• Question: why do we get pins and needles?

    Asked by kirstencymi to Andrew, Emma, Marianne on 20 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Andrew Maynard

      Andrew Maynard answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Hi kristencymi,

      I’m no expert here, but my understanding is that common pins and needles is caused when you restrict the blood flow to part of your body or compress the nerves – like when you sit cross-legged for a long time and your leg goes numb – then you take the pressure off and nerves start sending signals to your brain again.

      There are also diseases associated with nerve damage where people suffer from pins and needles.

    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Hello kirstencymi. I suspect you’ve heard somebody saying they have a trapped nerve before? It’s kind of on this principle. If you put pressure on a nerve then you get pins and needles on the skin over the area supplied by the nerve. This will go away when you take the pressure off the nerve.

      So if you work at a desk reading and resting your elbows on the desk you might put pressure on your ulnar nerve (which passes close to the surface at the elbow) then you’ll get pins and needles down your arm on the pinky (smallest finger) side if you put your arms out palm upwards and into your pinky and he finger next to it. This is the same thing as ‘hitting your funny bone’. It’s not the bone at all (even if it is the humerus-tee-hee) it’s the nerve.

      Same principle applies to most nerves in the body.

    • Photo: Marianne Baker

      Marianne Baker answered on 20 Jun 2010:

      Hey kirstencymi

      As far as I know, it happens when your blood supply gets restricted a bit; then, when it’s unblocked again, the blood flows back into those areas and you get the tingly sensation!
      I think there may also be other causes.
      It’s not very nice… but kinda funny when people are tip-toeing around ‘ow ow ow ow!’

Comments

  • andrewleitch commented on :

    PS AndrewMs right about diseases the best example is diabetes where people very commonly suffer nerve damage associated with their disease (it can be really unpleasant so that people feel like their permanently walking on pebbles in bare-feet).