Numbness or Tingling

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Numbness or tingling is an unpleasant sensation in which there is reduced or absent feeling in the skin or a "pins and needles" sensation. The most common reason for numbness or tingling is a problem with nerve function, either because the nerve itself is injured, something is pressing on the nerve, or an imbalance in the body's chemistry interferes with nerve function. Most causes are not dangerous, but when muscle weakness or paralysis is also present, numbness and tingling should be treated as an emergency.

There are rare causes of symptoms that will not be included here and would require more detailed evaluation than this guide can provide.

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