Your pins and needles could hint at something more sinister
Pins and needles might not be all they seem. [Photo: Getty]
Pins and needles might not be all they seem. [Photo: Getty]
In general, pins and needles is a temporary sensation occurring when the blood supply in one of your limbs is cut off through sitting or lying for too long, which subsides in minutes after you get up and move around, according to the NHS.
Known medically as parathesia, this tingling, prickly sensation could, however, point to nerve problems.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
This is because some pins and needles are the result of conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), according to a feature in The Conversation.
CTS is a damage to the median nerve running through your arm to your wrist. You are at risk if you use equipment like pneumatic drills for your job, or play musical instruments or use computer keyboards for long periods.
Saturday night palsy
This occurs after you falling asleep with your arm hanging off something, like the edge of a sofa. A variant of this condition is ‘honeymoon palsy’, when someone else lays on your limb for too long.
Initially, this is just a passing pins and needles sensation, but it can lead to damage of the radial nerve in the arm, which takes weeks to recover.
Tight jean syndrome
Medically known as ‘meralgia paresthetica’, this is a nerve compression in the thigh which often results from wearing tight jeans or stuffing too many items like phones and keys into pockets.
Other conditions
In addition to the above, tingling in the lips can be a sign of an allergy or stroke, while tingling in the hands and feet can point to a deficiency of a certain vitamin or mineral.
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