Tingling hands, feet, or both is an extremely common and bothersome symptom. Such
tingling can sometimes be benign and temporary. For example, it could result from pressure on
nerves when your arm is crooked under your head as you fall asleep. Or it could be from pressure
on nerves when you cross your legs too long. In either case, the “pins and needles” effect —
which is usually painless — is soon relieved by removing the pressure that caused it. 26 It also can accompany other symptoms, such as pain, itching, numbness, and muscle
wasting. In such cases, tingling may be a sign of nerve damage, which can result from causes as
varied as traumatic injuries or repetitive stress injuries, bacterial or viral infections, toxic
exposures, and systemic diseases such as diabetes.
Such nerve damage is known as peripheral neuropathy because it affects nerves distant from
the brain and spinal cord, often in the hands and feet. There are more than 100 different types of
peripheral neuropathy. 27 More than 20 million Americans, most of them older adults, are
estimated to have peripheral neuropathy.
28 In diabetic neuropathy, tingling and other symptoms often first develop in both feet
and go up the legs, followed by tingling and other symptoms that affect both hands and go up the
arms. About two-thirds of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nerve damage. In
many cases, these symptoms are the first signs of diabetes. In another 30% of peripheral
neuropathy cases, the cause is unknown or “idiopathic.” The remaining 40% of cases have a
variety of causes.
29 As long as the peripheral nerve cells have not been killed, they have the ability to
regenerate. Although no treatments are available for inherited types of peripheral neuropathy,
many of the acquired types can be improved with treatment. For example, good blood sugar
control in diabetes can slow the progression of diabetic neuropathy; vitamin supplementation can
correct peripheral neuropathy in people with vitamin deficiencies. General lifestyle
recommendations include maintaining an optimal weight, avoiding exposure to toxins, following
a doctor-supervised exercise program, eating a balanced diet, and avoiding or limiting alcohol
consumption. 30 In some cases, tingling and other symptoms of peripheral neuropathy may
be reduced with prescriptions originally developed for treating seizures and depression.
(A) In many cases, however, tingling in the hands, feet, or both can be severe, episodic, or
chronic.
(B) Over time, peripheral neuropathy can worsen, resulting in decreased mobility and even
disability.
(C) About a third of the cases of peripheral neuropathy have a history of tingling in the hands,
feet, or both.
(D) Diabetes is one of the most common causes of peripheral neuropathy, accounting for
about 30% of cases.
(AB) Successful treatment depends on an accurate diagnosis and treatment of the underlying
cause of the tingling.
(AC) Tingling in hands, feet, or both can be cured as neuro-therapeutical technologies
advance in the twenty-first century.
(AD) All these may relieve the tingling and numbness in hands, feet, or both because they will
help blood circulation in all parts of our bodies.
(BC) Recommendations also include quitting smoking, which constricts blood supply to
blood vessels supplying nutrients to peripheral nerves.
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