Why fingers go numb: causes and treatment

12 April 2021

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3.1 out of 5

Numbness or hypoesthesia of the fingers is a rather unpleasant situation, which can be either a consequence of physiological reasons or a sign of various types of diseases. Therefore, if this symptom persists for an hour or more, and there is no improvement in rubbing your hands, clenching and unclenching your fists, you should consult a doctor. He will help you understand the reasons for its appearance and, if necessary, prescribe the necessary treatment. This will be the key to detecting pathology at an early stage of development and the success of therapy, and will also help to avoid aggravation of the situation and eliminate the risk of complications. After all, it is not so much the numbness of the fingers that is dangerous, although it can cause significant difficulties in performing everyday tasks, but the consequences of the lack of treatment for the diseases that provoked its occurrence.

Causes

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is compression of the median nerve in the hand area, where the median nerve runs in an anatomically narrow place along with the tendons and is covered by the retinaculum ligament.

How does it manifest?

The hands begin to go numb at night, the person is forced to wake up from this numbness and shake his hands. Gradually, this condition becomes more frequent, then the fingers begin to go numb during the day during any movements with the hands. In advanced stages, weakness in the hand appears and the person cannot hold various objects. Most often, carpal tunnel syndrome develops in people who constantly work with their hands: office workers, massage therapists, workers.

Cubital tunnel syndrome

Cubital tunnel syndrome is compression of the ulnar nerve in the area of the elbow, where we feel pain and shooting along the nerve when we hit the elbow (inside), which everyone has experienced at some point.

How does it manifest?

The first symptom is the little finger going numb. Then weakness appears in the fingers (ring, little finger), and it becomes difficult to hold objects. Hand atrophy may occur. Numbness most often occurs during the day, while working with your hands or when lifting your hands. Men get sick more often than women.

Anterior scalene syndrome

Anterior scalene syndrome is compression of the brachial plexus in the interscalene space in the neck (between the anterior and middle scalene muscles).

How does it manifest?

The symptoms are the same: numbness in the little finger and ring finger, then weakness in the hand. Occupational complication: for example, occurs in musicians who play the violin for a long time for several hours. Or at hairdressers during a long haircut in a static neck position.

Radiculopathy

Radiculopathy is compression of the spinal roots. The cause, as a rule, lies in a herniated disc. There are 3 roots going to the fingers: C6, C7, C8. Radiculopathy of the C6 root is more common.

How does it manifest?

The first symptoms are numbness in the thumb and index finger. Radiculopathy is usually accompanied by pain in the neck and radiating to the arm. Numbness in the fingers intensifies with any movements in the neck.

Does it make a difference on which hand the fingers go numb?

Pathologies of the cardiovascular system may be indicated by impaired sensitivity in the fingers of the left hand. It is dangerous to ignore this symptom: it is often one of the indicators of a pre-infarction condition or an impending stroke. The fingers of the right hand often go numb with the development of arthritis, osteochondrosis or carpal tunnel syndrome. This may also be due to an uncomfortable position of the torso during sleep.

How to determine the true cause?

Initially, a patient with numbness of the finger is examined by a neurologist and, based on the clinical picture, determines the necessary list of examinations.

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The Clinic of Professor Kinzersky has an extensive diagnostic base in all possible areas to quickly and accurately determine a patient’s diagnosis.
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The gold standard for most carpal tunnel syndromes is electromyography (EMG). Based on the results of the study, the doctor determines how much the function of a particular nerve is reduced.

Ultrasound of peripheral nerves is used to assess structural changes in nerves .

elastometry technology on the AIXPLORER V6 ultrasound device made it possible to measure the pressure in the tunnel area (it is significantly increased compared to the norm) and control it during treatment.

