Definition

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Numbness is a loss of feeling in a part of the body. Numbness also describes other changes in sensation, such as burning, tingling or a pins-and-needles feeling. Numbness can happen along a single nerve on one side of the body. Or numbness may happen on both sides of the body. Weakness, which is usually caused by other conditions, is often mistaken for numbness.

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Oct. 31, 2025

See also

  1. Acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma)
  2. Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM)
  3. Aneurysm Surgery
  4. Aneurysms
  5. Anti-seizure medications: Relief from nerve pain
  6. Arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosis
  7. Arteriovenous malformation
  8. Astrocytoma
  9. Blood tests for heart disease
  10. Brachial plexus anatomy
  11. Brachial plexus injury
  12. Brain aneurysm
  13. Carotid artery disease
  14. Cavernous malformations
  15. Central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma
  16. Cervical spondylosis
  17. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
  18. Chronic exertional compartment syndrome
  19. Collecting Pennies Through the Pain
  20. Daily aspirin therapy: Understand the benefits and risks
  21. Diabetic neuropathy
  22. Diabetic neuropathy types: Symptoms tell the story
  23. Diabetic neuropathy: Can dietary supplements help?
  24. Diffuse midline glioma (DMG)
  25. Dislocated shoulder
  26. Eisenmenger syndrome
  27. Embolic stroke (brain embolism)
  28. Explaining multiple sclerosis
  29. Fibromuscular dysplasia
  30. Flu shots: Especially important if you have heart disease
  31. Football Spinal Cord Injury - The Chris Norton Story
  32. Frostbite
  33. Functional neurologic disorder/conversion disorder
  34. Golfer's elbow (Medial epicondylitis)
  35. Healthy Heart for Life!
  36. Heart disease
  37. Heart disease in women: Understand symptoms and risk factors
  38. Heart-healthy diet: 8 steps to prevent heart disease
  39. Hemangioblastoma
  40. Herniated disk
  41. Infographic: Multiple Myeloma
  42. Infographic: Multiple Sclerosis
  43. Jellyfish stings
  44. Lead poisoning
  45. Lyme disease
  46. Mayo Clinic Minute: What is an aneurysm?
  47. Mayo Clinic Minute: Why the risk of frostbite is greater than you think
  48. Mayo Clinic Minute: Will there be a Lyme disease vaccine for humans?
  49. Measles Virus as a Cancer Fighter
  50. Menus for heart-healthy eating: Cut the fat and salt
  51. Meralgia paresthetica
  52. Metatarsalgia
  53. Migraine aura
  54. Migraine with aura
  55. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)
  56. Morton neuroma
  57. Multiple myeloma
  58. Multiple sclerosis
  59. Multiple sclerosis FAQs
  60. Nerve sheath tumors
  61. New Way to Fix Aneurysms
  62. NF2-related schwannomatosis (neurofibromatosis type 2)
  63. Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health
  64. Oligodendroglioma
  65. Omega-3 in fish: How eating fish helps your heart
  66. Paget's disease of bone
  67. Paraneoplastic syndromes of the nervous system
  68. Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
  69. Peripheral nerve tumors
  70. Peripheral neuropathy
  71. Pinched nerve
  72. Plexiform neurofibroma
  73. Polycythemia vera
  74. Porphyria
  75. Postherpetic neuralgia
  76. Raynaud's disease
  77. Red wine and resveratrol: Good for your heart?
  78. Runner's Compartment Syndrome
  79. Salivary gland tumors
  80. Schwannomatosis
  81. Sciatica
  82. Shingles
  83. Spinal cord injury
  84. Spinal stenosis
  85. Spinal tumor and spinal mass
  86. Strategies to prevent heart disease
  87. Syringomyelia
  88. Thrombocytosis
  89. Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
  90. Transverse myelitis
  91. Traumatic brain injury
  92. Vasculitis
  93. Video: Heart and circulatory system
  94. Vitamin deficiency anemia
  95. Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
  96. What is multiple sclerosis? An expert explains