If you have to deal with numbness, tingling, burning, or a sensation of “pins and needles,” you probably wonder what caused it in the first place and how you can stop it. That is especially true of chronic sufferers who wake up from intense symptoms. Whether you experience tingling in your fingers or pins and needles in your feet, these are common signs of paresthesia, affecting millions of people in the United States annually.
Paresthesiais not limited to numbness and tingling in your hands and feet. It can affect practically any part of the body and can feel very different from person to person. It is often benign and temporary, such as when your leg “falls asleep” from sitting with it crossed for too long. Trauma or a medical condition can cause severe, chronic, and painful inflammation.
Okay, so what is paresthesia?
If you’ve ever had pins and needles, burning, numbness, or a lack of sensation in any part of your body, you’ve experienced paresthesia! Paresthesia is a sensory symptom caused by nerve damage or a disorder. Paresthesia typically causes numbness and tingling in hands, feet, arms, and legs but can affect much more than that.
For some people, paresthesia may feel like cold or prickly raindrops, running water, or bugs crawling on your skin. Typically, these sensations result from an event or condition that caused damage, injury, or aggravation of your nerves.
Paresthesias like these can move around due to nerve or neurological damage or a disorder. For instance, you may feel tingling in your right hand in the morning, burning in your leg at lunch, nothing at dinner, and pins and needles in your feet at night. It may change from day to day.
Paresthesia may be more noticeable at night or in extreme temperatures, and some treatments can help if it is painful or wakes you, interfering with your daily life.
Having any of these symptoms is likely a form of paresthesia caused by something that has happened to you. However, not experiencing these does not discount the possibility of paresthesia. Many people only experience one or a few of these symptoms. Depending on the severity of the cause, the symptoms may be chronic or transient.
Symptoms of paresthesia include the following:
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Burning
- Itching
- The sensation of “pins and needles.”
- The sensation of raindrops landing on you
- The feel of water running over your skin
- The sensation of bugs crawling on you
If you experience any of these and your symptoms persist, you should consult with a doctor, they should be able to guide you on an appropriate diagnosis and, if necessary, a care plan.
What causes paresthesia?
For me, it all started with a red light. In November 2018, I brought my vehicle to a stop at a red light. The driver behind me did not, and the impact launched my car through the intersection. That resulted in multiple herniated discs and a bulging disc, creating problems for my neck and back nerves.
As I write, I feel tingling and burning with sharp sensations in my left forearm and right hand, believed to be caused by paresthesia in my arms, legs, hands, feet, and head. These tingling sensations travel from place to place, sometimes in my legs, other times in my arms, or even my back, shoulders, and forehead. These sensations often worsen at night and sometimes wake me, especially when my leg is burning.
Someone in an accident like mine would typically experience these symptoms. A traumatic incident does not always cause paresthesia, and sometimes its onset can be quite delayed.
Possible causes of paresthesia include the following:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Diabetes
- Migraines
- Accident or injury
- Multiple sclerosis
- Seizures
- Stroke
- Burns
- TIA or transport ischemic attack
- Underactive thyroid
- Reynaud’s phenomenon
There are other causes, and the medical community constantly expands its knowledge of causes and effects. Evena cat bite can cause paresthesia, as in this case. Thankfully, if you experience paresthesia, there are options for treatment.
How can I stop pins and needles in my feet and hands?
Well, there’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that if these are chronic or severe symptoms, they most likely result from nerve damage, which could result from a traumatic injury or a condition that affects your nerves. The good news is that paresthesia is treatable, and multiple things may help!
If you’re experiencing the symptoms of paresthesia, you have a few options to consider. Depending on the root cause, you should remedy your diet, exercise your nerves, and seek treatments that could regenerate your nerves directly.
First, drinking heavily and maintaining a poor diet with vitamin deficiencies (especially B-12 and folate) is believed to contribute to paresthesia. Remedying this by maintaining a healthy diet low in alcohol and high in vitamins and nutrients could help your symptoms improve, though it will likely not remove them entirely.
Your doctor can recommend techniques that could help your symptoms improve. Depending on your symptoms and the nerves affected, you should try stretches like nerve glides, which repeatedly activate your nerves. Often these are done in sets of one hundred and twenty on each side, but your specific recommendation may differ.
You may also want to seek out a regenerative medicine practitioner, which I’ll highlight in greater depth below. These doctors can provide injections of stem cells and PRP that could reduce inflammation that might pinch nerves and regenerate and renew your damaged nerves.
Paresthesia can affect any part of the body, but it commonly affects the:
Paresthesia is a medical condition that causes abnormal sensations in the skin, usually tingling, prickling, or burning. Paresthesia can affect any part of the body, but it commonly affects the:
- fingers
- toes
- arm
- legs
- face
- chest
- abdomen
- foot
Neuropathy
Chronic nerve damage leads to neuropathy. The primary reason for neuropathy is high blood sugar or hyperglycemia.
Some other possible causes of neuropathy could be:
- autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis
- repetitive movement injuries
- liver diseases
- bone marrow or connective tissue disorders
- trauma
- neurological diseases, such as MS
- Deficiencies in vitamin B-1, B-6, B-12, E, or niacin
- kidney diseases
- stroke
- tumors in the brain or near nerves
- hypothyroidism
- certain medications, such as chemotherapy drugs
- Overdosing on vitamin D.
- exposure to harmful chemicals or heavy metals
Nerve damage can eventually lead to permanent numbness or paralysis.
Who is at risk for paresthesia?
