What are pins and needles?
Pins and needles, also called paraesthesia, is a sensation of tingling, pricking, or numbness in the skin. It is usually caused by pressure on the nerves or blood vessels in the area. Pins and needles can happen anywhere on the body, but they are most common in the arms and legs.
What causes pins and needles?
There are many different causes of pins and needles. Some are serious, most are not. A detailed medical case history and examination will support an accurate diagnosis. Some common causes include:
- Pressure on the nerves: This can be caused by sitting or standing in one position for too long, wearing tight clothing, or sleeping on an uncomfortable surface. Blood supply is reduced to the nerve so that the sensory information that the brain receives via the spinal cord is disrupted resulting in pins and needles. Two common examples of nerve compression are sciatica, where the nerve is trapped as it exits the spine, resulting in leg and foot pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome, where the nerve is trapped close to the wrist and hand, which are feeling pins and needles.
- Poor blood circulation: This can be caused by factors such as smoking, obesity, or diabetes.
- Nerve damage: This can be caused by an injury, surgery, or a disease such as diabetes or multiple sclerosis.
Managing the pain of pins and needles
The treatment for pins and needles depends on the underlying cause. Some common treatments include:
- Resting the affected area: This can help to relieve pressure on the nerves or blood vessels.
- Wearing loose clothing: This can help to reduce pressure on the nerves.
- Taking breaks: If you have pins and needles from sitting or standing in one position for too long, taking a break will help to improve circulation and relieve pressure on the nerves.
- Exercising: This can help to improve circulation and reduce pressure on the nerves.
- Massaging the affected area: This can help to improve circulation and relieve pressure on the nerves.
- Applying heat or cold: This can help to improve circulation and relieve pain.
Osteopathy helps with pins and needles
Our team of osteopaths are trained to diagnose the cause of pins and needles. Each practitioner will take a thorough medical history and use orthopaedic and neurological clinical testing to get to a clear diagnosis and prognosis. If in any doubt, your osteopath will refer you to your GP with an accompanying letter detailing his or her clinical findings.
Osteopaths use a variety of techniques, such as massage, manipulation, and stretching, to improve circulation, relieve pressure on the nerves, and promote healing. There is evidence to support the osteopathic treatment of sciatica, neuralgia and circulatory problems all of which can lead to paraesthesia.
We treat the body as a whole focusing on returning you back to full health where possible. This method is especially useful with symptoms such as pins and needles which can be vague and intermittent.
Good examples of this holistic approach range from the postural advice we offer – showing someone how to sit correctly so that nerves passing from the neck down into the arm do not get compressed and irritated, to dietary advice – eating more foods that contain vitamin B12 (meat, eggs) and folate (broccoli, peas) can help with paraesthesia associated with a certain type of anaemia.
If you have pins and needles, contact us today to find out how we can help.
