Tingling or numb hands and feet: when to worry

Everyone has had a leg 'go to sleep' after sitting in one position for a long time. That is temporary and passes once you move. But if tingling or numbness keeps coming back or lasts, the cause needs finding.

Common causes

• A disc in the neck pressing on a nerve, causing tingling in the arm
• A disc in the lower back pressing on a nerve, causing leg pain and tingling (sciatica)
• Pressure on a nerve at the wrist (carpal tunnel syndrome): tingling in the thumb, index and middle fingers, worse at night
• Diabetes: burning and numbness in both feet
• Vitamin B12 deficiency

Go to an emergency department immediately

• Sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the body, a drooping face or slurred speech: these can be signs of a stroke
• Sudden weakness in both legs with trouble controlling the bladder or bowels
• Numbness after a neck or head injury

See a doctor if

• Tingling lasts several weeks or keeps getting worse
• You drop things or struggle with buttons
• Tingling comes with neck or back pain
• You have diabetes and feeling in your feet is fading

What the examination looks at

• Nerve sensation and muscle strength
• Blood tests, X-ray, MRI or a nerve conduction test when needed

What you can do

• Spend less time using a phone or computer with the wrist bent
• Do gentle neck and arm exercises during breaks
• If you have diabetes, check your feet every day and don't walk barefoot