Tusok Tusok sa paa? Do not panic!

Almost everyone probably experienced the weird feeling of having our hand, leg or foot “fall asleep” which often includes a feeling of numbness or a sensation of “Pins and needles” or the popularly called "tusok-tusok" in the Philippines. Do not panic! This is a very common condition that can happen to just about anyone and is very temporary. It is usually caused when we have sat or slept in an awkward position for too long. Numbness can occur along a single nerve, on one side of the body, or it may occur symmetrically, on both sides of the body. It happens when the blood supply to the nerves is cut off. This is usually when you sit or sleep on part of your body. It lasts only a few minutes. You often get pins and needles in your:

• arms

• hands

• legs

• feet

Some possible causes of pins & needles are as follows:

Pressure

Wearing tight shoes or sitting on your foot can give you a numb foot or leg or cause pins and needles.

Diabetes

It can damage small blood vessels that supply nerves in fingers and toes.

Injury

Damage to nerve endings in fingers or toes can be the result of an injury.

Medicines

Some medicines can cause nerve damage. It is usually reversible when the medicine is stopped.

Persistent numbness of the feet can lead to falls and numbness of the hands; this can affect your grip and make you prone to burns and injury. Treatment will depend on the likely cause of your numbness/pins and needles. You may be asked to keep a diary of the circumstances in which they happened. If you or your relative experience such numbness / pins & needles and you may visit a nerve specialist or neurologist in any hospital to help you out with this discomfort.