Every person is familiar with the feeling of numbness in the hands, when the loss of sensitivity in the area of the hands is accompanied by a slight burning or tingling sensation. This phenomenon is explained by a disruption of normal blood flow to the distal parts of the upper extremities, caused by compression of blood vessels or nerve fibers. In most cases, such changes are temporary phenomena. Sensitivity is restored immediately after changing body position, during movement and similar actions.
What is hand numbness and its causes?
Many people are familiar with the unpleasant feeling of tingling, “crawling on the skin,” as well as pain, decreased sensitivity and deterioration of mobility in the limb. All of these manifestations characterize numbness, which can occur in the arms, legs and other areas of the body. It is associated with impaired blood circulation in the tissues or compression of the nerves.
Along with numbness in the hands, the following symptoms may also occur:
- burning sensation;
- muscle spasms;
- tingling sensation;
- pain in hands, fingers;
- feeling of itching;
- tingling and numbness that gets worse when you move your fingers;
- increased sensitivity to touch;
- pain in the cervical spine.
Incorrectly selected pillow and uncomfortable sleeping position
In order for the body to fully recover and gain strength during sleep, it is important that the pillow is comfortable, and preferably orthopedic. An incorrect, high pillow forces the spine to unnaturally arch in the neck area, causing your arms to go numb during sleep.
There is a disruption in the blood supply and nutrition of the nerve endings of the cervical spine. In the compressed area, blood circulation weakens, and the limbs, especially the hands, begin to go numb.
It is very important to choose not only a suitable pillow, but also choose a comfortable sleeping position and clothing that does not restrict movement.
All this can lead to numbness in your hands. Despite the fact that this problem is not serious and can be solved very quickly, it still causes inconvenience to a person.
Hands thrown back behind the pillow very often cause numbness. At night, when the body is sleeping, the heart works a little slower than usual, so blood may not flow to the hands in sufficient quantities, especially if a person occupies an unnatural position during sleep.
Causes of numbness in the left hand:
- Cardiac ischemia. In addition to numbness in the left arm, there is discomfort in the chest. If after taking nitroglycerin or stopping the physical activity that caused the symptoms, these manifestations disappear, then it is angina pectoris. In addition to numbness of the left arm, it is accompanied by chest pain in the heart area, panic, pale skin, nausea, shortness of breath, and cold sweat.
- Myocardial infarction. Sometimes hand numbness is the only sign of this acute cardiovascular disaster. During an attack, the patient experiences intense pain and a feeling of constriction in the chest, shortness of breath, and interruptions in the functioning of the heart. The skin becomes covered with cold sweat. Along with numbness in the hand, a person experiences pain radiating to the lower jaw, stomach, and the area between the shoulder blades.
- Atherosclerosis. Due to atherosclerotic damage to the blood vessels, decreased strength and numbness in the arm may occur. Symptoms intensify when raising the limb upward.
- Stroke. Numbness in the left hand may indicate damage to the right hemisphere of the brain. In this case, the upper and lower limbs on the left side become numb, vision and speech are impaired. Along with numbness in the hand, a stroke can cause a complete loss of sensation in the hand. Other symptoms of cerebral hemorrhage include weakness in the limbs, loss of coordination, severe headache, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, and irritation from bright lights and sounds.
- Vegetative-vascular, or neurocirculatory dystonia. This is a complex of autonomic disorders that is associated with disorders of nervous regulation. In addition to numbness of the left hand, it may be accompanied by headaches, insomnia, pressure fluctuations, arrhythmia, and panic attacks.
- Raynaud's disease. The pathology is accompanied by paroxysmal circulatory disorders in the arteries of the extremities. Along with the numbness of the hand, its rapid freezing is felt. In the cold and with excitement, a person’s fingers may turn blue. As Raynaud's disease progresses, not only the hands become numb, but also the legs, chin, nose, and ears.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency. This connection is extremely important for the normal functioning of nerve tissue. With its deficiency, a person not only experiences numbness in the hand, but also suffers from dry mouth and pale skin.
