Pins and needles after sitting on your foot fade in a minute. Numbness and tingling that keeps returning, wakes you at night or runs down an arm or leg is different: it usually means a nerve is compressed, irritated or not getting what it needs. At Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation of NY & CT (PMR), we find the cause, test nerve function when needed and treat the musculoskeletal problems behind many cases, at our offices in Danbury, CT and Brewster, NY.
When to get urgent care
Some numbness is an emergency. Get help now for:
- Sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the body, a drooping face, trouble speaking or sudden vision loss: call 911 for a possible stroke
- Numbness in the groin, inner thighs or buttocks, or new trouble controlling your bladder or bowels: go to the ER
- Numbness or weakness after a fall, crash or other head, neck or back injury: go to the ER
- Weakness or numbness that spreads quickly over hours or days: go to the ER
- Arm numbness with chest pain, shortness of breath or sweating: call 911
What causes numbness and tingling?
When something presses on a nerve, irritates it or affects its health, the signals it carries get scrambled. The result can be numbness, tingling, burning or weakness.
Where you feel it offers clues
- Thumb, index and middle fingers, worse at night: often carpal tunnel syndrome
- Ring and little fingers, worse with the elbow bent: often the ulnar nerve at the elbow
- Down one arm, with neck pain: often a pinched nerve in the neck
- Arm and hand when reaching overhead or carrying bags: possibly thoracic outlet syndrome
- Down one leg, with low back or buttock pain: often sciatica
- Both feet, starting at the toes: often peripheral neuropathy, which needs a physician’s workup
Nerve compression and other musculoskeletal causes
A pinched nerve in the neck or low back, often from a disc bulge or arthritis narrowing the space where the nerve exits, can send symptoms into an arm or leg.
In carpal tunnel syndrome, the median nerve is squeezed at the wrist. With thoracic outlet syndrome, nerves are crowded between the collarbone and first rib, often because of posture or overhead work. Related problems such as sciatica and neck pain appear in our list of conditions we treat.
Medical causes a physician must check
Numbness and tingling in hands or feet on both sides, or symptoms without a clear mechanical pattern, can point to conditions outside our scope:
- Diabetes, a common cause of nerve damage in the feet
- Vitamin B12 deficiency or an underactive thyroid
- Multiple sclerosis, which can cause numbness that comes and goes
- Lyme disease, which is common in Connecticut and the Hudson Valley
- Some medications, heavy alcohol use or kidney disease
If your exam points this way, we’ll refer you to your primary care doctor or a neurologist.
How nerve function is tested
Your exam checks sensation, strength, reflexes and how your neck, back, shoulders and wrists move, plus gentle tests that stretch or press on a nerve to see whether your symptoms appear.
When the picture isn’t clear, or symptoms are severe or lasting, EMG and nerve conduction testing measures how well nerves carry signals and how muscles respond. Results can show where a nerve is compressed, how much, and whether a wider neuropathy is involved.
Treatment for numbness and tingling at PMR
Nerve pain treatment at PMR targets the source of the problem:
- Pinched nerve in the neck or back: chiropractic care and physical therapy for posture and spinal movement, nerve gliding exercises and strengthening, with spinal decompression on a DTS table considered for some disc-related cases
- Carpal tunnel and elbow nerve problems: keeping the wrist or elbow neutral at night, changing how you grip and type, gliding exercises and soft-tissue work
- Thoracic outlet syndrome: stretching tight chest and neck muscles, strengthening the muscles around the shoulder blades and changing how you carry and reach
- Neuropathy: while your physician treats the cause, physical therapy can help with balance, strength and foot safety
Nerves can be slow to recover, so progress is often gradual, and results vary. If numbness worsens, weakness develops or you aren’t improving, we’ll refer you to a physician or surgeon.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my hands go numb at night?
Night-time numbness in the thumb and first fingers is a classic sign of carpal tunnel syndrome, because many people sleep with their wrists bent, which raises pressure on the median nerve. Keeping your wrist straight at night often helps. If numbness keeps waking you, get evaluated.
What causes tingling in my feet?
Tingling in one foot with low back or buttock pain often points to an irritated nerve root, as with sciatica. Tingling in both feet that starts in the toes is more often peripheral neuropathy, commonly linked to diabetes or low vitamin B12, which needs a physician’s evaluation and blood tests.
Does EMG testing hurt?
Most people find it uncomfortable rather than painful. The nerve conduction part sends small electrical pulses through pads on the skin, which feel like quick taps. The EMG part uses a very thin needle in a few muscles, which can cause brief aching. You can usually return to normal activities right after.
Book an evaluation
Request an appointment or call PMR of Brewster, NY at (845) 279-1135, PMR of Danbury, CT at (203) 744-8013 or. Bring any recent blood work, imaging or nerve test results to your first visit.