What Is Paresthesia?
Paresthesia is an unusual skin sensation that may feel like tingling, pins and needles, prickling, burning, numbness, or crawling. The sensation can occur in one area or follow a nerve path. Paresthesia often reflects changes in how nerves send or process signals, but the feeling alone does not identify its cause.
Quick Facts About Paresthesia
Category
Nerve sensation
Used for
Describing tingling or altered feeling
Common confusion
Complete numbness
Also called
Pins and needles, Tingling
Often discussed with
Neuropathy Treatment
Key Takeaways About Paresthesia
- Paresthesia describes a sensation, not a specific disease.
- The feeling may follow a nerve path or stay in one area.
- Paresthesia is often confused with complete loss of sensation.
How Paresthesia Works
Paresthesia describes how altered nerve signals feel in the skin or deeper tissues. The brain may read these signals as tingling, prickling, burning, or a crawling feeling. The sensation can come and go, stay in one place, or follow the path of a nerve.
Related glossary terms: Radiculopathy, Nerve Root, Spinal Cord.
A clinician may ask where the sensation began, how it feels, and what changes it. The location can help show whether the feeling follows a nerve root, a peripheral nerve, or a wider area. During a neuropathy evaluation, the reported sensation is considered with movement, strength, reflexes, and skin awareness. Paresthesia can appear with nerve irritation, pressure, or changes in nerve function.
From the Arrowhead Clinic - Lithia Springs team
When we review paresthesia, we ask you to describe the sensation in your own words. We note its location, pattern, and changes during movement. Our team considers those details with the broader findings from a Neuropathy Treatment evaluation.
Paresthesia in Practice: A Real-World Example
A person may describe tingling that starts in the feet and feels stronger after standing. During a Neuropathy Treatment visit, the care team records the pattern and checks how sensation changes across the affected area.
Related Services
Related Terms
Radiculopathy
Radiculopathy is a condition in which a spinal nerve root becomes irritated or compressed. The pressure…
Nerve Root
A nerve root is a bundle of nerve fibers that leaves the spinal cord through an…
Spinal Cord
Spinal cord is a long bundle of nerve tissue that carries messages between the brain and…
Referred Pain
Referred Pain is pain felt in one body area even though its source lies elsewhere. Shared…
Arrowhead Clinic - Lithia Springs
Have Questions About Paresthesia?
Contact Arrowhead Clinic - Lithia Springs for practical guidance on Paresthesia and related chiropractor work in Lithia Springs.