An unpleasant feeling of having a limb asleep, pins and needles crawling over your skin, or a temporary loss of sensation… These common symptoms have various causes. Learn to distinguish between benign cases and situations requiring medical attention.
When there is no cause for alarm: occasional and non-serious causes
Rest assured, in most cases, these unpleasant tingling sensations are completely harmless:
Staying in the same position for too long (such as keeping your arm bent or legs crossed for hours) can compress a nerve and create that temporary drowsy feeling.
The so-called carpal tunnel syndrome, particularly common in people who use their hands intensively (keyboard work, manual activities, childcare, etc.), often manifests itself as nighttime pins and needles and pain.
A cyst or an old, poorly healed fracture can sometimes press on the nerve endings in the extremities, reproducing these symptoms.
The solution? Moving the affected area or simply changing position is usually enough to make these discomforts disappear.
