Hand Numbness
Numbness in your hands is not always a cause for concern. You’ll usually have other symptoms when a medical condition causes numbness in your hands. It could be a sign of carpal tunnel or a medication side effect. Here’s what to watch for, when to contact your doctor, and treatments for the underlying causes.
Causes of numbness in hands
Various cardiovascular conditions may cause numbness in your hands. Some of them are as follows:
- Stroke – Numbness felt in your hands is not always a sign of an emergency. However, it is possible that numbness in your hands can be a sign of a stroke. A stroke refers to the damage caused in your brain. By decrease in the blood supply to the region in the brain. Hand numbness can sometimes be the only cause of stroke, or it can occur with some other symptoms. Prompt treatment can reduce the risk of long-term damage to the brain.
- Carpal tunnel – The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway that runs through the center of your wrist. The median nerve is located in the center of this tunnel. This nerve supply helps by supplying feelings to the fingers, including your thumb, index, middle, and part of your ring finger. Various repetitive activities, such as working on an assembly line, may cause the tissues around the median nerve to swell up and thus put pressure on the nerve. The pressure may therefore cause numbness, tingling pain, and weakness in the affected hand.
- Vitamin or mineral deficiency – Vitamin B12 is essential to keep your nerves healthy. A severe deficiency of vitamin B12 may also cause numbness in your hands. A deficiency of potassium or magnesium can also be a reason for the feeling of numbness in your hands or fingers.
Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of a deficiency of vitamin B12. Other symptoms may include weakness, trouble balancing or walking, difficulty thinking clearly, and seeing things that are not there.
- Certain medications – Damage to your nerves or numbness can also be a reason for using certain medications, especially those which treat cancer. It can also affect both your hands and your feet. Certain medications that may cause nerve damage or numbness include antibiotics, anticancer drugs, antiseizure drugs, heart or blood pressure drugs, etc.
- Slipped cervical disc – Discs are the soft cushions that help by separating the bones from your spine. A disruption in your spinal column’s structure may cause disc movement. It is referred to as a herniated or slipped disc.
Swelling around the nerve, a damaged disc, or a degeneration of the bones of your spine may put pressure on and irritate your spine’s nerves. In addition to your numbness, the slipped disc may lead to pain or weakness around your leg or arm.
- Cervical Spondylosis – Cervical spondylosis is a type of arthritis that may affect the disc in your neck. It is caused by years of wearing or tearing of your spinal bones. The damaged vertebrae may press on the nearby nerves, which may cause numbness in your hands, arms, and fingers.
Most people with cervical spondylosis do not have any symptoms. At the same time, others may feel pain or stiffness in their neck.
Treatment Of Hand Numbness
The treatment of hand numbness greatly depends on the underlying cause of the problem. If numbness had caused the disease, treatment of this disease would ease that out. Due to low blood circulation, physical therapy has proved to be very effective in treating tingling or numbness in your hand.
Certain physical therapy treatment options for treating numbness in your hand include the following:
- Exercises – Nerve gliding exercises are used extensively to treat numbness in your hands. It helps prevent nerve damage by facilitating circulation and nerve movement.
- Nerve Gliding Sequence – The first position in the sequence is to make a loose fist with your thumbs outside by covering your folded fingers. It helps by improving circulation and releasing tension. The second position involves opening your fist by keeping all your fingers in the upward direction, pointing towards the ceiling. Now gently move your palm in the backward direction as much as possible without causing any discomfort.
It is the third position. Hold for a few seconds. Now, extend the thumb away from the hand while keeping it in this hyperextended position. This is the fourth position; hold it for several seconds without discomfort. Now, change the position of your hand by extending it even further so that the palm now faces the ceiling. It is called supination, generating a minor pull along the wrist and the muscles extending from your thumb to the wrist. For the last position, you will have to put pressure on the extended thumb with a finger from the other hand, pulling it downwards. This sequence can be repeated 3-5 times in a set.
When To Consult A Doctor
If your hand numbness does not go away within a few hours or if it spreads to any other parts of your body, you must immediately consult a doctor. You must also consult a doctor if your numbness starts after injury.
