You just crammed to finish typing that 25 page report for your boss and it hits… You wake up after a night of deep sleep and pretty great dreams, and it hits… You slide into home base at the office softball tournament, and it hits… Numbness and Tingling; It happens anytime, anywhere and often from out of the clear blue! What do you do?  Well, if you are like most people, you will try to rub it out, shake it out, twist it out, and go to great lengths to ‘wake’ it up! Numbness and tingling is that weird, pins and needles feeling that can occur anywhere in your body but is most often experienced in our hands and arms.  Sometimes, shaking it out is the best remedy if the problem is caused from being in one position for too long. There are many causes of numbness:

• Staying in one position for too long
• Pressure on the nerves from abnormal growths, overuse, swelling
• Decreased blood supply
• Some medications
• Animal and insect bites
• Neurological problems
• Diabetes
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Arthritis
• Carpal Tunnel

The list is endless really.  The majority of numbness and tingling issues have an easy resolution; with rest and targeted exercise and therapy it can be easily resolved.  When the shaking, rubbing and twisting don’t work to ‘wake’ things up, then it’s time to see a doctor. Don’t leave your diagnosis up to a quick internet search.  Only a thorough exam by a certified orthopedic doctor can determine the cause of the numbness.