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Suggest Treatment For Numbness And Tingling In Hand And Fingers
Question: I have numbness and tingling, mostly on my right hand fingers and thumb, but also both hands. Now I have a sore left arm also with weakness and some pain in some movements. Sleeping brings on the worst, waking me up several times a night. I've had a rotator cuff injury on my right shoulder for some time now, but passable and a popped bicept on my left arm.
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Those symptoms you describe correspond most likely to a nerve compression. Nerve compression can occur at several sites such as the wrist, the elbow, the shoulder or the neck, so some more precise information on the localization of the tingling sensations might be more helpful (which fingers, palmar or dorsal surface of the hand, inclusion of the forearm or the arm as well, neck pain etc).
A common cause which often includes both hands might be carpal tunnel syndrome, compression of the median nerve at the wrist, causing symptoms usually in first 3 fingers, the palm and may include the forearm. Symptoms often more pronounced at night. The next most common cause would be nerve compression in the neck, where symptoms generally are as far up as the neck.
In terms of diagnostic steps, they are the same independently from the affected nerve. A neurological exam is the first step, to identify distribution of symptoms, changes in reflexes, motor strength for individual muscles, information which help localizing the site of damage. Afterwards the next diagnostic step is ENMG (nerve conduction studies and electromyography). If exam suggests source to be in the neck a neck MRI might be needed as well. Management will depend on the affected nerve and the cause.
I remain at your disposal fo other questions.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Those symptoms you describe correspond most likely to a nerve compression. Nerve compression can occur at several sites such as the wrist, the elbow, the shoulder or the neck, so some more precise information on the localization of the tingling sensations might be more helpful (which fingers, palmar or dorsal surface of the hand, inclusion of the forearm or the arm as well, neck pain etc).
A common cause which often includes both hands might be carpal tunnel syndrome, compression of the median nerve at the wrist, causing symptoms usually in first 3 fingers, the palm and may include the forearm. Symptoms often more pronounced at night. The next most common cause would be nerve compression in the neck, where symptoms generally are as far up as the neck.
In terms of diagnostic steps, they are the same independently from the affected nerve. A neurological exam is the first step, to identify distribution of symptoms, changes in reflexes, motor strength for individual muscles, information which help localizing the site of damage. Afterwards the next diagnostic step is ENMG (nerve conduction studies and electromyography). If exam suggests source to be in the neck a neck MRI might be needed as well. Management will depend on the affected nerve and the cause.
I remain at your disposal fo other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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