Guide To The Symptoms Of Magnesium Deficiency

Numbness And Tingling

A sense of tingling and numbness, often in the extremities, is a sign of nerve damage or malfunction. This can happen when a nerve is compressed due to excess or prolonged pressure on it. One example of this is sciatica, which is irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve in the lower back. Temporary numbness of a body part can also occur from staying in one position for too long. Nerve cells communicate and send messages by using certain chemicals called neurotransmitters.

Magnesium is required for normal nerve function. Magnesium also has a protective role for nerve cells, preserving function and preventing early nerve cell death. A deficiency in magnesium makes numbness and tingling more likely for patients, whether they put additional pressure on their nerves and compress them or not. In addition, a magnesium deficiency is thought to play a role in the development of some neurological diseases.