Numbness in the fingers occurs for a variety of reasons. In young people, in most cases, quickly passing numbness is a consequence of physiological causes that can be established independently; this pathology does not require specific treatment. However, loss of sensitivity in the fingers can also be an initial symptom of serious diseases, which are best treated at an early stage. Therefore, if numbness occurs frequently and for a long time, you should not postpone a visit to the doctor.
Main reasons
There are two large groups of causes of numbness in the fingers on the left hand, which you can learn about below.
The main ones.
- Doctors say that such symptoms cause problems with the musculoskeletal system: osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, injuries and heavy loads on the vertebrae. All this causes compression of blood vessels and nerve processes. The person feels pain and goosebumps.
- Cerebral ischemia. Due to impaired blood flow, a deficiency of oxygen appears in the cells, which a person feels as numbness.
- A non-physiological posture may also be an explanation.
- Non-pathological reasons: carrying a child or squeezing the wrist with accessories.
Additional.
When wearing backpacks and bags, at low temperatures, or with the arm positioned for a long time above chest level, the plexus of nerve processes and blood vessels is compressed, which disrupts blood circulation and causes spasm of the arteries.
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
What is the body saying?
Suddenly my fingers lost sensitivity. If this is a rare phenomenon and it disappears after 2 - 3 minutes, then there is nothing to fear. If such sensations bother you often, then this is a signal of a developing disease.
- Little finger. Paresthesia indicates chronic heart failure and other cardiac pathologies.
- Forefinger. Goes numb with diabetes, occupational stress, inflammation in the joints.
- Thumb. Metabolic processes in the spine are clearly disrupted. You may feel pain in the forearm and weakness in the arm muscles.
- Middle finger. Raynaud's disease, hernia, articular deformity, osteochondrosis of the 7th vertebra.
- Nameless. Numbness due to the fact that the nerve endings in the bend of the elbow are compressed.
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.
Treatment methods
In modern medicine, there are several effective methods for treating numbness in the fingers of the left hand.
- Drug therapy. This method involves the use of products selected by a specialist, in the form of ointments, preparations and creams. Which can relieve inflammation, swelling and pain.
- Therapeutic massage and manual therapy.
- Using ultrasound or laser. This will help restore damaged tissue and lost sensitivity.
- Special exercises and health-improving physical education. This will help improve blood circulation and the general condition of the body.
Determining the causes of paresthesia
If such a symptom occurs, consultation with a therapist or neurologist is necessary. In the future, you may also need the help of an angiologist, vascular surgeon and cardiologist. Diagnostic measures will help determine the reason why your fingers are constantly numb and prescribe effective treatment. If, in addition to numbness, something else bothers you, during the examination, list to the doctor all the accompanying disorders: tingling, soreness, coldness in the hands. Based on your medical history, you will be given a preliminary diagnosis and additional diagnostics will be prescribed:
- X-ray, MRI or CT;
- electroencephalography;
- angiography;
- lab tests;
- and other studies.
Preventing finger numbness
As with most neurological diseases, preventive measures boil down to the following:
- Maintain an active lifestyle. Do exercises and don’t forget about daily physical activity;
- Listen to your body and undergo timely medical examinations to identify pathology at an early stage;
- Periodically get tested and undergo examination of the vascular system;
- Try to eat healthy and balanced. Don't forget to take your vitamins.
The main thing to remember is that the body always warns in advance about changes, and does not suddenly get sick. Few people notice problems that are just beginning; most often they do not pay attention to it, hoping that everything will go away on its own. Lack of time, fear of doctors and injections, reduction of the importance of what is happening ultimately lead to the disease becoming much worse, treatment time taking much longer, or the consequences can cost lives.
Why do my fingertips always go numb?
The reasons that most often lead to paresthesia (numbness):
- Wrong lifestyle: bad habits and unbalanced diet. So, if you eat spicy food at night, drink alcohol, strong tea or coffee, pain may occur in the abdomen or head, which forces a person to choose a position during sleep in which the pain disappears. However, these poses are not always comfortable, as a result of which numbness of the limbs may occur, which disappears a few minutes after waking up.
- An uncomfortable pillow can also be the reason why a person’s fingers go numb while sleeping. The use of a dense high pillow leads to a strong deflection of the cervical spine, due to which blood circulation in the nerve endings of the intervertebral discs, which are responsible for the sensitivity of the hands, deteriorates. A special orthopedic pillow will help solve the problem.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome is paresthesia and pain in some fingers or the entire hand. The reason lies in the narrowing of the carpal tunnel and pinching of the median nerve. Most often, this disorder occurs in people who regularly perform monotonous movements of their hands during work, for example, seamstresses, musicians, programmers, drivers. Women suffer from it more often than men due to the smaller width of the carpal tunnel. If the disease is not diagnosed in a timely manner, the patient may lose the ability to perform basic manipulations, for example, holding a toothbrush or cutlery.
- Spinal diseases. Due to compression of the nerve endings in the vertebrae, blood circulation is impaired. In addition to dizziness and pain in the head, a sign of spinal pathologies is numbness of the hands at night
- Vegetovascular dystonia is a circulatory disorder in the autonomic nervous system. Poor functioning of blood vessels is often the reason why fingertips go numb
- Diabetes. With this disease, there is an increase in glucose levels, which causes numbness in the upper extremities.
Other pathologies that can lead to paresthesia:
- diseases of the nervous system;
- cardiovascular pathologies (hypertension, multiple atherosclerosis, Raynaud's disease and others);
- joint diseases, such as arthritis and arthrosis;
- lack of nutrients in the body.
What to do?
If you don’t know why the thumb on your right hand is numb, then you should first visit a doctor and conduct a full examination. Our manual therapy clinic is attended by a neurologist. The initial consultation is provided completely free of charge for all patients. During the appointment, the doctor conducts a full examination and a series of diagnostic functional tests.
Then additional examination methods (x-ray, MRI, CT, electroneurography, electromyography, etc.) may be recommended. After making an accurate diagnosis, the doctor will develop an individual course of treatment.
So, if the unpleasant sensations are associated with damage to the cervical spine, then a traction procedure will first be performed in order to eliminate compression from the radicular nerves. Then a course will be developed to include sessions of massage, osteopathy, kinesiotherapy, therapeutic exercises, acupuncture, etc.
To treat other pathologies, the action of the pathogenic factor is also first eliminated, and then restorative therapy is carried out.
