Tingling in the limbs

Tingling limbs

Tingling in the limbs (hands, legs, arms) is a concept for most people. They usually associate a harmless perceived fall asleep of the hands or legs. However, the tingling sensation may well be due to serious illness and may turn from a slightly uncomfortable feeling to massive pain. With repeated occurrence and increasing intensity the tingling in the limbs should urgently be examined by a doctor.

Contents:
Symptoms of tingling in the limbs
Causes of tingling in the limbs
diagnosis
treatment
Additional naturopathic procedures

Symptoms of tingling in the limbs

Tingling in the limbs (also paresthesia of the extremities), refers exclusively to corresponding (miss) sensations in the legs and arms. In contrast, there are, for example, the so-called trichodynia (tingling of the scalp, headache) and paresthesia in other parts of the body.

Tingling in the legs and arms is often associated with impaired nerve pathways. (Image: Piotr Marcinski / fotolia.com)

Causes of tingling in the limbs

According to various causes which can cause tingling in joints, the accompanying symptoms are extremely different. Therefore, here is a common representation of the causes with the respective symptoms.

Pinched nerves as a cause of tingling in the extremities
Often a tingling in the limbs is caused by constrictions or compressions of the nerve tracts. So a tingling sensation in the forearms and hands is often due to pressure damage to the nerves in the ulnar groove (at the elbow) or the carpal tunnel (at the wrist). In the Ulnaris trough syndrome (compression of the ulnar nerve) sufferers feel in addition to the increased falling asleep hand numbness in the outer two fingers and the palm of the hand. The muscles supplied by the ulnar nerve lose strength and muscle atrophy may begin. The carpal tunnel syndrome also manifests itself in most cases initially as tingling or so-called ants running in the hands. In addition, there is pain in the supply area of ​​the median nerve, which is trapped in the carpal tunnel. Here, too, threatens a loss of the supplied muscles.

Tingling under the sole of the foot is also often due to compression of the supplying nerves. This occurs, for example, in the area of ​​the tarsal tunnel on the inside of the ankle (tarsal tunnel syndrome). If the tingling sensation is felt further up the legs, it may be due to compression of the nerves in the pelvis, hips and back. For example, if the sciatic nerve is trapped, as happens more often in a herniated disc, the sufferers often feel in addition to the massive back pain or low back pain a numbness and tingling in the thighs, which can pull to the knees. Similar complaints can also occur in a so-called lumbago.

Damage to the nerves in the spinal canal with corresponding paraesthesia in the legs can be attributed to congenital anatomical impairments, traumatic injuries in the course of an accident (fractures, bruises) or acute inflammation of the vertebral bodies (spondylitis). Chronic degenerative diseases of the spine, such as spondylosis, are also considered to be the possible cause of nerve compression in the spinal canal. In addition, the so-called vertebral gliding is to be mentioned, which is characterized by an extremely unpleasant Durchbrechgefühl and in which the displaced vertebrae may press on the nerve tracts in the spinal canal.

If the nerve tracts, which connect the legs to the network of nerves of the lumbar plexus in the area of ​​the lumbar and cervical spine, are trapped, for example, when crossing the inguinal ligament, this often causes tingling in the legs as well as hip pain. When a nerve is trapped, the discomfort is generally felt in the area of ​​supply of the nerve, so that the cause of the tingling in the limbs here is not to be found directly in the vicinity of the occurrence of paraesthesia.

Other causes of paresthesia in the limbs
In addition to the compression of the nerves, other neuralgic impairments, chronic and acute diseases can cause tingling in the extremities. In addition, acute poisoning may be associated with appropriate symptoms.

Since the nervous system is closely related to the metabolism, some chronic metabolic diseases can cause impairments of the nerves and a related tingling in the extremities. Here, especially diabetes or diabetic neuropathy should be mentioned. In the long term, high blood sugar often damages not only the blood vessels, but also the nervous system. The consequences are, for example, sensory disturbances in the case of heat, cold, pain and pressure. However, diabetic neuropathy can also cause paralysis and chronic pain. In addition, those affected suffer from the general symptoms of their diabetes, such as chronic fatigue; a sudden change between loss of appetite and cravings or blurred vision.

Multiple sclerosis, as an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, can also lead to paresthesia in the limbs. These are more often found in multiple sclerosis patients in the feet and lower legs or the hands. Accompanying sufferers often suffer from visual disturbances, dizziness. Paralysis and impairment of bladder function.

