Date:
March 19th, 2008
From:
Nik
Question:
What exactly is it when your arms and legs falls asleep and it feels like the needles poking through your skin? What makes it happen?
Goofball Answer:
Nik,
The pins and needles sensation you get in your arms and legs when they "fall asleep" is known as Paresthesia—Paraesthesia if you're on the other side of the pond. Paresthesia—because I'm writing this from our side of the pond—occurs when the normal transfer of nerve impulses is disrupted along the arms or legs. In some people this is a chronic issue, arising frequently and being most commonly caused by circulatory or neurological problems. But in most of us, the pins and needles are acute cases that dissipate quickly and are most commonly caused by one of the following:
- A nerve impingement caused by an odd sitting, sleeping, or yoga position
- Eating or drinking orange-flavored food products
- Erotic asphyxiation
So if you're not suffering from atherosclerosis or some kind of neuropathy, lay off the kinky stuff and you'll probably be OK.
~ topher