Paresthesia

"Tingling" redirects here. For the ancient people mentioned in Chinese historiography, see Dingling.
"Pins and needles" redirects here. For other uses, see Pins and needles (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Anaesthesia or Pallesthesia.
Paresthesia
Other namesParaesthesia
Pronunciation
SpecialtyNeurology

Paresthesia is an abnormal sensation of the skin (tingling, pricking, chilling, burning, numbness) with no apparent physical cause.[1] Paresthesia may be transient or chronic, and may have many possible underlying causes.[1] Paresthesias are usually painless and can occur anywhere on the body, but most commonly occur in the arms and legs.[1]

The most familiar kind of paresthesia is the sensation known as "pins and needles" after having a limb "fall asleep". A less well-known and uncommon paresthesia is formication, the sensation of insects crawling on the skin.

  1. ^ a b c "Paresthesia Information Page". National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. 2019-03-27. Archived from the original on 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2021-03-12.