Causes
This is a symptom of the development of a particular disease in the human body. Unpleasant sensations occur in both young and elderly people. It is important to be examined in time to prevent this or that disease.
External
Loss of sensitivity does not always indicate inflammatory processes in the body. If discomfort occurs in the morning after waking up, it is likely that artery compression occurred during sleep. As a rule, the discomfort passes quickly.
Morning exercises performed before bed will relieve unpleasant tingling sensations. Wearing tight clothing interferes with blood circulation. Avoid discomfort caused by uncomfortable clothing.
Constant numbness in the fingers is considered a cause for concern. This indicates a disorder in the body and requires treatment under medical supervision.
Domestic
There are many diseases that cause stiffness of the limbs.
Let's look at some of them.
- Osteochondrosis
The disease provokes damage to nerve endings, which leads to discomfort in the limbs. Discomfort is felt in the left or right hand. To diagnose osteochondrosis, you will have to undergo a comprehensive examination.
- Polyneuropathy
This disease affects the nerve plexuses of the hands and fingers. Tingling occurs several times a day. Polyneuropathy rarely manifests itself; it is often accompanied by other diseases, including anemia and vitamin deficiency.
- Raynaud's disease
Accompanied by impaired circulation in the circulatory system, as a result, the upper limbs are affected.
- Thrombosis
The disease provokes blockage of blood vessels by a thrombus, as a result, blood circulation is impaired. If no action is taken, the numbness will spread to the entire arm. Contact your doctor if the pain does not go away within a few hours.
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In addition to the above diseases, numbness of the limbs causes:
- rheumatism;
- injury to the upper extremities;
- disruptions in the endocrine system;
- arthrosis;
- diabetes;
- herniated discs;
- sclerosis.
As a rule, the disease is accompanied by other symptoms.
Causes of numbness of the little fingers on the hands
The most common cause of numbness in the little finger on the right hand is prolonged work at the computer. If a person has numbness in the right little finger, then it is worth reducing the load on this hand. If you do not put any stress on your right hand during the day, but your little finger still goes numb, you should consult a doctor.
Regarding the numbness of the little finger on the left hand, there may be more serious reasons:
- Tunnel syndrome.
- Compression of the nerve in the elbow area.
- Ischemia.
- Various diseases associated with blood vessels.
Carpal tunnel syndrome appears in humans due to prolonged stress on the tendon of the hand. Most often, this syndrome manifests itself in people whose profession involves the use of fine motor skills, namely musicians, drivers and office workers. It is also worth noting that left-handed people are more susceptible to this disease.
During compression of the nerve in the elbow area, numbness appears not only on the little finger, but also on the ring finger. Compression of the nerve in the elbow area can occur due to neuritis or radiculitis.
Another cause of numbness in the little finger on the left hand is diseases of the heart and blood vessels. If this is ischemia or a pre-stroke condition, then numbness may be accompanied by quite painful sensations.
Numbness in the fingers on the right hand
Problems with the spine and impaired blood circulation provoke numbness in the fingers of the right hand. Treatment is prescribed after diagnosis.
The causes of discomfort in the right limb can be determined by the fingers.
Low sensitivity of the index or middle finger occurs as a result of inflammation of the elbow joint or various types of injuries.
Loss of sensation in the ring or little finger indicates possible problems with the cardiovascular system. Doctors will help determine the cause of numbness: therapist, neurologist, neurologist. Self-treatment is unacceptable.
Numbness of index fingers
Numbness of the index finger is quite often provoked by diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous system. This condition is usually accompanied by pain symptoms. In all cases when the index finger of the right hand goes numb, a doctor’s consultation is required, since serious complications are possible in the future.
Provoking factors of the disease
There are several reasons for a finger to go numb. One of them includes various types of injuries. For example, as a result of a severe fracture, bruise or sprain. Similar symptoms are possible when the muscles in the cervical-collar area are overstrained, for example, when the neck or head is sharply turned, as well as uncomfortable postures during sleep. Such symptoms can be caused by dysfunction of the spinal column, inflammatory processes in the joints and endocrine disorders.