- Osteochondrosis (usually cervical and thoracic). First, the fingers go numb, then weakness develops in the upper limb, and the grip strength of the hand decreases. Sometimes pain is felt along the outside of the shoulder and forearm.
- Overstrain of muscles in the cervical-collar region. Pianists and PC operators suffer from hand numbness due to prolonged maintenance of the same position. The problem lies in the overstrain of the muscles, which compress the nerve fibers responsible for the sensitivity of the limbs.
- Insufficient blood circulation. The upper limb becomes numb due to impaired blood flow due to damage to the walls of blood vessels, for example, in diabetes mellitus.
- Stress and psycho-emotional overload can cause hand numbness.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome. When the median nerve passing through the wrist is compressed, the left hand may become numb. This problem is familiar to people of certain professions (programmers, musicians). Nerve compression can also occur in women during pregnancy due to swelling, as well as in patients after surgery, in obese people.
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.
Numbness in the right hand may have the following causes:
- impaired blood flow, pinched nerve due to incorrect position of the limb (for example, during sleep);
- staying in an uncomfortable position for a long time (may be due to the nature of the work, for example, carpal tunnel syndrome);
- frequent carrying of bags, suitcases and other heavy objects;
- long exposure to frost or in a cold room;
- long-term muscle tension of the upper limb.
In pregnant women
During the period of bearing a child, a woman’s hands often become numb at night. The pregnant woman's body is focused on ensuring that the embryo develops normally. Therefore, a pregnant woman experiences difficulties due to the restructuring of the work of all organs and systems. Her metabolic processes are disrupted. Lack of vitamins and microelements leads to cardiac dysfunction. Most women are diagnosed with anemia.
Pregnant women rarely sleep fully, especially in the last stages before childbirth. It is difficult to assume a natural sleeping position due to a large belly. The consequences of stress and nervous strain are disturbances in the functioning of peripheral arteries.
Why does hand numbness occur?
When a patient says that his upper limbs are numb, he may mean:
- a tingling feeling that causes discomfort;
- sensation of “goosebumps” under the skin;
- decreased sensitivity of the skin.
Numbness of the hands does not always indicate pathology. It may be the result of wearing too tight clothes and jewelry that compress blood vessels and nerves.
The most common causes of numbness in the hands:
- Uncomfortable body position, monotonous mechanical work, disrupting blood flow. After changing the position of the limb, the unpleasant sensations disappear.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome (usually affects the working hand due to prolonged monotonous work).
- Atherosclerosis. Accompanied by tingling and numbness of the hands, in the future a decrease in their muscle strength is likely.
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine (numbness, usually symmetrical, may intensify after physical activity).
- Diabetic neuropathy (usually both hands go numb).
- Intervertebral hernia in the cervical region (numbness is associated with compression of the spinal nerve roots).
- Ischemic stroke of the brain (threatens numbness and paralysis of the arm).
- Multiple sclerosis (if part of the postcentral gyrus of the brain is affected, the limbs may go numb).
- Thoracic outlet syndrome (compression of nerve trunks and blood vessels in the area of the upper chest opening).
- Brachial plexitis (numbness of the arm occurs due to inflammation of the brachial plexus).
- Damage to peripheral nerves due to alcoholism (alcoholic polyneuropathy).
- Brain tumor (the formation can compress the motor and sensory neurons responsible for the innervation of the upper extremities).
- Raynaud's disease (a disorder of the innervation of small arterioles, more common in women, manifested by numbness and pain in the extremities).
- Rheumatoid arthritis (inflammation and deformation of joints leads to compression of nerve fibers) and others.
Main services of Dr. Zavalishin’s clinic:
- consultation with a neurosurgeon
- treatment of spinal hernia
- brain surgery
- spine surgery
Vascular disorders
One of the complications of diabetes is diabetic neuropathy, damage to sensory, motor and autonomic nerves as a result of impaired blood flow in small vessels. One possible symptom is numbness in the limbs.
