Numbness is one of the most common symptoms of MS. Numbness is a loss of or dulling of sensation. It can be experienced in the face, body, or extremities (arms, hands, legs, feet) and it may manifest as a “pins and needles tingling” feeling or the sensation of the affected body part being “asleep.”
Numbness or tingling are particularly common early symptoms of MS. Numbness is caused by damage to nerves and can have a variety of impacts: it may be mild or severely impede an individual’s ability to use the body part experiencing numbness. Most experiences of numbness tend to come and go. While there aren’t medications to relieve numbness, if an individual experiences a new onset of severe numbness that is associated with a MS relapse, corticosteroids may be prescribed.