Paresthesia often causes a loss of feeling in the areas affected, making it hard to move or control the muscles in those areas. In some cases, paresthesia can also lead to weakness or paralysis.
Tumors or other growths in the body can press on nerves and cause paresthesia. Transverse myelitis is an inflammation of the spinal cord that can cause paresthesia. Physicians often look for other signs, such as changes in reflexes or muscle strength, before diagnosing transverse myelitis.
There are different types of paresthesia, depending on which nerve is affected. For example, paresthesia in the limbs is called peripheral neuropathy. Elbow nerve injury is a common type of peripheral neuropathy. It can cause weakness and tingling in the arm and hand.
Paresthesia may also occur in the face, mouth, or genitals. Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain that can cause paresthesia. Entrapment syndromes are conditions that can cause compression of nerve roots and lead to paresthesia. Type 2 diabetes and breast cancer are two diseases that can cause entrapment syndromes.
Paresthesia can affect anyone temporarily, but your risk for radiculopathy rises as you age. Additionally, the following may also increase your chances of experiencing it:
– smoke
– are obese
– have diabetes
– have a family history of nerve damage
– drink alcohol excessively
– use certain medications
-Have a history of spinal cord compression
How is paresthesia diagnosed?
If you have been experiencing numbness or tingling for over a week, consult your physician.
Before your appointment, note medical conditions in your family and any medications- both over-the-counter or prescribed- that you take. If you have a job or play sports that require repetitive movement, mention those too.
When diagnosing a patient, doctors will consider the individual’s health conditions. For example, if the person seeking medical help has diabetes, the physician will try to establish whether or not they have neuropathy–a condition caused by nerve damage.
Your doctor will conduct a complete physical examination, which will almost certainly include a neurological assessment. They may also perform blood work and other laboratory tests, such as a spinal tap, to rule out particular diseases.
If your doctor believes there may be an issue with your neck or spine, they suggest CT scans, MRI testing, or X-rays.
Depending on the results, they may refer you to a specialist in that field, such as a neurologist, orthopedic, or endocrinologist.
What are the treatment options for paresthesia?
Paresthesia is a sensation that feels like prickling, tingling, or numbness. A feeling of coldness or warmth may accompany paresthesia, which may be more noticeable when you touch or pressure the area.
There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for paresthesia, as the cause and severity of the symptoms can vary from person to person. Treatments may include medications for the underlying condition, physical therapy to improve muscle strength and movement, or nerve stimulation treatments. Surgery may sometimes be necessary to repair or remove damaged nerves.
There are a few things that you can do to help manage paresthesia symptoms. Taking breaks often to move around and stretch can help keep muscles from getting stiff and tense. Applying heat or cold to the affected area can provide relief from discomfort. And avoiding activities that put pressure on or irritate the skin can help prevent further irritation.
How can you prevent paresthesia?
One can’t always prevent paresthesia, but there are ways to reduce its frequency or severity. For example, wearing wrist splints at night may help resolve the paresthesia symptoms you experience by taking pressure off of the nerves in your hands.
By following these tips, you can reduce your risk of chronic paresthesia:
- Try to limit repetitive movements.
- If you’re performing repetitive motions, take frequent breaks.
- Get up and move around to avoid sitting for long periods.
If you have diabetes or another chronic illness, lowering your paresthesia risks is possible with careful monitoring and managing your disease.
How could cell therapy regenerate nerves?
Regenerative cell therapy can use specific special medicinal signaling cells in your body to regenerate almost any type of cell, including nerve cells.
For instance, the technique Las Vegas regenerative cell clinic Dynamic Stem Cell Therapy uses to achieve nerve repair is called cell therapy. The procedure creates new cells from the inflammatory booster of cells from your body’s blood and amniotic fluid. These stem cells may become the nerve cells you need, renewing and regenerating your affected nerves and potentially reducing or eliminating your pain.
What is getting cell therapy like?
Our procedure is straightforward, and it all starts with a conversation so we can fully understand your unique circumstances and how we can best help you. The process is quick and effortless, though you will need someone to drive you home after your stem cell injection.
To get started, call (702) 547-6565, chat with us onFacebook or email us at contact@stemcellpowernow.com. Either way, you’ll enjoy a free consultation and expert advice. For more information about the cell therapy procedures at our clinic, please check our FAQ here.
What is your clinic like?
Dynamic Stem Cell Therapy employs an incredible staff and a compassionate, world-class doctor that can help you find the right path for your personalized treatment. We even offer regenerative cell therapy financing for our procedures. Our experienced Las Vegas cell therapy clinic offers PRP and amniotic cell therapy treatments for many injuries or conditions.
As with any treatment option, it is essential to work with a doctor that develops a customized treatment plan for your unique circumstances. With an incredible regenerative cell therapy doctor and a customized treatment plan, we can get you back to a fuller, more vibrant life.
You want to hear good things from other patients at your clinic, so check out our patient testimonials for some fantastic examples!
How Do I Get Started?
At Dynamic Stem Cell Therapy here in Las Vegas, Nevada, our mission is to ensure you receive the care you need safely and in a controlled way. While the world of regenerative medicine might seem overwhelming, it is much simpler if you start with an experienced clinic that follows high-quality standards and has safe practices.
To get started, you can:
- Call (702) 547-6565
- Please chat with us on Facebook
- Please email us at contact@stemcellpowernow.com
Throughout your journey, we’ll be your partner for any questions about PRP, stem cells, or stem cell therapy. Contact us today to book a free consultation, and we’ll help you discover if stem cell therapy could be the right choice. We can’t wait to hear from you!
