6 Ways to Ease Acroparesthesia

Acroparesthesia is a tingling, pins-and-needles sensation felt in the hands and feet, most often in the fingers and toes. It can also feel like more of a numbness or a burning sensation in these extremities and can cause severe discomfort and stress. You can experience acroparesthesia at any age, however, painful sensations are more severely felt in women and men in middle age, and a higher percentage of women suffer from it.

What Causes Acroparesthesia?

Acroparesthesia can be a manifestation of carpel tunnel syndrome or Fabry disease, a lysosomal storage condition that progressively impacts all the body’s organ systems.

Despite some similar symptoms, you can differentiate acroparesthesia from Raynaud’s syndrome which produces a white or bluish coloration in hands and legs that worsens with cold. Similarly, you can rule out neuropathy if you do not experience muscle weakness in addition to the usual symptoms of acroparesthesia.

Acroparesthesia and Anxiety

You might find yourself caught in a difficult situation when you suddenly start feeling acroparesthesia's pins and needles in your hands or feet. The episodic pain could become the cause of tremendous irritation, particularly when you are engaged in a business meeting or otherwise trying to focus. Additionally, acroparesthesia can cause embarrassment, reduce your confidence, and decrease your decision-making skills. The nervousness and anxiety caused by the burning sensation can take away all your calm in a matter of seconds.

It’s necessary to determine possible causes leading to acroparesthesia in your body, such as the conditions named above, and so you should not hesitate to seek help from an expert physician. In addition, try the following to ease your acroparesthesia symptoms.

6 Ways to Ease Acroparesthesia

1. Get Yourself One of These Massages

Massaging is the best way to improve your blood circulation, reduce muscle stress, and enhance the functionality of your peripheral nervous system. The best massage techniques facilitate passive joint movements and improve blood circulation through manual tapping, vibration, kneading, and deep circular motion. Here are three types to relieve acroparesthesia:

• Aromatherapy massage: helps alleviate stress and minimizes your muscle tension.
• Trigger-point massage: relieves the sensitive points on your body using relaxing and gentle finger strokes.
• Hot stone massage: when performed by an expert massage therapist, this type helps release the burning sensation with heated stones placed all over your body.

2. Make Yourself Laugh

Laughing is a great way to relieve stress and tension. It stimulates your vital organs and increases their capacity to deal with distressing situations. Laughter therapy increases your oxygen supply, reduces free radicals, and improves your stress responses. It also improves your muscle power and boosts immunity. As a remedy for acroparesthesia, laughter is a natural painkiller that gradually reduces the unwanted sensitivity of your pain receptors. Try laughing with deep breaths for 10-15 minutes early in the morning.

3. Wear Compression Socks

The use of compression socks or stockings engages your nerves and shifts your focus from the unpleasant sensations to day-to-day activities. They not only increase your blood supply in the extremities but also relieve the feeling of heaviness and pain. Put them on after waking up each morning. Also recommended: apply coconut oil to your legs at bedtime to retain their moisture.

[Read “Yet Another Win for Coconut Oil.”]

4. Jog for 30 Minutes

Running helps improve muscle tone, coping skills, and nerve function. Regular jogging maximizes blood supply to your hands and also enhances your healing mechanisms and overall stamina. Try going consistently for a half-hour, or take a small break after every 10 minutes.

5. Engage in Meditation Sessions

Meditation can address skin irritation by tuning up your mind, soul, and body so that you can control your reaction to the burning sensations brought on by acroparesthesia. Meditating helps you focus your thoughts, restore your energy levels, and improve your sense of emotional wellbeing.

You can try guided meditation to align your feelings, thoughts, and sensations. Or try simply sitting and closing your eyes in isolation at home and thinking of pleasant moments of the past or the presence of your loved ones. Slow and deep breathing during meditation further increases your vitality and minimizes acroparesthesia’s painful sensations.

6. Sleep Well, and Heal well

Numerous research studies have revealed the negative impact of insufficient sleep on the central and peripheral nervous systems. More specific to acroparesthesia, lack of adequate sleep disturbs the circadian cycle that potentiates pain sensitivity and reduces the function of the nucleus accumbens in the brain. A 2019 research study published in The Journal of Neuroscience unambiguously recognizes the impact of sleep deprivation on the body's painkilling ability. Try to thoughtfully manage your daily priorities without compromising your sleep pattern.

Feeling anxious? Try freeing yourself feet first.