Symptom · Arms & hands
Numbness
Also known as: loss of sensation, hypoaesthesia
Reduced or absent feeling in part of the body. Its distribution maps the fault: a glove or stocking pattern points to a general nerve disorder (neuropathy), a single nerve's territory to compression, one side of the body to the brain or spinal cord.
What it is
Reduced or absent feeling in part of the body. Its distribution maps the fault: a glove or stocking pattern points to a general nerve disorder (neuropathy), a single nerve's territory to compression, one side of the body to the brain or spinal cord.
Common causes
Pressure on a nerveSitting on a foot, sleeping on an arm: resolves in minutes.
Carpal tunnel syndromeNumb thumb, index and middle fingers, worse at night, from median nerve compression at the wrist.
Sciatica or a trapped nerve in the neckNumbness in a strip down the leg or arm with back or neck pain.
Peripheral neuropathyGradual glove-and-stocking numbness from diabetes, alcohol, vitamin B12 deficiency or chemotherapy.
Migraine auraTingling spreading up an arm to the face over minutes, followed by headache.
Hyperventilation and anxietyNumbness around the mouth and fingertips.
Less common causes
Stroke or transient ischaemic attackSudden numbness of the face, arm or leg on one side.
Multiple sclerosisEpisodes of numbness lasting days to weeks, often with vision or balance problems.
Spinal cord compressionNumbness below a level on the trunk with weakness and bladder problems.
Cauda equina syndromeNumbness in the saddle area with bladder or bowel disturbance.
Guillain-Barre syndromeAscending numbness and weakness over days after an infection.
Often occurs with
Seek urgent care if
- Sudden numbness on one side of the body, face droop or slurred speech: possible stroke, call emergency services
- Numbness in the saddle area with difficulty passing urine or controlling bowels
- Rapidly spreading numbness and weakness
- Numbness after a neck or back injury
Conditions to read about
How it is investigated
Educational content. This page explains what a symptom can mean so that the anatomy and the medical reasoning make sense. It cannot tell you what is causing yours: only a clinician who can examine you and order tests can do that.