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Conditions
Paresthesia (Pins and Needles) |
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Paresthesia (or paraesthesia) is the medical term given
to pins and needles. The term aesthesia comes from the Greek word aisthesis,
meaning sensation; para means beside (or parallel) – hence, paresthesia refers to a
sensation that is slightly different to a 'normal' sensation.
The symptoms, which usually affect the arms and legs (especially the hands and feet),
include some (or all) of the following:
- Pain (usually mild)
- Partial numbness
- Tingling
- Prickling
- Burning
- Itching
Why does this happen?
Every sensation in the human body is caused by nerve stimulation – the stimulus (for
example: touch, heat, or smell) causes the nerve (or nerves) to fire; that is, they
generate an electrical message that is sent to the brain, via the spinal cord. When the
message gets to the brain, you become aware of the stimulus.
Paraesthesia is usually caused by a lack of blood supply to (and pressure on) the nerves
in the arms or legs. For example, if you fall asleep on your arm, the weight of your body
tends to limit the blood supply to the arm; as a result, the nerves become starved
of blood, and they start to send unusual signals to the brain – at first, a tingling
sensation may be felt, followed by prickling (the latter signals the resumption of pain
signals to the brain). The symptoms usually appear in the hands and feet (before being
felt in the rest of the limb), because the lack of blood supply affects the extremities
first.
Most people have experienced this form of the condition – the paraesthesia is usually
temporary, and goes away when the pressure on the limb is removed (and the blood supply
returns). However, paraesthesia can also be an indication of a more serious, underlying
condition. For example, if a patient suffers from atherosclerosis (a condition where the
arteries become partially blocked) the bloody supply to their nerves is permanently
reduced – as a result, they may experience paraesthesia for long periods of time.
Other conditions, which may lead to paraesthesia, include:
- Raynaud’s Phenomenon
- Diabetes
- Alcohol poisoning
- Multiple sclerosis
- Pernicious anaemia
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Nerve root impingement
- Pressure on the spinal cord
Please note: the list is by no means fully inclusive.
The last two conditions are particularly relevant to us. For example, there are many
conditions in the spine that can lead to nerve root impingement (also known as entrapment)
– if this occurs in the neck (cervical spine), then paraesthesia may be experienced
in the arms; if the sciatic nerve is pinched (lumbar spine), the symptoms may be felt in
the legs – a classic symptom of sciatica.
Paraesthesia can also be caused pressure on the spinal cord itself (specifically, pressure
on the dura mater – the outer-most sheath, or meninx, of the spinal cord); a
number of spinal conditions can lead to this. |
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How is it diagnosed?
The symptoms of the condition are unique – you may not experience all of them, but
most people can usually tell when they have paraesthesia. However, determining the underlying
cause is more difficult, and because there are so many, you may not receive an accurate
diagnosis first time round – for example, a back specialist could identify nerve root
impingement as the cause; but, if it’s not, they’ll need to refer you for tests.
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What are the consequences for back pain?
The general symptoms are mentioned above. However, depending on the nature of the
underlying problem, you may experience other symptoms – at this stage, we recommend
that you either consult your doctor, or visit our Spine
Clinic. |
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What are the risk factors?
Because there are so many underlying causes, the risk factors for paraesthesia are many
and varied. However, the vast majority of all back pain conditions are directly
caused (or substantially aggravated) by compression of the spine; as a result, compression
(which itself is caused by bad posture;
injury; ageing; hereditary conditions; and/or excess weight) is a primary risk factor in
cases of paraesthesiae. |
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Can it be treated?
Depending on the underlying condition, the patient will be offered a range of possible
treatments – most of which fall outside our area of expertise. However, for those
forms of paraesthesia that are caused by an underlying, spinal, condition we believe that
a successful outcome is possible.
For example, it follows, that if 98% of all back pain is either directly, or indirectly,
caused by compression of the spine, then decompression will solve many of the
underlying conditions (at the very least, it will make them asymptomatic – that is,
the underlying condition might still be present, but it’s improved to the extent that
symptoms are removed).
The type of treatment is obviously very important – some provide temporary
relief, others prove ineffectual, and some are actually detrimental to the
individual’s health. We believe that orthopaedic
medicine is the most appropriate form of treatment – the backrack™ will replicate most of the
methods used by a practitioner, but, for more serious conditions, you may wish to visit
our Spine Clinic in London.
For more details on the range of treatments available, please visit our section on Treatment. |
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