Tingling in the hands - causes, diagnosis and treatment

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Pins and needles, goosebumps, numbness in hands

All sorts of unusual sensations in the hands - pins and needles, goosebumps running down the arm, burning, numbness - are called paresthesia in medicine. There are a lot of possible causes for this phenomenon, and therefore the treatment of pins and needles, goosebumps and other strange manifestations of various diseases is not universal.

Why does tingling occur in the hands?

Physiological factors

In a healthy person, tingling and numbness in the hand occurs when staying in an uncomfortable position for a long time.
The symptoms are caused by circulatory problems in the limb. As a rule, the symptom manifests itself if the patient sleeps with his hand under his head or under a pillow. A person wakes up and “does not feel” his hand, and when trying to make active movements, unpleasant feelings of tingling and immobility arise. The disorder disappears on its own after 5-10 minutes. The symptom may develop after physical activity (lifting dumbbells, carrying heavy bags). Fatigue of the muscles in the arms causes a slight tingling and heaviness that goes away after a long rest. In people who work physically, similar signs are detected almost every day: the hands get tired in the evening, which is manifested by severe tingling and weakness in the limbs.

Raynaud's syndrome

At the onset of the disease, tingling occurs periodically and is provoked by low temperature, excitement, and smoking. Stitching pains are most pronounced in the fingertips, which suddenly turn white and lose sensation. Gradually, the unpleasant sensations disappear, pallor is replaced by cyanosis or hyperemia. The attacks end with a feeling of heat and burning in the arms, mainly in the hands.

As the pathology progresses, paroxysms of stabbing pain with paresthesia become more common. The tingling sensation lasts more than 1 hour and begins without visible provoking factors. Discomfort often persists even during the interictal period. The skin of the hands is constantly cold and acquires a bluish tint. In the absence of medical care, long-term Raynaud's syndrome ends in trophic ulcers and gangrene.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

When the median nerve is compressed in the wrist area, the patient feels pain and tingling along the palmar surface of 1-4 fingers. The symptoms are most typical for office workers, pianists, packers - people whose hands are subjected to constant monotonous loads (flexion-extension). First, a person experiences periodic shooting and tingling sensations, which are provoked by increased stress on the hands.

The progression of carpal tunnel syndrome leads to constant stabbing pain, disturbing even during rest. The patient complains of difficulty turning and grasping movements with the hand, as if “everything is falling out of his hands.” Symptoms are accompanied by coldness or a feeling of heat in the hands, changes in skin color, and the appearance of marbling. Tingling localized on the back of the hand indicates damage to the radial nerve.

Tingling in hands

Intervertebral hernia

The lesion at the level of the upper thoracic vertebrae is manifested by tingling and paresthesia throughout the skin of the hands. Discomfortable signs are observed periodically and intensify after being in an uncomfortable position or physical stress on the shoulder girdle. Sometimes weakness in the arms develops, and it becomes difficult for a patient with an intervertebral hernia to perform usual housework.

Neurosis

Tingling in the hands is possible with psycho-emotional disorders, such as hysterical neurosis, panic attack, specific phobias. Some patients complain of a crawling sensation, coldness and trembling of the fingers. The tingling sensation lasts throughout the entire attack, after which it disappears without a trace. Sometimes, due to the stabbing sensation, a person begins to scratch the skin, rub their hands together, or make other stereotypical movements.

Avitaminosis

Tingling of the skin of the hands occurs with a lack of vitamin B12, which provokes the development of peripheral neuropathy. Patients feel moderate stabbing pains, which are combined with tickling and a crawling sensation. Unpleasant symptoms first appear in the fingers of the limb, gradually spread to the entire arm, and move to the torso. Sometimes there are hot flashes or, conversely, cold hands.

Rare causes

Bad habits
: caffeine addiction, alcohol abuse.
Poisoning with toxins
: arsenic, mercury, thallium.
Neurological disorders
: acute cerebrovascular accidents, multiple sclerosis.
Autoimmune pathologies
: scleroderma, dermatomyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus.

