Numbness or tingling is an unsettling sensation where there is a diminished or complete lack of feeling in the skin or a “pins and needles” feeling. The most frequent cause for numbness or tingling is a nerve function issue, which can arise if the nerve is injured, something is pressing on the nerve, or a bodily chemical imbalance disrupts nerve function.
One such condition is peripheral neuropathy, where damage to the body’s nerve fibers, typically starting in the limbs—especially the toes—occurs gradually. Symptoms include a decreased ability to feel touch, along with tingling, burning, or itching sensations, as well as muscular weakness, twitching, or atrophy.
Numbness or Tingling – Harvard Health describes this in more detail, as does 4 reasons for tingling or numbness in the arms and legs from the same source.
Another condition associated with these symptoms is Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS), which can lead to pain, numbness, and tingling radiating from below the shoulder to the hand, usually affecting the pinky and ring finger. Skin discoloration can also occur if vascular structures are compressed. More information can be found at Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS): Symptoms & Treatments | HSS.
Continuous pressure on a nerve can cause a “roadblock,” preventing electrical impulses from transmitting sensation, leading to numbness or, conversely, a tingling feeling known as paresthesia. The University of Rochester provides an understanding of the “Pins and Needles” feeling.
Post-COVID-19 care instructions, such as those from the Wicha Lab, acknowledge numbness and tingling after COVID-19 as symptoms experienced by some individuals.
Autoimmune skin diseases can cause blistering and attack healthy skin tissue. The University of Utah Health details these conditions.
Small-fiber neuropathy, as discussed by Harvard Health, often begins with numbness and tingling and can progress to intense pain. Peripheral nerve disorders and their symptoms, including neuropathic pain, are also outlined by Columbia Neurosurgery in New York City.
