Paraesthesia
An abnormal skin sensation such as tingling, prickling or pins and needles.
What it means
Paraesthesia is an abnormal sensation — tingling, prickling, burning or crawling — arising without any external stimulus. It indicates that a nerve is being irritated, compressed or damaged.
The distribution is what identifies the cause, more than the sensation itself:
- Both feet, symmetrically, spreading upwards — a peripheral neuropathy, commonly from diabetes, vitamin B12 deficiency or alcohol
- Thumb, index and middle finger of one hand, worse at night — carpal tunnel syndrome
- One limb, in a band — a compressed nerve root in the spine
- One side of the body, sudden onset — requires emergency assessment for stroke
In practice
Dysaesthesia describes an unpleasant abnormal sensation; anaesthesia is complete loss of sensation; hypoaesthesia is reduced sensation.
Transient pins and needles from sitting awkwardly is pressure on a nerve and is entirely normal.
Why it matters
Persistent paraesthesia warrants blood tests for diabetes, B12 and thyroid function, since all three causes are treatable and all three are missed regularly.
Sudden numbness or tingling affecting one side of the body, the face, or accompanied by weakness or speech difficulty, is a stroke until proven otherwise. Call 999.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Mohammad Zubair Khan, GMC 7563469
Last reviewed
August 30, 2026