The briefest electric shock type of paresthesia can be caused by tweaking the ulnar nerve near the elbow this phenomenon is colloquially known as bumping one's 'funny bone'. Paresthesias of the hands, feet, legs, and arms are common transient symptoms. A less well-known and uncommon paresthesia is formication, the sensation of insects crawling on the skin. The most familiar kind of paresthesia is the sensation known as ' pins and needles' after having a limb 'fall asleep'. Paresthesias are usually painless and can occur anywhere on the body, but most commonly occur in the arms and legs. Paresthesia may be transient or chronic, and may have many possible underlying causes. Paresthesia is an abnormal sensation of the skin (tingling, pricking, chilling, burning, numbness) with no apparent physical cause.
