">
Diagnosis of paresthesia is based on the patient’s medical history, physical examination, and various tests, including blood tests to measure thyroid and liver function, to measure electrolyte and vitamin levels, to screen for toxins, and to screen for evidence of inflammation. Depending on the suspected cause, imaging may be performed, such as with X-ray, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). More extensive testing, such as with electromyography (to differentiate between diseases of muscle and of peripheral nerves), spinal tap (lumbar puncture), and nerve conduction studies may also be undertaken.
Treatment of paresthesia depends on the cause. For example, CTS can be treated with wrist splints, anti-inflammatory medications, exercise, and physical therapy, while paresthesia associated with vitamin deficiency may be controlled by vitamin supplements.