What causes pins and needles? Experts explain.

Your body has millions of parts working together every second of every day. In this series, Dr. Jen Caudle, who is a board-certified family medicine physician and an associate professor at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, explains how the body works — and all of its quirks.

One minute you’re engrossed in an activity. The next, your arm, hand, leg or foot is numb, tingling, burning or itching. This sensation, which many can relate to, is commonly called pins and needles. But in the medical world, this condition is called paresthesia.

If you’ve experienced pins and needles, you know that it eventually goes away simply by changing your position or moving the affected body part. But why do we get pins and needles in the first place? Let’s find out.

What causes pins and needles?

“Pins and needles commonly occur in the arms, hands, legs and feet when sitting or sleeping on a body part that affects the nerve,” Dr. Laura Sander, northeast regional medical director at Heal and assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, tells Yahoo Life. This sensation is what happens when your leg “falls asleep,” for instance.

Dr. Jen Caudle tells Yahoo Life that the pins and needles sensation occurs when you interfere with your sensory nerves. “Sensory nerves process stimuli from our environment and send that information to the spinal cord and the brain,” she explains. “So when the sensory nerves are restricted from crossing your legs (or other body parts) too long, you first feel numbness because your nerves have stopped getting the oxygen they need to send the right messages to your brain.”

As you might expect, “once you uncross your legs, the nerves can get back on track and continue on their way back to the brain. But the brain interprets this as tingling,” Caudle says.

But in some cases, pins and needles can indicate problems with the way that nerves are functioning or “sending information” throughout your body, which can result from a condition, such as diabetes, that affects the health of nerves, Dr. Lindsay Zilliox, neurologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center and assistant professor of neurology with the University of Maryland School of Medicine, tells Yahoo Life.

Sander adds that nerve damage at the wrist (carpal tunnel syndrome) or leg (sciatica) can cause pins and needles, along with certain medications, excessive alcohol consumption and certain conditions, such as thyroid disorders.

What’s the best way to get rid of pins and needles?

“Usually, the pins and needles will only last about a minute,” says Caudle. “However, you might help the nerves get back on track with gentle movement.” But, she says, “if the numbness and tingling don’t go away, it might be time to see your doctor.”

If a health condition is behind your pins and needles, your treatment will depend on the underlying cause, says Zilliox. “In the case of nerve compression or overuse, your doctor may recommend avoiding postures that put pressure on certain nerves, like leaning on your elbows or crossing your legs.”

In some cases, doctors might also prescribe braces to wear or nerve pain medications to treat the symptom of painful pins and needles sensations.

How can you prevent it from happening?

Sander recommends avoiding staying in the same position for long periods of time. “Get up and move around,” she says.

If the pins and needles sensation is caused by an underlying condition, your doctor can best advise you on how to handle it. But, Zilliox notes, you may or may not be able to prevent it from happening.

When is it a sign of something serious?

Pins and needles is usually not a sign of a serious health condition. “You should not be worried about pins and needles if it resolves after a few minutes and it does not happen frequently,” says Sander.

However, if the numbness and tingling sensations last a long time or if they frequently come back, she recommends seeing your health care provider. In some cases, pins and needles can be a sign of a more serious medical problem, such as multiple sclerosis, stroke or ministroke, or Raynaud’s phenomenon. Your doctor may examine you, identify the cause and suggest a treatment.

You should also visit a doctor if the pins and needles is painful, interferes with any activities or keeps you from sleeping, Zilliox adds.

Video produced by Olivia Schneider.

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