Diagnostics

Determining the cause of numbness in the fingers is carried out by neurologists. The initial stage of the examination includes a survey, general and neurological examination. The specialist evaluates the appearance of the hand, determines the pulsation of the arteries, examines reflexes, and asks the patient to perform various movements to identify motor disorders. As part of further examination, the following are prescribed:

Electrophysiological methods
. Electroneurography and electromyography help confirm damage to the nerve trunks, determine its level, extent and severity of the pathological process.
Radiography
. X-ray examination of various parts of the upper limb is prescribed taking into account the nature of neurological disorders, ENG and EMG data indicating the level of damage. The images reveal bone deformations, tumors originating from cartilage and bone tissue, and degenerative changes.
Angiography.
Contrast studies of blood vessels are recommended for signs of Raynaud's syndrome. The method confirms the violation of the uniformity of the lumen of the arteries, the absence of collaterals, and an insufficient number of capillaries.
and MRI.
Performed for suspected diseases and injuries of the spinal cord or brain. They help clarify the location, size and nature of the pathological focus.
Lab tests
. During laboratory diagnostics, specific markers of rheumatic diseases, signs of anemia and hypovitaminosis are determined.

Electroneuromyography

How to treat?

For numbness of the hands, there is a universal drug treatment (venotonics, B vitamins, vascular drugs), but in most cases it is not very effective.

The most effective is local (local) treatment:

shock wave therapy - stimulates blood flow in the area of nerve compression;
injection of an anti-inflammatory drug (Diprospan, Flosteron) into the area of nerve compression;
electromyostimulation - with the development of muscle weakness.

All these types of treatment are actively used in the Clinic.

In rare cases, when the course is prolonged and conservative treatment is ineffective, surgical treatment is used.

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Advantages of treatment at the Professor Kinzersky Clinic

Specialized care: we are one of the few clinics in the country that specializes in this problem, offering a comprehensive diagnostic and treatment program.
Application in diagnostics of electromyography: this is a complex diagnostic technique that requires highly specialized education for a neurologist.
Application of ultrasound of peripheral nerves in diagnostics: we are the first clinic in the Chelyabinsk region that performs these techniques; such a study can only be obtained at CITO (Central Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics) in Moscow)
Highly qualified doctors : three of our doctors studied at the specialized world congress on ultrasound of peripheral nerves IPSNI (International Society of Peripheral Neurophysiological Imaging)
Unique capabilities of ultrasound navigation in treatment: Ultrasound navigation allows you to deliver anti-inflammatory drugs to the site of nerve compression as accurately as possible.

The course of treatment can be completed at a convenient time, without interruption from work.

The article was checked by Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Alexander Yuryevich Kinzersky

Paresthesia during pregnancy

The question of why paresthesia occurs in expectant mothers is quite relevant. During pregnancy, a woman’s hands also often go numb at night. This condition is provoked by the following reasons:

Violation of water-salt metabolism.
Magnesium or calcium deficiency.
Damage to the vascular walls due to hormonal imbalance.
Excessive weight gain.
Uncomfortable position in sleep.
Passive lifestyle.
Diseases of the endocrine glands.

Expectant mothers may experience numbness in their limbs during sleep due to anemia and diseases of the spinal column, which are aggravated by increased body weight.

Danger of paresthesia

If night paresthesia continues for a long time, then this is an alarming sign. The consequences of this condition can be different:

Chronic fatigue.
Decreased ability to work.
Potential for injury or death during potentially hazardous activities (driving a vehicle, operating a crane, operating an airplane, etc.).
Tissue necrosis due to insufficient blood supply to a certain area of the body.

In addition, a person can die from dangerous diseases that are accompanied by numbness in the hands and other symptoms.

The question of what to do if there is frequent numbness in the limbs is quite relevant. You should seek medical help.

It is necessary to visit a doctor in the following cases:

Hands go numb for a long time, at any time of the day, pain appears.
Paresthesia interferes with work performance.
Both limbs become numb.
Numbness occurs suddenly and is accompanied by decreased visual acuity and mental disorders.

First, you need to consult with a therapist who will collect anamnesis and prescribe the necessary studies to identify the cause of the disorder. Then the doctor can refer the patient to a specialist (neurologist, cardiologist, etc.).

