Conditions that may lead to a change in somatosensation can affect function at any level of the sensory component of the nervous system including sensory receptors, peripheral nerves, spinal nerves, spinal pathways, and/or subcortical and cortical areas. These include, but are not limited to:

• Peripheral nerve trauma (e.g., crush injury, severed nerve)
• Metabolic diseases (e.g., diabetes) which lead to peripheral neuropathy
• Infections (e.g., HIV, Lyme disease, encephalitis)
• Impingement or compression of a spinal nerve or nerve root
• Spinal cord injury
• Cerebral vascular accident
• Traumatic brain injury
• Cerebral palsy
• Multiple sclerosis
• Joint replacement
• Central or peripheral nervous system tumors

Symptoms that may indicate a somatosensory impairment include, but are not limited to:

• Feeling of pins and needles, numbness, electrical shock, and/or tingling
• Disregard of body part(s) and/or lack of awareness of injury or pain
• Excessive awareness of pain or other sensation
• Feeling of heat or cold
• Clumsiness in hands
• Unsteady gait or other mobility skills