In addition, there are a number of diseases that cause numbness in the finger:
Osteochondrosis
This disease is caused by degenerative-dystrophic processes that lead to loss of elasticity of the intervertebral discs, which provokes the development of radicular syndrome. In this case, pinched nerve endings cause severe pain, which first radiates to the neck, scapula area and hand, and then the finger on the hand begins to go numb. With osteochondrosis, it is important to relieve inflammation in the initial stage of the disease. This will avoid surgery.
Rheumatoid arthritis
In this case, the hand on both the left and right may become numb. Rheumatoid arthritis affects the joints and metacarpophalangeal joints. In this case, problems arise with the extension and flexion of joints, muscle atrophy, hyperthermia, stiffness of movement, weakness and unbearable pain appear. In some cases, in addition to the numbness of the thumb, problems with the kidneys, heart, breathing and intestines may occur.
Circulatory disorders
With this disease, it is quite possible for a blood clot to form, which threatens to block blood vessels in the brain. In this case, the right index finger may go numb, which indicates the development of an ischemic stroke. In addition, increasing pain in the finger may indicate blockage of large arteries.
If the symptoms are complicated by increased blood pressure and severe headache, immediate medical attention is required, since the fingers on the right hand can tingle and go numb with a stroke and right-sided paralysis.
Nervous system diseases
Fingers may go numb due to disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system. In this case, the pain may radiate to the neck, arm and middle finger. In the absence of therapeutic measures, atrophy and weakness of the hand muscles are possible.
Avitaminosis
Sometimes the index fingers go numb as a result of a deficiency of vitamins A and B. Such symptoms are most often observed in the winter. If the lack of vitamins is not compensated for, vascular atherosclerosis of the extremities may develop.
The most dangerous is Raynaud's disease, in which, in addition to numbness of the finger, there is cyanosis of the skin and impaired vascular conduction. After treatment, blood supply to the extremities is restored, but periodic exacerbations with the appearance of severe pain in the hands and swelling cannot be ruled out. The pathological process manifests itself not only in the area of the fingers of the left hand, but can also spread to the second hand. Severe consequences of Raynaud's disease are ulcerative formations, necrosis and gangrene.
Methods of dealing with negative symptoms
The main task in the treatment of numbness and paresthesia of the fingers is to restore the functionality of the upper extremities without resorting to surgery. Having found out the main reason why the index finger is numb, a number of therapeutic measures are prescribed, for example, during pregnancy, acupuncture and lymphatic drainage massage are performed. Such procedures allow you to normalize the circulatory and lymphatic systems, which leads to the removal of swelling that compresses the nerve endings.
In the case when the index finger of the left hand goes numb as a result of osteochondrosis, to eliminate pinched nerve fibers, the patient is prescribed traction, as well as medications that restore the condition of the cartilage. In addition, exercise therapy, massage, osteopathy and acupuncture are used.
Drug therapy
When numbness in the fingers of the right hand occurs due to peripheral neuropathies (tunnel, cubital and carpal syndrome), NSAIDs (Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Ortofen, etc.) are used, which reduce the inflammatory process. In addition, it is recommended to reduce stress on joints using orthopedic structures.
To relieve acute pain symptoms, intra-articular injections of corticosteroids (Prednisolone, Diprospan, etc.), as well as drugs that improve blood microcirculation (Trental, Pentoxifylline, Vazonit, etc.) can be prescribed.
To restore cartilage tissue, it is recommended to use chondroprotectors, which necessarily contain hyaluron and chondroitin. These funds play the role of a kind of prosthesis that replaces the lack of synovial fluid. Such drugs can be injected into the joint or used externally in the form of creams, gels and ointments.
In addition to medications, physiotherapy, exercise therapy, massage and reflexology are used quite effectively in the treatment of hand diseases. In the absence of a positive result of conservative treatment, surgical intervention is possible, for example, for carpal tunnel syndrome. In this case, the carpal tunnel or cubital tunnel is surgically widened to relieve pressure on the nerve endings.