There is a large group of diseases - vasculitis. Autoimmune inflammation develops in the vessel wall, it thickens, becomes weakened, and scarring occurs. In the lumen of the vessel, areas of narrowing appear in which blood flow is disrupted. Various organs, including nerves, can suffer from this.
With one of the systemic connective tissue diseases - Raynaud's disease - a spasm of the small vessels that supply blood to the fingers and toes occurs. In response to cooling or stress, a feeling of coldness and numbness occurs in the fingers.
Diagnosis of the causes of hand numbness. How to identify?
At the appointment, the doctor examines and palpates the patient’s limb and asks the following questions:
- Where exactly is the numbness felt?
- When did the unpleasant tingling sensation and decreased sensitivity first appear?
- How long does numbness in a limb bother you?
- What actions and movements aggravate symptoms?
- Are there any other complaints, such as burning, itching, tingling, pain?
- How do your arms, hands, and fingers feel—cold or warm?
The main task of the doctor is to determine the causes of hand numbness. It is necessary to exclude systematic mechanical compression of blood vessels, as well as to determine household and industrial factors that could cause disturbances.
Numbness may be a harmless symptom, but it may also hide serious problems - myocardial ischemia, stroke, spinal problems, diabetes mellitus, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, etc. In this case, the doctor issues a referral to doctors of relevant specializations (cardiologist, endocrinologist, neuropathologist, etc.).
The main emphasis in identifying the causes of numbness is on detecting signs of osteochondrosis. For this, the patient is referred for magnetic resonance imaging, radiography, computed tomography, and electromyography. The purpose of imaging studies for arm numbness is to determine the height of the intervertebral disc, detect osteophytes, and clarify the presence of protrusion or intervertebral herniation.
Principles of treating hand numbness
The primary task of the doctor is to identify the root cause of this symptom. For this purpose, radiography, myelography, MRI, blood tests, etc. can be performed.
Depending on the nature of the disease that caused numbness in the hands, treatment methods are selected. First of all, the underlying disease is treated. Drug treatment is supplemented by:
- physiotherapy;
- physical therapy;
- reflexology;
- massage;
- diet therapy;
- lifestyle correction.
Preventing numbness in the hands
In order to prevent discomfort in the upper extremities, it is recommended:
- exercise regularly (discuss the type and nature of exercise with your doctor in advance);
- maintain the health of blood vessels, joints and the body as a whole (give up bad habits, eat rationally);
- dress according to the season, keep your hands warm;
- take breaks every 40 minutes if your profession involves working on a PC or performing monotonous hand movements.
Expert advice
If your hand begins to go numb, you should pay attention to your lifestyle and habits. Try to move as much as possible, climb the stairs on foot, without an elevator.
Be sure to do exercises in the morning. You can increase physical activity in other ways, for example, through dancing.
Provide your body with the microelements, vitamins and minerals necessary for its proper functioning. Eat more fruits and vegetables, and periodically take special multivitamin complexes.
Try to always remain calm, no matter the situation. By stopping worrying and getting nervous over trifles, you will soon feel better.
Treatment with folk remedies
The following recipes help with numb hands:
- as a compress or therapeutic bath, use a mixture of 2 liters of milk, 600 g of salt and 50 g of honey, heated to 60? C;
- apply an infusion of wild rosemary with apple cider vinegar (1:3) 3 times a day;
- infusion of garlic (several cloves) in vodka (400 ml) taken orally, 3-5 drops dissolved in water;
- for 1 liter of vegetable oil - 100 g of ground black pepper, cook for 30–40 minutes, rub the cooled product into the skin of the affected limb.
Treatment of hand numbness in specialized hospitals
Department of Neurosurgery, City Clinical Hospital named after. A.K. Yeramishantseva sees patients with complaints of numbness in their hands. Here, progressive methods of conservative and surgical treatment of diseases manifested by such symptoms are used. Advanced technical equipment and extensive professional experience of the medical staff guarantee good treatment results. Telephone.
Neurosurgeon Evgeniy Evgenievich Zavalishin treats diseases that cause numbness in the hands. Sign up for a consultation by calling 8 (499) 940-04-30.