What research needs to be done

Because pain in the fingertips is a symptom of diseases that may pose a risk to the patient, a complete baseline examination is necessary. General and biochemical blood tests are prescribed, and an ECG is performed. Even if there is no suspicion that the pain is related to the heart, but problems with the spine cannot be ruled out, the results of the research will be needed to decide on admission to physiotherapy.

Further research depends on what diagnosis the doctor suspects after receiving the results of basic research.

Diagnostics

A neurologist will determine the cause of tingling in the hands. During the initial examination, the patient is asked to perform simple tests (clench the hand into a fist, rotate the thumbs), during which it is easy to detect motor problems and innervation disorders. If neuropathy of the radial or median nerve is suspected, Tinnel's sign is checked. For further examination, the following instrumental methods are used:

Electroneuromyography.
A comprehensive study of neuromuscular transmission is necessary to identify problems with peripheral nerves and to know the location of the lesion. ENMG helps determine the severity and extent of the process. The technique is effective for the differential diagnosis of neuromuscular and vascular pathologies.
Radiography.
X-ray imaging of the bones of the shoulder, forearm, and hand makes it easier to identify the location of nerve damage. In the pictures you can see bone deformations, degenerative changes or narrowing of bone canals, which could cause tingling and paresthesia in the hands.
Angiography.
Examination of the peripheral vascular bed using contrast is necessary to verify Raynaud's syndrome. The doctor pays attention to the unevenness of the lumen of the vessels, the absence of collateral branches and a decrease in the number of capillaries. Additionally, capillaroscopy of the nail bed is indicated.
MRI of the spine.
This is the most accurate method that allows neurologists to diagnose herniated discs. MRI shows not only the presence of a hernial protrusion, but also its size and the degree of compression of the spinal cord. The study is informative for excluding tumors, hematomas and other space-occupying neoplasms.
Additional methods
. To clarify the degree of spinal compression in intervertebral hernias, computed tomography with myelography is used. Peripheral microcirculation is assessed using Doppler flowmetry. Gastroscopy, gastric intubation, and blood tests help identify the causes of B12 deficiency.

Electromyography

Treatment of pins and needles and goosebumps in the hands at the MART clinic

Goosebumps in the hands, pins and needles, numbness and other similar sensations in the hands, as a rule, indicate the presence of serious disorders in the body. Some of them can even be dangerous, and therefore you should not try to solve the existing problem yourself or using traditional methods. Prescribing the necessary treatment for goosebumps, burning sensations, pins and needles and other discomforting sensations in the right or left hand is possible only after determining the exact cause of their occurrence.

To identify the cause of paresthesia in the hands, it is necessary to undergo a thorough examination, which is recommended to begin with a visit to a neurologist. Effective treatment can only be prescribed by a doctor based on examination and additional research methods: laboratory tests, ECG, MRI, ultrasound.

At the MART medical center, treatment courses for pins and needles in the fingers and goosebumps in the hands are selected individually. If osteochondrosis or other neurological pathologies are detected, manual therapy, therapeutic massage and regular exercise therapy are prescribed. Physiotherapeutic procedures and reflexology are also used to restore normal sensitivity in the hand.

Treatment

Help before diagnosis

To prevent episodes of tingling in the hands, the patient is advised not to overload the hands and take breaks from monotonous work. For those who have to work at a computer all day, there are special palm rests and computer armrests that relieve some of the stress. It is necessary to avoid sudden overheating or hypothermia of the hands, so as not to provoke vascular spasm.

Conservative therapy

Tingling is generally mild or moderate, so symptomatic treatment with analgesics is usually not necessary. For sharp stabbing pains, it may be necessary to take systemic painkillers or administer local anesthetics (therapeutic blockades). Complex therapy is selected taking into account the etiology of the disease. The following groups of drugs are used:

