Why pins and needles

After all, intense burns can often involve the destruction of nerves and their receptors, and surgical treatments for those injuries often involve skin grafts, which can also involve damage to and scarring of nerve cells. Some people report long-lasting pins and needles after receiving local anaesthetic Credit: Science Photo Library.

Nearly two-thirds of patients in the study reported continued tingling on their burn sites, and a quarter of them reported the more intense pins and needles. Paresthesia can also occur following the administration of local anaesthetic medications during dental work. It could be that the needle used to deliver the drug accidentally touches and then damages a nerve, or it could be that blood haemorrhages into the sheath surrounding the nerve fibre, which increases pressure.

Alternatively, the injection itself may deliver enough fluids to increase pressure on the nerve, or perhaps the anaesthetic chemical is just toxic enough to damage nearby neurons. Imagine not being able to speak or eat without feeling an awkward numb, tingling sensation in your tongue. The rest felt it in their lips instead. Peppers can do it too, thanks to the capsaicin locked away in chillies and peppers that deliver a pleasingly painful punch when delivered in small doses.

The capsaicin in chillis can also cause a feeling similar to pins and needles Credit: Science Photo Library. Most of us only have to get a little blood flowing and the irritation simply goes away. Changing position usually quickly restores normal feeling as the nerves start sending messages to the brain and spinal cord again. In some cases, pins and needles are caused by temporary or permanent nerve damage or certain disorders of the central nervous system.

Always see your doctor if you experience frequent or persistent bouts of pins and needles. Pins and needles can be caused by a wide range of events and conditions involving nerves, including:. The nerves of the body send information back to the brain and spinal cord. When a sensory nerve is pressed by being in a cramped or awkward position the messages are interrupted, which can cause pins and needles. Once pressure is taken off the nerve, functioning resumes.

An uncomfortable prickling sensation is caused by the restarting of pain messages from nerves to the brain. This usually resolves within minutes. An example of this is when you hit your elbow and feel a tingling sensation in your little finger. Neuritis is inflammation of the nerves. Pins and needles are one of the symptoms of neuritis.

Some of the causes of neuritis include:. Nerve disease, or neuropathy, is characterised by the lack of sensory information to the brain due to damage of the sensory nerves. For example, a person with neuropathy may not experience pain to the usual degree, if at all. The occasional bout of pins and needles is a harmless event. However, chronic pins and needles can be a warning of some other underlying disorder.

Always see your doctor for a thorough medical investigation if you experience persistent or frequent episodes of numbness or pins and needles. Treatment depends on the cause. For example, carpal tunnel syndrome may be treated with rest, splinting and medications such as anti-inflammatory and diuretic medications. A compressed or irritated nerve may require treatment such as physiotherapy, medication or in some cases surgery to ease the pressure and allow full nerve functioning to resume.

Underlying conditions such as diabetes need to be properly controlled to ease associated symptoms, including pins and needles. As aforementioned, the sensation is usually painless and temporary, and nothing to worry about.

However, having pins and needles is sometimes linked to carpal tunnel syndrome - whereby the median nerve is squeezed as it passes through the wrist, producing numbness and tingling. Give yourself a check-up with a general blood profile, now available in Patient Access. Imbalances or deficiencies in certain minerals and vitamins such as vitamin B12 can cause pins and needles as they can play important roles in maintaining the health of the nerves.

Pins and needles in part of a buttock, leg or foot can be a sign of pressure on a nerve, caused by a prolapsed or 'slipped' disc - the best known example is sciatica. This complication, known as cauda equina syndrome, is a medical emergency. Pins and needles on one side are rarely the only sign of stroke , but it's important to be aware of the signs including weakness on one half of the face or body, difficulty speaking or finding the right words and to seek emergency help if you might be affected.

Tingling and numbness across different parts of the body is also one of the most common first symptoms of multiple sclerosis MS.

While pins and needles are another of the myriad ways our bodies have of telling us something is amiss, in this case the cause is usually benign. But, if symptoms do persist, it's worth checking in with your GP. I am also taking vitamin D and a postnatal vitamin.