Gymnastics and massage
If unpleasant sensations occur in the index finger, it is recommended to perform light gymnastics, which includes the following actions:
- both arms are extended along the body and clenched alternately into fists (5-7 times for each hand);
- in a supine position, you first need to raise the sore hand up and do 20-30 finger squeezes, and then a similar action is repeated with the second hand;
- the patient is asked to stand facing the wall, stretch his arms up and, rising on his toes, fix this position for 1 minute, repeating at least 5-6 times;
- in a standing position, the arms are brought together behind the back and slightly raised, repeating 3-4 times.
A relaxing massage of the cervical spine has a positive effect, since it is responsible for the innervation of the limbs. The massage is performed quite gently, the fingertips should move without physical effort in order to relax the muscles as much as possible. It is important to remember that before starting exercise therapy and massage, you must first consult with a doctor to exclude a number of contraindications.
Numbness during pregnancy
Pregnant women often experience numbness in their fingers.
This is due to the additional load on a woman’s body during pregnancy. Often during this period existing chronic diseases worsen.
Numbness of the fingers in pregnant women is a common phenomenon. Moreover, each woman in the position experiences different sensations. Some complain of a burning sensation in the hands, others of a lack of sensitivity in the limbs, and others of a tingling sensation.
Most often this happens at night, it seems as if the hand is numb, as happens with an uncomfortable position. It has been established that most women experience this kind of discomfort in the 2-3 trimester of pregnancy.
Possible causes of stiffness of the limbs during pregnancy:
- diabetes;
- oncological diseases;
- circulatory disorders;
- metabolic failure;
- inflammation in the cervical vertebra;
- sudden increase in body weight;
- a sharp decrease in activity.
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A correct diagnosis increases the chances of recovery.
You can learn a specialist’s opinion about the possible causes of numbness in your fingers from the following video:
Severe and constant numbness in fingers
Fingers become severely numb in neurological diseases, such as radicular syndrome due to osteochondrosis, tunnel syndrome, diabetic or toxic neuropathy, brachial plexitis, paresis and paralysis. If the fingers on both hands go numb, then the cause of this condition is stenosis of the spinal canal, insufficiency of the vertebrobasilar circulation, compression of the radicular nerves in the cervical spine.
The fingers of certain professions constantly go numb: secretaries-typists, artists, hairdressers, PC operators, pianists, painters. All of them hold their hand in an awkward or unnatural position while working. This provokes the development of carpal tunnel syndrome or carpal valve. The first clinical sign of the disease is numbness in the fingers and severe pain in the hand in the evening.
Note! In some cases, numbness in the fingers on one hand is the first sign of a developing stroke. Poor cerebral circulation also causes headaches, dizziness and unsteadiness of gait. If all these signs are present, immediately call an ambulance team. Timely first aid for acute cerebrovascular accident allows you to restore all damaged body functions within a short time.
If your fingers go numb, which doctor can provide effective medical care? It all depends on the reason why this system appeared. If it is a cardiovascular pathology, then treatment is carried out by a cardiologist. In case of endocrine disorders (diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, etc.), you should consult an endocrinologist. For osteochondrosis, plexitis, neuropathy, tunnel syndromes, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and other pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, you should visit a neurologist.
If your fingers are numb, you can make an appointment for a free appointment with a chiropractor at our clinic. After the initial examination, the doctor will give you recommendations for further examination.
What to do if your fingers are numb and sore
In addition to drug treatments, there are other ways to solve the problem. These are: moderate exercise, gymnastics, walking, aerobic exercise and much more.
Simple gymnastics
- Lie on your back, raise your arms up. Clench your fingers into fists. Repeat 100 times.
- Lie on your back with your arms along your body. Repeat squeezing and unclenching 80 times.
- Stand up straight, raise your arms up. Hold the position for 1 minute.
Regularly performing simple exercises will help you forget about unpleasant sensations. After such gymnastics, hold your hands in warm water.
Traditional methods
For fans of “grandmother’s methods” of treatment.
- Pumpkin porridge will help get rid of finger pain and numbness. Prepare the porridge as usual, let it cool. Apply the warm mixture to your sore hand. Bandage your hand with a warm, clean cloth. Leave it for a while. The compress relieves numbness.
