Pins and needles in hands and legs

Dear Ask The Doctor: My hands and feet keep going numb and then when the feeling is coming back i get pins and needles and it is very painful do you know what it could be

Dear Julie: Numbness and pins and needles in the upper and lower extremity usually happen because of impingement ( entrapment ) of the nerve .

Usually this is due to entrapment of the nerve near the spinal column due to a herniated or bulging disc in the neck ( leading th hand numbness ) or lumbar spine ( leading to lower limb numbness) . However sometimes just incorrect posture and positions like when we sleep can lead to pressure on the nerve which then leads to numbness and pins and needles.

I advice you to contact your family physician if these symptoms continue or become worse. You will need a complete physcal examination along with possible Xrays of the spine and the neck area.