What is pins and needles?
This is a form of paresthesia that is similar to, but milder than the feeling of a limb ‘going to sleep’. It can be caused by poor blood circulation but in healthy individuals it is more normally caused by compressing the nerves that run past the elbows or knees. This interrupts communication with the sensory nerve endings in the hands and feet and when the pressure is released the nerves suddenly begin firing wildly and randomly until a sensory threshold is re-established. It is normally very transient but certain medical disorders such as diabetes or hypothyroidism can cause chronic pins and needles.