- Add black pepper to a liter of vegetable oil, 100 g is enough. Boil the product for about 30 minutes over low heat. Cool. Rub into your hands. Pepper has a thinning property, eliminates blood clots, and improves metabolic processes.
- You can rub your limbs with ammonia or camphor alcohol.
- Pour hot water into an enamel container, not boiling water. Use your fingertips to press down on the bottom of the container. This recipe came to us from Tibet. They believed that the above-described manipulations would restore sensitivity to the fingers and relieve numbness.
Discomfort and loss of sensitivity indicate possible disorders in the body. The sooner you identify the cause, the faster you will get rid of the unpleasant symptom.
How to cure a severe bruise of a finger and not provoke complications
Have you been trying to heal your JOINTS for many years?
Head of the Institute for Joint Treatment: “You will be amazed at how easy it is to heal your joints by taking every day...
Read more "
The fingers consist of three phalanges - proximal, middle and distal (extreme).
They are connected to each other by interphalangeal joints.
The thumb has only two phalanges - proximal and distal.
All four fingers are located on the hand in one row, and the thumb is opposite them, due to which the hand has the ability to perform various functions:
- holding objects of different sizes and weight categories;
- writing ability;
- flexion and extension of fingers, as well as many others.
Mechanism and causes of bruises
A bruised finger can occur as a result of a blow to a blunt object or a fall from a small height, and is characterized by the absence of a violation of the integrity of the skin. Situations can occur completely different. For example, something heavy fell on your finger, or you hit your finger on a door frame, or fell on your hand.
The degree of damage is determined by the force of the impact and the location where it occurred.
Classification of injury
A bruise is a soft tissue injury that is usually closed. This also damages small blood vessels, causing hematomas. Sometimes, as a result of a severe bruise, a bone fracture occurs.
Bruises are classified into the following categories:
- degree of injury;
- its localization.
There are four degrees of injury:
- I is characterized by minor damage to the skin. Minor scratches or abrasions may occur. This injury does not require special treatment and goes away on its own within 3 to 4 days.
- In grade II injury, muscle tissue damage, swelling and hematoma occur. A sharp pain occurs at the site of the impact.
- III is determined by the presence of muscle or tendon damage. In severe cases, dislocations may occur.
- IV – the most extreme. It occurs from a strong blow, is characterized by acute pain, rupture of tendons, and the appearance of a strong hematoma of a dark color, even black. Such an injury requires immediate treatment in a hospital; ignoring it can lead to undesirable consequences.
By localization, bruises are distinguished as follows:
- Bruise of the finger joint, which occurs at the junction of the phalanges with the hand.
- Contusion of the phalanx of the finger, which can also be combined with damage to the joint. It can be multiple or single.
Symptoms that indicate injury
A bruised finger can vary in severity, from mild to severe. It is clear that the more severe the bruise of a finger, the more clearly its symptoms appear and the more pronounced they are.
Symptoms of a bruised finger are as follows:
- swelling at the site of impact;
- the injury site has turned blue or red;
- the appearance of pain as a result of attempts to move a finger, this pain occurs due to a strong rush of blood to the site of injury;
- hematoma (subcutaneous hemorrhage), which, depending on the severity, has a shade from light blue to black.
If the blow was strong, then the following signs are observed:
- acute unbearable pain at the site of impact;
- inability to make any movement with the injured finger;
- the appearance of pathological (abnormal) mobility of the bruised finger;
- change in the appearance of the finger - swelling or displacement;
- the occurrence of a crack in the bone;
- opening of bleeding from the wound.
First aid
So how can you treat a bruised finger in the first minutes after the injury without causing irreparable harm to your health?
First, you need to make a correct diagnosis based on the symptoms present.
Secondly, it is necessary to carry out the following actions:
- Apply a cold compress to the site of the impact, wrapping a piece of ice in a cloth, or placing the bruised hand under running cold water. From the cold, the pain is muffled, as vasoconstriction occurs, which causes less blood to flow to the injured area.
- If there is a wound, you need to apply a bandage to stop the bleeding.
- Even if the skin is not damaged, in any case, an iodine mesh should be drawn at the site of the bruise, which will reduce swelling and protect against infection.
