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.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

We use the data you provide to deliver you the content you requested. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, we may combine your email and website data with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, we will only use your protected health information as outlined in our Notice of Privacy Practices. You may opt out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the email.

Oct. 31, 2025

See also

  1. Acetyl-L-carnitine: Can it relieve MS fatigue?
  2. Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM)
  3. Aneurysm Surgery
  4. Aneurysms
  5. Anti-seizure medications
  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. Bulging disk
  14. Can vitamins help prevent a heart attack?
  15. Carotid artery disease
  16. Cavernous malformations
  17. Cervical spondylosis
  18. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
  19. Chelation therapy for heart disease: Does it work?
  20. Chronic exertional compartment syndrome
  21. Collecting Pennies Through the Pain
  22. Daily aspirin therapy
  23. Demyelinating disease: What can you do about it?
  24. Diabetic neuropathy
  25. Diabetic neuropathy and dietary supplements
  26. Diffuse midline glioma (DMG)
  27. Dislocated shoulder
  28. Eisenmenger syndrome
  29. Emerging treatments for multiple sclerosis
  30. Exercise and multiple sclerosis
  31. Explaining multiple sclerosis
  32. Fasting diet: Can it improve my heart health?
  33. Fibromuscular dysplasia
  34. Flu shots and heart disease
  35. Football Spinal Cord Injury - The Chris Norton Story
  36. Frostbite
  37. Functional neurologic disorder/conversion disorder
  38. Golfer's elbow
  39. Grass-fed beef
  40. Healthy Heart for Life!
  41. Heart disease
  42. Heart disease in women: Understand symptoms and risk factors
  43. Heart disease prevention
  44. Heart-healthy diet: 8 steps to prevent heart disease
  45. Herniated disk
  46. Hypothyroidism: Can it cause peripheral neuropathy?
  47. Infographic: Multiple Myeloma
  48. Infographic: Multiple Sclerosis
  49. Jellyfish stings
  50. Lead poisoning
  51. Livedo reticularis: When is it a concern?
  52. Lyme disease
  53. Macrocytosis: What causes it?
  54. Mayo Clinic Minute: What is an aneurysm?
  55. Mayo Clinic Minute: Why the risk of frostbite is greater than you think
  56. Mayo Clinic Minute: Will there be a Lyme disease vaccine for humans?
  57. Measles Virus as a Cancer Fighter
  58. Menus for heart-healthy eating
  59. Meralgia paresthetica
  60. Metatarsalgia
  61. Migraine aura
  62. Migraine with aura
  63. Ministroke vs. regular stroke: What's the difference?
  64. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)
  65. Morton neuroma
  66. Multiple myeloma
  67. Multiple sclerosis
  68. Multiple sclerosis FAQs
  69. Multiple sclerosis: Can it cause seizures?
  70. New Way to Fix Aneurysms
  71. Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health
  72. Oligodendroglioma
  73. Omega-3 in fish
  74. Omega-6 fatty acids
  75. Paget's disease of bone
  76. Paraneoplastic syndromes of the nervous system
  77. Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
  78. Peripheral nerve tumors
  79. Peripheral neuropathy
  80. Pinched nerve
  81. Plexiform neurofibroma
  82. Polycythemia vera
  83. Polypill: Does it treat heart disease?
  84. Porphyria
  85. Postherpetic neuralgia
  86. Raynaud's disease
  87. Red wine, antioxidants and resveratrol
  88. Runner's Compartment Syndrome
  89. Salivary gland tumors
  90. Schwannomatosis
  91. Sciatica
  92. Shingles
  93. Shingles and alcohol
  94. Shingles vaccine: Can I transmit the vaccine virus to others?
  95. Shingles vaccine: Should I get it?
  96. Spinal cord injury
  97. Spinal stenosis
  98. Syringomyelia
  99. Thrombocytosis
  100. Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
  101. Transverse myelitis
  102. Traumatic brain injury
  103. Types of diabetic neuropathy
  104. Vasculitis
  105. Video: Heart and circulatory system
  106. Vitamin D and MS: Any connection?
  107. Vitamin deficiency anemia
  108. Vitamins for MS: Do supplements make a difference?
  109. What is multiple sclerosis? An expert explains