Because they are an outbreak of rash or blisters on the skin that is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox-the varicella-zoster virus.
What is shingles? Shingles (herpes zoster) are an outbreak of rash or blisters on the skin that is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox-the varicella-zoster virus. The first sign of shingles is often burning or tingling pain, or sometimes numbness, in or under the skin. There are many possible causes of numbness and tingling: 1  Sitting or standing in the same position for a long time. 2  Injuring a nerve (a neck injury may cause you to feel numbness anywhere along your arm or hand, while a low back injury can cause numbness or tingling down the back of your leg). 1 Injuring a nerve (a neck injury may cause you to feel numbness anywhere along your arm or hand, while a low back injury can cause numbness or tingling down the back of your leg). 2  Pressure on the nerves of the spine, such as from a herniated disk. Conditions That Cause Nerve Pain. Many conditions -- such as diabetes, shingles, and cancer -- may cause injury and nerve pain. Some people develop nerve pain for no known reason. It is important to try to find the underlying cause of your nerve pain, such as uncontrolled diabetes, and seek appropriate treatment for it.  Causes. Numbness is usually caused by damage, irritation or compression of several nerves or a single branch of a nerve, most often situated in the periphery of your body. Diseases affecting the peripheral nerves, such as diabetes, also can cause numbness. Rarely, numbness can be caused by problems in your brain or spinal cord. Fortunately, numbness by itself is only rarely associated with potentially life-threatening disorders, such as strokes or tumors. WebMD Symptom Checker helps you find the most common medical conditions indicated by the symptoms joint pain (fingers), joint pain (knee (patella)), numbness or tingling and swelling including Peripheral neuropathy, Pseudogout, and Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.  WebMD Symptom Checker helps you find the most common medical conditions indicated by the symptoms joint pain, numbness or tingling, swelling and unable to grip (hands) including Peripheral neuropathy, Carpal tunnel syndrome, and Generalized anxiety disorder. Damage to the ulnar nerve causes swelling, pain and numbness in the forearm, hand, and ring and little fingers. Early symptoms of shingles include: 1  Pain that is itching, stabbing, or shooting. 2  Tingling feeling in or under the skin, which is red in the affected area. Understanding Postherpetic Neuralgia -- Symptoms. Neuralgia occurs in one part of your body, typically on one side. The condition follows the area that was affected by shingles along the distribution of a specific nerve. Knee numb: Introduction. Knee numb: Abnormal sensation of numbness felt at the knee. See detailed information below for a list of 6 causes of Knee numb, Symptom Checker, including diseases and drug side effect causes. » Review Causes of Knee numb: Causes | Symptom Checker ». Knee numb: Symptom Checker. Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with Knee numb, as listed in our database. Visit the Symptom Checker, to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=60735 http://umm.edu/Health/Medical/Ency/Articles/Numbness-and-tingling http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/treating-nerve-pain-10/slideshow-neuropathy http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/numbness/basics/causes/sym-20050938 http://symptomchecker.webmd.com/multiple-symptoms?symptoms=joint-pain|joint-pain|numbness-or-tingling|swelling&symptomids=279|279|164|5&locations=50|56|50|47 http://symptomchecker.webmd.com/multiple-symptoms?symptoms=joint-pain%7Cnumbness-or-tingling%7Cswelling%7Cunable-to-grip-(hands)&symptomids=279%7C164%7C5%7C348&locations=50%7C50%7C50%7C50 http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/shingles-skin http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/sym/knee_numb.htm
why is knee numb from shingles