It is not uncommon to feel pins and needles in an arm or leg when sitting or sleeping in an odd position. However, there are cases where tingling and numbness can manifest in the absence of obvious causes or when one has experienced physical trauma.
While in most cases, numbness and tingling are not life-threatening, there are cases where it can actually indicate something that is.
Many possible conditions can lead to these sensations. Often, patients find themselves unable to receive a full diagnosis or adequate treatment, even once a possible cause is discovered.
Optimum Health Rehab strives to get to the cause of your numbness and tingling symptoms by providing comprehensive diagnostic services and treatment plans with the goal of bringing you relief.
If you’re ready to find out why you’ve been experiencing these sensations and how to get relief, call (678)546-8044 or contact us online to schedule your first appointment today.
Finding the Source of Your Issues with Numbness and Tingling Treatment
Overall, numbness and tingling are associated with nervous or circulatory-related issues. Most of the time, pain and numbness go away quickly, especially if the person is in a position that is compressing that part of the body.
The issue becomes much more serious when these sensations happen over a long time and can be a sign of neurological or nerve damage.
The name for this type of odd-feeling symptom, which can come and go without warning, is paresthesia, and it can occur in only one area of the body or appear in different bodily zones.
Typically, paresthesia is caused by some sort of issue with a nerve or the central nervous system. The problem can range from a local injury to a viral infection to a nutritional deficiency.
Identifying the cause of the numbness and tingling is the first step in working towards relieving yourself from discomfort.
Apart from paresthesia, there is another sensation called dysesthesia. This condition is less common, but when felt, it feels like an itching sensation in an isolated area of the body. Many describe it as an electric shock, tightening, or burning sensation.
Testing to Find the Cause
At Optimum Health Rehab, patients can expect a walk-through of their full medical history and a plan of action to help the problem.
Your provider may perform muscle, neurological, orthopedic, and range-of-motion tests in order to pinpoint the source of nerve compression or other issues contributing to your symptoms.
Most cases will require a series of image testing, depending on the severity of their pain, completed through X-Ray scans, CT Scans, and MRIs.
Each type of scan serves a unique purpose: identifying obvious issues like bone spurs or ruptured discs or providing more-detailed images showing soft tissues.
While not every case will require each kind of scan, patients may need to complete one or a combination of these before receiving their results.
Many practitioners will opt for nerve conduction velocity testing. Nerve conduction velocity testing (NVC) is used to stimulate a nerve with mild electrical impulses, measuring the speed and time it takes for electrical impulses to travel between electrodes.
What Causes Numbness and Tingling? (Parasthesia)
Many injuries and medical conditions can cause tingling or numbing in different parts of the body. Paresthesia may occur if blood flow is reduced to a nerve for any reason. However, more commonly, the causes are not severe or life-threatening:
- Exposure to toxins — Exposure to substances, including lead or other heavy metals, can lead to numbness, plus other medical complications.
- Injury or compression of a nerve — If numbness and any tingling are restricted to one area, the issue may be localized. Some examples are carpal tunnel syndrome, numb toes (often seen by runners), or injuries sustained in a car accident.
- Insect or animal bites — Sometimes, patients may not be aware of insect bites and that they can cause severe neurological issues. For example, Lyme Disease from a tick bite frequently leads to neurological symptoms, including numbness and tingling.
- Medications — Certain medications, including chemotherapy drugs, can cause nerve damage and changes in sensation around the body.
- Nutritional deficiency or imbalance — In some cases, nerve damage or neuropathy is caused by a B12 deficiency or a problem with B vitamin metabolism. Occasionally, imbalances of minerals like zinc or potassium may also cause nerve problems.
- Poor circulation — Circulatory issues can overlap with injury or compression of the nerve, or they might be caused by a general problem with circulation. A short-term example of loss of circulation is sitting in an odd position that blocks the appropriate amount of blood flow to the legs while sitting. After a while, you may experience your foot falling asleep — or a pins and needles sensation — that quickly resolves once you stand up and move around for a minute or two.
