Image depicting the sensation numbness and tingling

Tingling – Oakleigh Osteopath explains why we feel numbness and tingling

Ever knocked your funny bone and the pain in your elbow is accompanied by some internal frustration and tingling down to your pinky finger?

Or you found yourself sitting on the floor for the first time since probably primary school and, while getting down into a comfortable position was hard enough, getting up off the floor proves impossible as your leg has fallen asleep?

Or maybe that numbness or tingling is a normal part of your daily life and doesn’t seem to go away no matter how much you shake your limb around?

 

We can attribute that sensation to one of two things:

 

Nerves 

They carry information about what your body is feeling and doing

Blood supply

They provide nutrients (eg. oxygen) necessary for survival to tissues in your body

 

These two vital components are always working together to make your body function. If one is restricted or irritated, your tissues can become starved of oxygen or the information sent to/from the brain can be interrupted. Your brain then interprets the mix-up as numbness or tingling.

 

How do they become restricted?

Nerves and blood vessels pass by joints, muscles and other tissues while also providing nerve and blood supply to structures they travel through. Just like peak hour traffic, there are parts of your body that are more likely to become congested and restrict blood/nerve supply to certain areas.

So if the sensation is in your hands and fingers, everything between the neck and the fingers needs to be considered; for feet and toes, everything below the low back should be considered.

What may you feel?

You may experience a range of symptoms from;

  • Numbness
  • Tingling
  • Pins and needles – can feel like ants crawling over your skin!
  • Swelling
  • Warm/cold extremities
  • Sharp + shooting pains
  • Weakness or loss of coordination during your everyday activities

The body is complex so it is important to determine the cause of your numbness or tingling by a health care practitioner to rule out anything sinister.

If you’re experiencing numbness or tingling or any other weird and wonderful sensation, make sure to book an appointment to see an Osteopath, Naturopath or Myotherapist today.

 

 

Call (03) 9570 3388