So-called polyneuropathies, which cause damage at different points of the peripheral nervous system, are to be mentioned as another possible cause of tingling in the limbs. The polyneuropathies can go back to very different triggers. These range from long-term alcohol abuse to infectious diseases (such as typhoid fever), autoimmune diseases, poisoning and vitamin B12 deficiency, to cancer. Polyneuropathy may be associated with symptoms such as muscle cramps, paralysis, cardiac arrest or cardiac arrhythmia, profuse sweating, or bladder and rectal malfunction.

A stroke may also cause tingling in the limbs as a concomitant symptom. In the face of massive discomforts, such as dysesthesia to fainting, massive dizziness; Hemiparesis, visual disturbances, speech disturbances, headache, nausea and vomiting, among which sufferers in the course of the stroke, the paresthesia are here, however, often barely noticed.

The tingling in the limbs can also be the result of circulatory disorders, which in turn are often due to arteriosclerosis or heart failure. In the worst case, the circulatory disorder is based on an acute vascular occlusion (thrombosis) or a heart attack.

In addition, hyperventilation leads to paresthesia in the extremities. Since sufferers in the course of an anxiety disorder or the associated panic attacks hyperventilate more often (hyperventilation), they often feel an accompanying tingling in the limbs.

The paresthesias in the limbs may also occur as a side-effect of drugs, for example, in various antidepressants or as signs of food allergies.

diagnosis

A detailed medical history forms the basis of the diagnosis. The patients report where the tingling of the limbs is localized, in which situations and which intensity this occurs and what other diseases or health problems are present. As a rule, first indications of the causes of paresthesia in the limbs result from this. During palpation, not infrequently muscle hardening along the supplying nerve tracts can be detected. A reflex examination provides indications of a possibly present polyneuropathy or diabetic neuropathies. Sensitivity tests are designed to determine whether the patient's sensitivity to touch is still normal. The nerve conduction velocity can also be determined with the aid of so-called electron neurography.

Imaging procedures, such as X-rays, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can visualize existing narrowings of the nerve tracts due to shifts in the skeletal system (eg, herniated disc). Tumors and diseases such as multiple sclerosis can also be detected with the help of these diagnostic procedures. Blood tests indicate whether inflammatory processes that damage the nerves, a metabolic disorder or a vitamin B12 deficiency may be present. If there is a suspicion of a circulatory disorder as a trigger of tingling in the limbs, an electrocardiogram (ECG) is often performed to detect any existing heart failure.

treatment

If the tingling sensation in the limbs is triggered by muscle-related nerve compression, it usually starts with a relaxation of the hardened musculature. For this purpose, in addition to medical massages and physiotherapy also acupuncture is used. Although the combination of massage, physiotherapy and acupuncture often helps to treat the symptoms successfully, in rare cases surgery is required to relieve the pinched nerves of the pressure. Also circulatory disorders or vascular occlusions may require surgery to restore blood flow. Often, however, it is already possible to achieve significant treatment success with the help of blood-thinning and anticoagulant drugs.

Polyneuropathy requires causal treatment. If this is triggered by alcohol abuse, is a withdrawal therapy, infectious diseases are the trigger, they are combated and if they are based on a vitamin B12 deficiency, can correct these vitamin supplements. If the polyneuropathies are triggered by autoimmune diseases, they may not be cured. Here the treatment concentrates on a medical relief of the complaints. The same applies to therapy for multiple sclerosis. If diabetic neuropathy is the cause of tingling in the limbs, the correct setting of blood sugar is the top priority of therapy.

Additional naturopathic procedures

Especially the manual procedures, such as Rolfing, Osteopathy and Chiropatkik, are used in the alternative treatment of pinched nerves and related paresthesias in the limbs. Homeopathic remedies (for example Arnica) and Schüssler salts (for example Schüssler salt number 2, number 7, number 17 or number 18) are also used to alleviate the symptoms. In order to eliminate possibly existing hyperacidity of the body as a potential trigger of muscle-related nerve compression, the acid-base balance is frequently regulated in naturopathic therapy. If the tingling in the limbs is based on circulatory disorders, hydrotherapy methods (for example Kneipp's pouring or water treading) and other measures to promote circulation can also be used. (Fp)