Numbness in fingers - General Health Message Board

interstate495 · 01-01-2009, 10:14 AM

when I wake up the fingers on my left hand always feel numb
like I have been laying on them during the night but sometimes if feels that way during the day to.
anyone else experienced this.

Thanks

feelbad · 01-02-2009, 08:47 AM

the only time i actually felt this was when i actually had a problem inmy c spine that was affecting the nerves to my right hand. does that numbness actually include ALL of your fingers or is it always just certain ones? does it include your whole hand or just fingers alone. these are kind of important questions.

the thing is there is probably,given the numbness going on, "something" tho not too sure what yet,that IS affecting a nerve or nerves that go to your hand/fingers. the key here is to try and kind of track it back to the source. that could be up in that c spine area or it could be anywhere along the way specific nerves run down to your fingers. could be something like carpal tunnel syndrome(would belocated in that wrist area) or a herniation or bone spur in that c spine that is just irritating or actually compressing upon nerves somehow. it would just take some testing to find out where that compromise is located. i would seriously see your primary doc for an eval and a possible MRI done on that c spine or whatever other area he or she feels after your eval might be the problem area. thaea is another test called an EMG that can actually narrow down much better the area where the nerve flow starts to become impaired. you just need some testing that your doc can order for you to just find that source of impairment. it souldn't be too overly difficult to find that source with the right testing(it is either IN that c spine or simply down your arm somewhere). once you find out just what is actually casuing this,you kind of take your next steps from that. i do wish you luck in finding this. please keep me posted. FB

AnnD · 01-02-2009, 09:06 AM

That sounds like a simple questions but that generates so many questions. Is this constant every day thing or is it on some days and not on others. Is it always all the fingers or just 2 or 3? ...is there pain with it as well? Have you had any neck or whiplash type injuries? Do you think your job contributes to it? What do you have to do for the numbness to go away. Sometime if I hold my head/neck at a particular angle the numbness goes away. I am thinking since mine only includes the thumb and the next two fingers that it is Carpal Tunnel. What do you think yours is caused from?

janewhite1 · 01-02-2009, 09:19 PM

Ann--pain/numbness on one side of your hand like that (either the thumb, index finger, and middle finger, or the last 3 fingers) probably does come from a nerve compression. But if it goes away when you turn your head or move your shoulder, the compression isn't in your wrist. It's probably either at the nerve root in the neck, or at the thoracic outlet in the front of the shoulder. Mine is in the shoulder. I've found the yoga pose "warrior" to be very helpful, along with deep massage in the trapezius muscle.

interstate495 · 01-03-2009, 08:29 AM

Hi
Thanks to everyone for your reply's
I do have a problem with my left shoulder, it all started many years ago when a car bumped into me as I was backing out of a parking lot.
didn't think anythink of it at the time but within a week my shoulder had got very tight and after muscle relaxants chiropratic care and sometimes massage therapy it still gets painful at times and I think when it gets all knotted up like this, it is when I feel the numbness in my fingers.
I might consisder getting a massage on the shoulders again to losen it the muscle and see if it improves.