Vascular pathologies

Small vessels in the body deliver blood to tissues and organs. If the functioning of the vessels is disrupted, then delivery is impossible. With vascular pathologies, the limbs not only go numb, but also become pale with a hint of blue. The main danger: even with a short stay in the cold, you can get frostbite on your hands.

With hypertension, the sensitivity of the limbs disappears. With anemia, the hands suffer due to a lack of oxygen in the blood, and with vegetative-vascular dystonia, numbness occurs due to weak vascular tone.

Preventive measures

To prevent paresthesia of the arms, the muscles that hold the intervertebral discs should be strengthened. To do this, you should perform special gymnastics, the progress of which should be monitored by a doctor.

To prevent numbness of the upper extremities, the patient must follow the following rules:

Do not wear a heavy backpack or shoulder bag for a long time.
Do not sit for a long time with your arm resting on the back of a chair or armchair.
Monitor your position during sedentary work, avoid activities during which you need to raise your limbs for a long time to the level of your heart or above your head.
While working at the computer, periodically perform the above-described hand exercises.
Force yourself to lie down in a horizontal position with your arms outstretched and rest for at least 5 minutes three times a day.
Replenish your diet with fish, seafood, nuts, and seeds.

Numbness of the hands at night is an unpleasant phenomenon that requires attention. If you find out that paresthesia is not caused by external factors, then you should immediately consult a doctor who will find out the cause of the disorder. Do not delay going to the hospital, as this symptom may indicate dangerous pathologies that threaten life. To avoid paresthesia, you should maintain moderate physical activity, give up bad habits, eat right, and avoid prolonged lifting of heavy objects.

Folk remedies

Traditional medicine will help fight numbness in the hands. For this purpose, external and internal means are used:

Contrast baths. Place your hands alternately in cold and then in hot water. Then rub them with a towel, put on warm cotton gloves at night.
Medicine to strengthen blood vessels. Grind 1 kg of parsley, celery, 2 lemons using a blender or meat grinder. Combine the resulting mixture with 250 ml of honey, mix thoroughly. Use the product 3 tbsp. spoons in the morning on an empty stomach.
Pumpkin compress. Peel, chop 300 g of pumpkin, boil until tender. Then knead, apply the mixture to the limbs, cover with cling film on top, and insulate with a woolen scarf or scarf. Remove the compress when the mixture has cooled. Then go to bed.
Grinding of red pepper and cucumbers. Grind a few pickled cucumbers, mix them with red pepper ground in a blender. Fill the mixture with vodka, transfer to a glass container, cover with a lid, and place in a dark place for a week. Then filter the liquid through cheesecloth and rub the brushes.
Ledum tincture. Mix pharmacy tincture of wild rosemary with natural apple cider vinegar in a ratio of 1:3, leave for a week. Then rub the liquid into your hands.
Decoction bath. Pour 1 liter of water 1 tbsp. a spoonful of birch buds, oak bark or aspen. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer for another 3 minutes. Then remove and strain. Pour the liquid into a container, soak your hands for 30 minutes, then rub them, warm them with gloves. To achieve the best effect, perform 15 sessions.

Reference. Folk remedies will give good results only as part of complex therapy. Before using them, you should obtain permission from your doctor.

Who to contact

Before going to the clinic, you should rule out all external causes of numbness. To do this, create conditions for a comfortable sleep: change the pillow and mattress, buy comfortable pajamas. If unpleasant signs do not disappear, then you need to consult a therapist. Blood tests will reveal the presence of high cholesterol. An electrocardiogram will show changes in the functioning of the heart.

You'll have to visit a neurologist's office. In addition to checking sensitivity, the doctor will examine an x-ray of the spine. In some cases, it is necessary to do a computed tomography scan of the cervical spine. Only on the basis of tests and examinations can an accurate diagnosis be made and treatment prescribed.