Electric Shock Pain: Why It Happens and What Helps

What electric shock pain feels like

People describe it as being zapped, stabbed, jolted or struck by lightning. It is usually:

• sudden and brief, lasting less than a second to a few seconds, sometimes in rapid bursts
• shooting, moving along the line of a nerve, for example from the neck down the arm or from the buttock down the leg
• triggered by a movement, a light touch, chewing, coughing or a change in position

It often comes with other nerve symptoms: tingling, numbness, burning or extreme sensitivity to touch. Doctors call this sharp, darting nerve pain lancinating pain.

Causes by location

Down an arm or into the hand

• Pinched nerve in the neck: cervical radiculopathy from a slipped disc or bone spurs sends shocks from the neck down the arm into specific fingers. Turning or tilting the head often triggers it.
• Ulnar nerve: hitting the "funny bone" at the elbow sends a jolt into the ring and little fingers. Repeated zaps with elbow bending suggest cubital tunnel syndrome.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome: carpal tunnel syndrome causes tingling and shooting pain into the thumb, index and middle fingers, often at night.

Down a leg

• Sciatica: a herniated disc or narrowed spinal canal in the lower back compresses a nerve root, sending shocks from the buttock down the back of the leg, often below the knee. Coughing or sneezing can trigger it. See sciatica.
• Peripheral neuropathy: diabetes, alcohol, vitamin B12 deficiency and chemotherapy can damage nerves in the feet, causing shooting pains, burning and numbness that start in the toes.
• Morton's neuroma: zaps into the toes when walking, especially in tight shoes.

In the face

Trigeminal neuralgia causes some of the most severe electric shock pain known. Attacks last seconds, hit one side of the jaw, cheek or forehead, and are triggered by light touch, talking, chewing, brushing teeth or a breeze. It is usually caused by a blood vessel pressing on the trigeminal nerve.

In the head or back of the skull

• Occipital neuralgia: shooting pain from the base of the skull over the back of the head.
• Brain zaps: brief electric sensations in the head, often with dizziness or a "whoosh", when antidepressants (especially SSRIs and SNRIs) are reduced or stopped. They are uncomfortable but not harmful, and fade over weeks. A slower taper helps.

Down the spine

Lhermitte's sign is an electric shock that runs down the spine and sometimes into the arms or legs when you bend your neck forward. It is a classic symptom of multiple sclerosis. It can also occur with spinal cord compression from a disc or tumor, after radiotherapy to the neck, and with vitamin B12 deficiency.

Chest or trunk

Postherpetic neuralgia can leave shooting and burning pain in a band where shingles occurred, sometimes for months. Intercostal neuralgia causes shooting pain along a rib.

Electric shock pain causes compared

How doctors find the cause

Your doctor will ask where the shocks travel, what triggers them, how often they come, and whether you have numbness, weakness, bladder changes or vision problems. They will test strength, reflexes and sensation, and may do movement tests such as raising your straight leg (for sciatica) or tapping over a nerve (Tinel's sign).

Tests may include:

• MRI of the neck, lower back or brain
• Nerve conduction studies and electromyography (EMG) to find where a nerve is damaged
• Blood tests: blood sugar and HbA1c, vitamin B12, thyroid function, kidney function

Treatment and relief

Treating the cause

• Physical therapy, posture changes and sometimes steroid injections or surgery for pinched nerves
• Wrist splints at night or surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome
• Better blood sugar control and B12 replacement where needed
• Disease-modifying treatment for multiple sclerosis
• Microvascular decompression surgery or other procedures for trigeminal neuralgia that does not respond to medicine

Nerve pain medicines

Standard pain relievers such as acetaminophen (paracetamol) and ibuprofen often do little for nerve pain. Doctors use medicines that calm overactive nerves:

• Carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine: first-choice for trigeminal neuralgia
• Gabapentin or pregabalin
• Amitriptyline or duloxetine
• Topical lidocaine or capsaicin for localized pain such as postherpetic neuralgia

These need a prescription and are adjusted slowly to limit side effects such as drowsiness and dizziness.

Self-care

• Note your triggers and avoid or modify them (for example, a soft-bristled toothbrush and lukewarm food for facial pain).
• Avoid leaning on your elbows, and keep the elbow straighter at night if the ulnar nerve is involved.
• Keep active, with regular breaks from sitting.
• Do not stop an antidepressant abruptly. Talk to your doctor about a gradual taper.

Frequently asked questions

What causes electric shock pain in the body?

Electric shock pain happens when a damaged or compressed nerve fires abnormally. Common causes are pinched nerves in the neck or back, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, diabetic neuropathy, shingles and trigeminal neuralgia. Multiple sclerosis and spinal cord compression can cause shocks down the spine when the neck bends.

Is electric shock pain a sign of MS?

It can be. An electric shock running down the spine or limbs when you bend your neck forward, called Lhermitte's sign, is common in multiple sclerosis. Other causes such as a disc pressing on the spinal cord or low vitamin B12 can produce it too, so an MRI and blood tests are needed.

What are brain zaps?

Brain zaps are brief electric shock sensations in the head, often with dizziness, that occur when antidepressants are reduced or stopped too quickly. They are not dangerous and usually fade within a few weeks. Restarting and tapering more slowly under medical guidance helps.

Why do I get random electric shocks in my legs?

Shooting pains in the legs commonly come from sciatica or peripheral neuropathy, often linked to diabetes, alcohol or vitamin B12 deficiency. Restless legs syndrome can cause uncomfortable sensations too. If shocks persist, or you notice weakness or numbness, see a doctor.

Do painkillers help electric shock pain?

Ordinary painkillers usually help little. Nerve pain responds better to medicines that calm nerve signals, such as gabapentin, pregabalin, amitriptyline, duloxetine, or carbamazepine for trigeminal neuralgia. Your doctor will choose based on the cause and your other health conditions.