Paresthesia

Paresthesia is the medical term for an abnormal sensation in one's peripheral nerves, often described as tingling, pricking (“pins and needles”), burning, numbness, skin crawling, or itching. Paresthesia ia caused by disruption of nerve signals between the brain and the body, which may be temporary or may be caused by forms of neuropathy.

Prevalence

 * 2001, In a Belgian study, 66.4% of patients meeting the Fukuda criteria and 69.1% of patients meeting the Holmes criteria, in a cohort of 2073 CFS patients, reported numbness/paresthesia.

Possible causes

 * Neuropathies including diabetic nwuropathy and small fiber peripheral neuropathy
 * Subacute beriberi, an illness resulting from inadequate thiamin (vitamin B1).