What causes tics and pins and needles sensation in hands?

Answer 1

This "pins & needles" sensation usually comes from your sensory and/or motor nerves sending off "warning signals". There are several different reasons these symptoms may pop up such as a nerve injury, nerve entrapment, pinched nerve, nerve compression etc etc. The most common cases of pins and needles in the hands are from people that have CTS (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel) but there are a multitude of different causes and the causes may be completely unrelated to CTS such as Diabetes, poisoning, vitamin deficiency, a nerve disorder etc. Although with most nerve issues the symptoms start in the most distal regions first such as in the feet then hands then work inward (keep in mind that symptoms can take a long amount of time to progress). Also, the sensory nerves are usually affected first and that is where the tinglys come from. A lot of people may only ever get this symptom and no others, it varies and depends. Other symptoms may include numbness, swelling, itchiness etc. Just not in all cases. I know how non-committal this sounds, but even in simple cases nerves can be tricky to figure out. Even if there is not a nerve problem it can be tough to rule out nerve related issues.

There are many treatments, prescription meds, diets, exercises or what have you that help nerve problems and may even stop the progression of the symptoms altogether. Some of the more serious nerve disorders work differently, more sporadically, or are localized to a specific region or nerve but thankfully the more scary disorders are a bit more rare like ALS, GBS, Bell's, CMT, etc.

To get back on topic, a lot of times you may have just slept on your arm wrong and the effect is only temporary. One thing to keep in mind also is the little things we do everyday that could lead to something like a nerve entrapment. Leaning on your elbows consistently could lead to an ulnar entrapment at the elbow. On the job if having to look up consistently at a computer screen or something may lead to a nerve entrapment in the C-section of the neck (cervical radiculopathy, pinched nerve in the neck). Crossing your legs may lead to a peroneal entrapment at the popliteal fossa (behind the knee). Don't let any of this scare you too much though, some people may be more physiologically prone to nerve entrapments. It's always a good idea though to adjust or move around a little if you feel some tingling in a limb. At one point I had to get a computer chair with no arms so I could break myself of the "leaning on elbows" habit -ONLY because I started getting the pins & needles though on a day to day basis (and a little numbness in the ADM -abductor digiti minimi), it was just a precaution though. On that note, if you feel that something job related may cause/be causing you some sort of nerve related issues, talk to the doctor first and tell them your suspicion and go with what they suggest.

If the tingling or any other nerve related type symptom persists for more than 2 weeks or gets worse -or appears in other parts of the body- then try to schedule an appointment with a Neurologist. Usually you'll need a referral to see one but that shouldn't be hard to get. Just go to your regular doctor and they will either suggest it or you can request it. Or your doctor may want to rule some things out first, the doctor will have a better opinion of what's going on and possible causes.

Ultimately, it's always best to get any medical related advice and information from a doctor. I'm not an MD or DO but I've worked for several Neurologists over the past several years as an END/NCS tech (Electro-Neuro Diagnostic/Nerve Conduction Study) and I do not have the authority to diagnose patients, but am able to give some decent advice here and there. Not sure if the question was asked because you have the symptoms or just out of curiosity but I hope this helped!

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You need to be more specific..like how often does it occur and when..what part of the hand etc..I would see a neurologist so that some tests and an exam can be be done. The term "Tics" is generally associated with Tourettes syndrome. Pins and needles are usually associated with some type of nerve based etiology as well.

check out the links below for Info on tics and pins and needles

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Still referring to just the hands here, if nerve related, it could be localized or the whole hand. It would depend on the nerve(s) affected. If only the median nerve is affected then the symptoms would be present in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and half of the ring finger (the half that touches the middle finger). If only the ulnar nerve is affected then the symptoms would be present in the other half of the ring finger and the pinky finger.

The symptoms would occur all of the time, but it does depend on severity. Some people just don't notice any abnormalities and when they do they aren't always aware of it all of the time.

I didn't talk about 'tics' much in my original answer because it's kind of vague and could mean several different things (depending on other symptoms, if any). There are muscle type tics and then other types such as a speech tic or something.

What I should have mentioned before though is that usually when tics are associated with 'pins & needles' then it usually means muscle fasciculations.

Muscle fasciculations (when accompanied with other nerve related symptoms) can signify a progressed nerve problem. These type of tics -muscle fasciculations- are usually experienced by the entire population at some point in their life and usually don't mean anything because it doesn't happen often. When (at least at the Neurologist's office) a patient complains about tics being a common symptom along with other nerve related symptoms then it's taken into consideration when trying to pinpoint a diagnosis.

If the tics you speak of are muscle related and it happens often enough that's it's noticeable and worrisome then definitely mention it to your physician. It's also entirely possible that if there is a nerve problem and you get muscle fasciculations as well, then the fasciculations may not even be related (and yes Tourette's is a possibility, amongst many other possibilities http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasciculation). In the case that the fasciculations ARE related to the nerve problem, then it points to the nerve problem being progressed enough that the muscles being innervated by the nerves are no longer functioning properly.

If it comes down to seeing a Neurologist then s/he will most likely conduct the tests that I do or their techs will do the testing or part of the testing. Some docs or even Neurologists don't feel it's necessary and see the testing as cruel and unusual or even barbaric lol. While the Nerve study and EMG can be uncomfortable, most people handle it well and it's definitely worth it. There is only so much that an MRI can tell a doctor. An MRI may show an entrapment but it won't show how bad it is and what all muscles are affected and to what extent, for example. Although, the Neurologist's I have worked for DO order an MRI if one had not already been done recently. A nerve study will reveal many things like which nerves are even responsive, if they conduct too slow or fast, if the motor works but sensory doesn't work up to par, if there is an entrapment a nerve study will show exactly where it is. The second part of the test is the EMG (ElectroMyoGram). This test shows if muscle activity is normal, and if it's abnormal it shows to what extent. You can even see when a fasciculation happens on an EMG. Kind of intriguing actually haha.

Anyway, to summarize what to expect ..the first test (nerve study) consists of electrodes being taped to specific areas of the body and involves shocking. The shocking isn't bad, I even tested myself out for practice when I first got into the field. That and, it helps to be able to sympathize when knowing what the patient is experiencing and I can tell patients exactly what to expect next. The EMG consists of a tiny electrode (resembling a needle about 26 to 28 gauge or something) being inserted into specific muscles. Most people have a fear of needles, and even those people say the shocking part is more uncomfortable than the electrode needle. Most people can't even feel the needle. Anyway, the doc watches a screen for muscle activity and listens to activity through the speakers. Being able to reveal these kinds of details leads to a better and more accurate diagnosis and usually saves the patient the nightmare of potentially months or even years of finding a diagnosis through guessing.

The only reason I brought up the nerve study and EMG tests is because I've met many doctors that don't feel it's necessary. Although, I'm not a physician myself I must disagree with them. Now that I know of the existence of such in-depth tests I will want these tests performed in the future when/if I ever have any possible nerve related problems.

If you have any more questions or anything, then by all means ask away. I just want to be as helpful as possible.

Thanks :)

Answer 2

Hi guys...so worried about d tingling sensation in hands n sometimes in legs while sleepin o after gettin up frm sleep??

Firstly I would like to say that there is nothing to worry about.I had the same problem frm past four months.Recently i visited a doctor n underwent Nerve Conduction Test. The test res wer pretty decent n it happens coz of "weekness in nerves" n doc said it can be cured wit d help of tablets.

Doc prescribed me a tab REJUNEX(methylcobalamin-0.5mg,Alpha Lipoic Acid-100mg) for a period of three months.

Found this tablet real usefull to overcome tingling sensation.