3D Nerve Map of the Body: Find the Nerve Behind Tingling, Burning and Numbness

The main abnormal body sensations are tingling, pins and needles, numbness, burning, electric shocks, nerve itch, heaviness and hot or cold patches. Less common ones include crawling skin (formication), internal vibration, a tight band around the trunk, wet or trickling feelings, Lhermitte sign and brain zaps. Each points to different nerve fibres and different causes.

Look at the exact pattern. Thumb to ring finger on the palm side points to the median nerve; the little finger to the ulnar nerve; a stripe down the arm or leg to a nerve root in the neck or back; both feet evenly to a whole-body neuropathy; one entire side of the body to the brain, which is an emergency if it starts suddenly. The nerve symptom checker maps this for you.

Paresthesia is an abnormal sensation that is not painful, such as tingling or pins and needles. Dysesthesia is an abnormal sensation that is unpleasant or painful, such as burning, rawness or electric shocks. Both come from irritated or damaged nerves, and many people have a mix of the two.

A dermatome is the strip of skin supplied by a single spinal nerve root. C6 covers the thumb, C8 the little finger, T4 the nipple line, T10 the belly button, L5 the top of the foot and S1 the sole. Symptoms that follow one dermatome usually mean a pinched nerve root in the spine, or shingles.

At night, wrists and elbows often stay bent for hours, which raises pressure in the carpal and cubital tunnels. Fluid also shifts into the hands when lying down. In neuropathy, fewer distractions make burning feet more noticeable, and restless legs syndrome follows a daily rhythm that peaks in the evening.

Call emergency services for sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg on one side, trouble speaking, numbness between the legs with new bladder or bowel problems, weakness climbing both legs over hours or days, tingling with chest pressure, sweating and breathlessness, sudden loss of vision or confusion, or an arm or leg that turns cold, pale and numb.

Yes. Anxiety and fast breathing lower carbon dioxide in the blood, which changes how nerves fire. This typically causes tingling around the mouth and in both hands for a few minutes during an episode. Symptoms that are one sided, constant or last days are not typical of anxiety and should be checked.

The nerves are the same, but some conditions are more common in women: carpal tunnel (about three times more common, often in pregnancy), meralgia paresthetica in late pregnancy, burning mouth syndrome after menopause, restless legs in pregnancy, vulvodynia and multiple sclerosis, which affects women two to three times more often.

A doctor starts with a sensory map and reflexes. A nerve conduction study measures how fast and strongly signals travel along a nerve, and electromyography checks the muscles it supplies. MRI shows discs and nerve roots in the spine, and blood tests look for diabetes, B12 deficiency and thyroid problems.

No. The map and symptom checker show which nerve most often produces a pattern like yours so you can have a better conversation with your doctor. Only an examination and, where needed, tests can diagnose the cause. Use it to learn, then see a professional for new, spreading or persistent symptoms.