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Numbness In Right Hand, Overweight. Is This Serious?

Posted on Mon, 16 Jul 2012

Question: I have been having numbness in my right hand, it started very lightly yesterday. When I put my elbow on an arm chair and such there is a spike like if it were asleep. It feels like it is from my pinky to my elbow, but that is it. I am 20 years old, 5' 9'', and 300 lb. I knwo I am over weight but my weight hasn't really changed over the years, I don't gain or lose. I wish to know if this could be serious.

Answered by Dr. Raju A.T (55 minutes later)

Hi,

Thanks for your query.

the numbness in the hand could be due to compression of the nerve supplying it just above the wrist.Such compression could be due to resting the arm on the chair etc.

A good exercise tightening the muscles around the arm would reduce such episodes in future.

If you have the numbness even when there is no compressive force affecting on the arm then defect in the cervical spine has to be expected.

Do get examined by your treating doctor to rule out cervical spine problems (usually Tuberculosis ), if the numbness is all the time.

Wish you good health.

Regards,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Raju A.T (3 hours later)

I think I have just regular aches now, odd feeling at the tip of my ring finger and a smaller spike in the elbow,the bottom part of the palm under the pinky is still weird but I do feel it now, not too weird of a feeling. I may have really, really slept on the arm and i do constantly rest the elbow on the chair

Answered by Dr. Raju A.T (21 hours later)

Hi again,

Thanks for writing back.

Such nerve function distortion due to temporary compression will disappear on its own.

Need not worry , a good exercise is always a better option to prevent such episodes in future.

Wish you good health.

regards,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar