When a part of the body becomes numb after not moving for a long time, why does it happen? I thought the reason was lack of blood flow, but the feeling of numbness is because of the nervous system, isn't it?
That's a pretty broad question. To assume that is is just lack of blood supply or may be a nerve problem mightbe oversimplifying the problem. National Institue of Health has an excellent overview of this:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003206.htm
Hope this gets you going.
Thanks
Hadavidi
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Actually it's both, one being the result of the other. The reason for it is not the lack of movement though, it's usually caused by pressure that is applied on a blood vessel, restricting the amount of blood that flows through it. Of course this most often occurs when you don't move for a while, because if you do, that blood vessel isn't constrained long enough to feel a difference. The limited flow of blood then causes nerve cells to be deprived of needed oyxgen and glucose. They stop working and the bodypart feels numb. As soon as the blood starts to flow again, these cells are supplied again, which causes that
Lack of blood flow can cause numbness, as we're all aware of what happens when you sit in a bad position or whatnot, but numbness IS definitely caused by other things, among which are your nervous system. Point in case: it's quite common that if your spine is out of proper alignment, you will feel a strange,
thanks !
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