- If the pain is severe, you can take a pain reliever such as ibuprofen or paracetamol.
- Also, to reduce discomfort, you can apply a bandage to the injured finger, but not too tight, otherwise the blood supply will be blocked.
First aid is critical to the success of further treatment.
What to avoid if you are injured
If you hurt your finger, you should try not to disturb it, ensuring rest until complete recovery.
Medical complex
Before treating a bruised finger, you should consult a doctor. He will assign you:
- physiotherapeutic procedures;
- if the finger is very painful, painkillers may be prescribed;
- The doctor will also recommend the use of special anti-inflammatory ointments that promote the resorption of the hematoma. For example, Diclofenac, Voltaren, Heparin ointment, Fastum gel and many others presented in domestic pharmacology.
If the injury is not serious, then the finger recovers in about one to two weeks, but the pain goes away completely after a few months.
If you have a severe bruise to your finger, recovery may take up to six months.
What to do after an injury in a given situation is decided solely by the attending physician.
ethnoscience
Traditional medicine recipes, proven over the years, will also help you get rid of the consequences of injury. They cost much less than imported ointments, and the effect is sometimes even more effective. So, let's look at a few of these recipes:
- Potato compress. Boil the potatoes in their jackets, mash them and put the resulting pulp on a gauze bandage, making a compress from it. You can also add a spoonful of soda or honey there. This remedy provides excellent pain relief and reduces hematoma.
- Mix vinegar, oil and honey in equal proportions, soak a piece of cloth in this mixture, apply to the bruise and secure with a bandage.
- Grind the onion in a blender, dip a piece of gauze into this mixture and wrap it with a bandage on your finger. This bandage needs to be changed twice a day.
- Dilute bodyaga powder to the consistency of sour cream, apply to the injured area and apply a bandage. Also change twice a day.
- An excellent remedy is Vishnevsky ointment, which promotes resorption of the hematoma. It also needs to be applied to the bruised area and covered with a bandage.
Possible complications and prevention
For example, if you do not use agents that resolve the hematoma, then an inflammatory process may occur at the site of the bruise, which will only worsen the condition of the finger and contribute to a longer healing process.
To avoid this, you need to pay close attention to the treatment, not letting it take its course, because your health and well-being depend on it.
If necessary, do not hesitate to contact the hospital, where you will be given recommendations on how the treatment should proceed.
And remember that the best cure for any injury is to prevent it from occurring.
To do this, you need to exercise basic caution wherever you are. Always watch your step and avoid dangerous parts of the path. In places where there are many different ledges, be careful and do not swing your arms. In production, you must strictly adhere to safety regulations.
Take care of yourself and be healthy.
Video: Taping the thumb joint
Preventive measures
It is known that it is better to prevent the development of a disease than to cure it.
- review your habits, give up junk food;
- do not wear synthetic gloves;
- do not let your hands freeze;
- when working at a computer, do a light warm-up every 40 minutes;
- Get checked regularly by doctors, even if nothing worries you.
You might be interested in an article about why your hands shake.
There is also a useful article on how to quit smoking without the help of a doctor.
Here you can find out why your hands are shaking and what to do about it.
Fingers go numb while sleeping at night
The reasons why fingers go numb can be varied. Often this is a manifestation of cervical osteochondrosis, which provokes protrusion of the intervertebral disc and radicular syndrome. Fingers also go numb after sleep due to “lovers syndrome” - a woman rests her head on a man’s shoulder while sleeping. This causes compression of the brachial nerve plexus. In the morning, the man experiences a strong feeling of numbness in the fingers on this side.
If your fingers go numb during sleep, then you need to:
- properly organize a place for night rest (it is better to use a bed with a raised headboard, an orthopedic mattress and a pillow);
- Do not wear clothes that put pressure on the shoulder and armpit area for sleeping at night;
- reconsider your position in which you are used to falling asleep;
- do not raise your arms up while sleeping.
If, after all the measures described above, your fingers go numb at night, then the reason for this probably lies in the development of diseases. You need to visit a neurologist and conduct a series of studies.