Cause of "pins and needles" It is often caused by nerve, spinal cord, or brain irritation or damage. It can be temporary (reversible) or permanent. While the nerve is squeezed, so are the arteries that feed blood to the nerve. The nerve can't work for long without a steady supply of oxygen and glucose.
It's just the body's way of rebelling when you sit too long or you unwittingly “hit the wrong nerve.” Any numbness and tingling that is long-term may be a sign of a neurological condition or may be a sign of damaged nerves. The temporary sensations of numbness and tingling represent paresthesia.
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.
The signs of nerve damage
Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet. Feeling like you're wearing a tight glove or sock. Muscle weakness, especially in your arms or legs. Regularly dropping objects that you're holding.
Nerve pain often feels like a shooting, stabbing or burning sensation. Sometimes it can feel as sharp and sudden as an electric shock. You may be very sensitive to touch or cold. You may also experience pain as a result of touch that would not normally be painful, such as something lightly brushing your skin.
Sit on a chair with your hands behind your back and slump forward. Then bend your neck forward and lift one leg up with the toes pointed toward you. If this causes pain, you may have a nerve problem.
See your GP if you constantly have pins and needles or if it keeps coming back. It may be a sign of a more serious underlying health condition. Treatment for chronic pins and needles depends on the cause. For example, if it's caused by diabetes, treatment will focus on controlling your blood glucose levels.
Long-term compression can progress from pins and needles to more permanent nerve damage or dysfunction.
Often, this pressure can cause pain, tingling and even numbness. In cases where pinched nerves cause numbness, it could last anywhere from a few days to multiple weeks. There are several different factors that can affect how long that numbness lasts, including whether you seek help for your symptoms.
A good example is carpal tunnel syndrome or diabetic neuropathy. In these instances, the pins and needles feeling can be a danger signal. Paresthesia that happens with other symptoms may also mean there is an underlying condition. People who have this happen very often may have an underlying problem with their nerves.
Pins and needles feels like pricking, tingling or numbness on the skin. It happens when the blood supply to the nerves is cut off. This is usually when you sit or sleep on part of your body. It only lasts a few minutes.
Most people have experienced temporary paresthesia—also known as a feeling of "pins and needles"—at some time in their lives when they have sat with their legs crossed for too long or fallen asleep with an arm positioned under their head. It happens when sustained pressure is placed on a nerve.
As a specialist in peripheral nerve surgery, Dr. Seruya wants his patients to know that after a period of 12-18 months nerve damage can become permanent.
When one of your nerves is cut or damaged, it will try to repair itself. The nerve fibres (axons) shrink back and 'rest' for about a month; then they begin to grow again. Axons will regenerate about 1mm per day. The extent to which your nerve will recover is variable, and it will always be incomplete.
Some nerve-related problems do not interfere with daily life. Others get worse quickly and may lead to long-term, severe symptoms and problems. When a medical condition can be found and treated, your outlook may be excellent. But sometimes, nerve damage can be permanent, even if the cause is treated.
Poor circulation can cause a number of symptoms, including: Muscles that hurt or feel weak when you walk. A “pins and needles” sensation on your skin. Pale or blue skin color.
Nerve damage can become permanent
At first, neuropathy may cause occasional numbness and pain, but as it progresses, your symptoms may become more persistent. The pain may reach a high point before reaching a state of constant numbness. Once your nerves become too damaged, they can't send signals to your brain.
If the underlying cause of peripheral neuropathy isn't treated, you may be at risk of developing potentially serious complications, such as a foot ulcer that becomes infected. This can lead to gangrene (tissue death) if untreated, and in severe cases may mean the affected foot has to be amputated.
Long term pins and needles will require treatment for the underlying cause. This can include: Medication to help you manage certain conditions like diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Surgery – for example to relieve a trapped nerve for example carpal tunnel surgery.
Vitamin deficiencies are a common cause of paresthesias. The B vitamins — vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 — are the most common ones. Deficiencies in copper, calcium, and magnesium can also lead to tingling in your hands and feet. Most of the time, correcting the deficiency can help reverse the symptoms.
Nerve damage can usually be diagnosed based on a neurological examination and can be correlated by MRI scan findings. The MRI scan images are obtained with a magnetic field and radio waves.
What Evidence May Prove the Accident Caused Your Nerve Damage? Proving you suffered nerve damage is difficult. Part of the reason for this is that some nerve damage, such as a whiplash injury, is not visible. Even when you have a diagnosis, it can be challenging to prove the injury was the result of your car accident.
To achieve full recovery, the nerve must undergo three main processes: Wallerian degeneration (the clearing process of the distal stump), axonal regeneration, and end-organ reinnervation.