Yale Medicine Our nerves help us sense, react to, and change our surroundings. Simply put, our nerves are our connection to the world. This connection is disrupted, however, when peripheral neuropathy strikes.
The peripheral nervous system starts when nerves leave the spinal cord and ends when the nerves reach our tissues. Peripheral neuropathy, defined as a disorder of the peripheral nervous system, interferes with this connection. This can manifest as tingling or numbness (often in the hands and feet) that spreads over time. The feeling can be akin to how a limb feels when it “goes to sleep.”
Research shows that around 2.4% of the population suffers from peripheral neuropathy, with that number rising to about 8% in older patients. Most recently, clinicians have also identified this condition in some patients who have had COVID-19. One study found that as many as 56% of COVID-19 patients reported symptoms of peripheral neuropathy post-infection.