- Toothaches — Infections in the gumline can cause inflammation that compresses facial nerves, causing numbness in the face and mouth.
- Tumors — Tumors, especially those in the brain and spinal cord, can press against nerves and cause numbness in certain parts of the body.
- Viral infection — Many viruses can affect the nerves, including shingles (the chicken pox virus), HIV, and Covid-19. Often, viral infections cause more widespread numbness and tingling symptoms.
More-Complicated Causes of Numbness and Tingling
Determining the cause of numbness and tingling can be from many different sources, but while some are relatively harmless, there are a few causes that call for concern. Doctors should perform testing to cross out any of the below issues:
- Diabetes — Patients may develop neuropathy when blood sugar isn’t adequately controlled, which can lead to direct nervous system damage. Nutritional adjustments combined with therapeutic stretching and exercise can improve hormonal and nutrient balances in the bloodstream, often relieving numbness and tingling. Patients may also be recommended for diet adjustments and increased exercise in their daily routines.
- Multiple Sclerosis — Numbness and tingling in the face and extremities can be early signs of multiple sclerosis. Severe numbness makes it difficult for patients to use their limbs, often interfering with everyday activities and getting progressively worse as they age.
- Stroke — Sudden loss of feeling in arms, legs, or face can indicate an impending stroke. If there is any drooping of the face or loss of mobility in the body, patients should seek emergency medical intervention immediately.
- Underactive thyroid (also known as Hypothyroidism) — The thyroid controls metabolic rates in the human body. However, when it is underperforming, you may see a series of symptoms, including the enlargement of the thyroid gland in the throat, weight gain, brittle nails, hair loss, and tingling and numbness in parts of the body.
Possible Treatment Options for Numbness and Tingling
Treatment plans will be created to address your unique medical needs.
Patients can expect to have some combination of treatments that include chiropractic adjustments, spinal manipulation, the application of ice to a specific area, and deep tissue massages included in their sessions with our expert professionals.
Antidepressants as a Temporary Solution
If doctors believe you have a nerve problem, they will frequently prescribe an anticonvulsant like Gabapentin or antidepressants to help, but these drugs also have side effects that make them an unattractive relief option.
Antidepressants come with a long list of potential side effects, including nausea, drowsiness, blurred vision, mood swings or changes, and weight gain. While it might seem like a good option for a while, it may carry side effects that are difficult to manage.
What Can You Do to Help Limit Numbing and Tingling Sensations
Many medical issues are avoidable or manageable with good habits and incorporating exercise into your daily routine. This is also true for numbness and tingling sensations.
You can try to implement the following lifestyle changes in order to address your symptoms:
- Consume a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
- Consume food that is low in fat and sodium content.
- Eating foods rich in vitamins, specifically vitamins B-12, D, Calcium, and Magnesium.
- Exercising about 2.5 hours of cardiovascular exercise each week.
- Keeping up-to-date with vaccines.
- Limit alcohol and smoking use.
- Maintaining a healthy body weight as per your height and age.
- Managing stress.
- Washing hands regularly.
When to Seek Emergency Medical Care
Any numbness or tingling sensations that happen simultaneously with fatigue, vision problems, or pain in the back or neck pain should seek medical attention as soon as possible as they can be a symptom of a more complex and life-threatening condition. While many causes can be mitigated or treated, you should seek medical advice as soon as possible to prevent more severe medical complications when combined with other more complex symptoms.
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Find Help Regaining Regain Sensation at Optimum Health Rehab Dacula
Losing sensation or feeling tingling sensations disrupts everyday life and activities — let alone inflicting fear that something worse could be going on. Let Optimum Health Rehab’s licensed professionals help you.
If you’re tired of dealing with numbness and tingling, call us at (678)546-8044 or request your appointment online.