Paresthesia Information Page
Table of Contents
What is Paresthesia?
Is there any treatment?
What is the prognosis?
What research is being done?
What is Paresthesia?
Paresthesia refers to a
burning or prickling sensation that is usually felt in the hands,
arms, legs, or feet, but can also occur in other parts of the body.
The sensation, which happens without warning, is usually painless
and described as tingling or numbness, skin crawling, or itching.
Most people have experienced
temporary paresthesia -- a feeling of "pins and needles" -- at some
time in their lives when they have sat with legs crossed for too
long, or fallen asleep with an arm crooked under their head. It
happens when sustained pressure is placed on a nerve. The feeling
quickly goes away once the pressure is relieved.
Chronic paresthesia is often
a symptom of an underlying neurological disease or traumatic nerve
damage. Paresthesia can be caused by disorders affecting the central
nervous system, such as stroke and transient ischemic attacks
(mini-strokes), multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis, and
encephalitis. A tumor or vascular lesion pressed up against the
brain or spinal cord can also cause paresthesia. Nerve entrapment
syndromes, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, can damage peripheral
nerves and cause paresthesia accompanied by pain. Diagnostic
evaluation is based on determining the underlying condition causing
the paresthetic sensations. An individual's medical history,
physical examination, and laboratory tests are essential for the
diagnosis. Physicians may order additional tests depending on the
suspected cause of the paresthesia.
Is there any treatment?
The appropriate treatment for
paresthesia depends on accurate diagnosis of the underlying
cause.
What is the prognosis?
The prognosis for those with
paresthesia depends on the severity of the sensations and the
associated disorders.
What research is being done?
The NINDS supports research
on disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves that
can cause paresthesia. The goals of this research are to increase
scientific understanding of these disorders and to find ways to
prevent, treat, and cure them.
Prepared by:
Office of Communications and Public
Liaison
National Institute of Neurological Disorders
and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892
NINDS health-related material is provided for information
purposes only and does not necessarily represent endorsement by or
an official position of the National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke or any other Federal agency. Advice on the
treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained
through consultation with a physician who has examined that patient
or is familiar with that patient's medical history.
Last updated December 03, 2004
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