Calcium antagonists
. Recommended for expanding the lumen of blood vessels, which plays a decisive role in the treatment of Raynaud's disease. If they are ineffective, treatment is enhanced with ACE inhibitors and selective serotonin receptor blockers.
Antiplatelet agents
. They improve blood flow in peripheral arteries and capillaries, reduce the phenomena of vasospasm and ischemia of the hands. Medicines help reduce the frequency of attacks in those suffering from Raynaud's syndrome and prevent complications of the disease.
Anti-inflammatory drugs
. Exacerbations of neuropathies require the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which eliminate pain and swelling and eliminate discomfort. In severe cases, therapy is supplemented with systemic corticosteroids.
Sedatives
. For neurotic disorders, herbal and synthetic sedatives are effective, they stabilize the patient’s emotional background. Occasionally tranquilizers and antidepressants are used.
Vitamins
. For vitamin B12 deficiency, cyanocobalamin is administered parenterally, which quickly eliminates tingling in the hands and paresthesia. For neuropathies and intervertebral hernia, other B vitamins (thiamine, pyridoxine) have a good effect.

In the treatment of neuropathies, targeted administration of drugs into the affected area is effective, which is carried out through electrophoresis and phonophoresis. After clinical improvement and disappearance of stabbing pain, mud therapy, electrical myostimulation, and myofascial massage of the hand are prescribed. Physical therapy is needed to restore nerve function and improve muscle strength.

What will the therapy be like?

How to treat a patient whose fingertips hurt depends on the cause that caused the disease. If the problem is osteochondrosis, anti-inflammatory treatment is aimed at relieving inflammation in the spinal area. The surgeon opens the panaritium. Polycythemia - a pathological increase in the number of red blood cells - is a serious reason to consult a hematologist. Diabetic neuropathy is treated jointly by an endocrinologist and a neurologist. Ligamenitis is a reason to consult a surgeon.

Due to the abundance of causes of discomfort in the fingertips, their treatment is also varied. In case of a bruise, the traumatologist, having ruled out serious injuries, will prescribe rest and anti-inflammatory ointment for several days, and in other cases the matter may end with surgery or long-term regular treatment.

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF NUMBITY

It is very important for the doctor to know what symptoms accompany the loss of sensitivity, what diseases are present, what is the duration, when it intensifies, whether it was preceded by injury or excessive physical activity, and whether there is back pain. All this information allows the doctor to make a preliminary diagnosis. To confirm it, additional diagnostic measures are prescribed. Treatment for numbness will consist of eliminating the identified cause, for example, straightening pinched nerve roots.

Symptoms

Numbness usually occurs due to poor circulation in a particular area or nerve damage. Sensory disturbances (numbness) can also be the result of infection, inflammation, trauma and other pathological processes. In most cases, numbness is due to non-life-threatening illnesses, but it can also be a sign of a stroke or tumor.

Numbness in the extremities is often associated with pain or may be accompanied by other sensory disturbances such as burning or tingling. Strokes also cause motor and speech disorders. Depending on the cause, numbness may disappear quickly, for example, numbness in the arm , which occurs when a person sleeps with their head on their arm, disappears after a few movements of the arm. Chronic numbness in a leg or arm over a long period of time usually indicates some level of nerve damage, such as due to diabetes or multiple sclerosis. Chronic numbness in the fingers may be due to a pinched nerve, as is the case with carpal tunnel syndrome. In any case, numbness that lasts more than a few minutes merits attention and medical attention. And if a person experiences numbness in the groin area and impaired bladder and bowel function, or there are signs of paralysis, confusion, speech impairment, then in such cases it is necessary to seek emergency medical help.

Symptoms that may accompany numbness:

Anxiety
Burning feeling
Frequent urination
Increased numbness or tingling while walking
Itching
Lower back pain
Muscle spasms
Pain in the neck
Pain in other parts of the body
Pins and needles sensation
Rash
Increased sensitivity to touch

A number of symptoms accompanying numbness may be a sign of serious conditions and this must be taken into account by the doctor, since emergency medical care and necessary medical procedures are often required.

These are the following symptoms:

Lethargy or momentary loss of consciousness
Labored breathing
Difficulty walking
Dizziness
Loss of control over voluntary urination or bowel movements
Visual impairment
Numbness in the head, neck, back
Paralysis
Speech disorders (dysarthria)
Weakness