Hand numbness is one of the common complaints that can be experienced in one hand or both hands. Complaints can be experienced in the whole hand, palm, upper part and fingertips. A constant state of numbness can also occur when performing certain movements or during rest. Numbness can cause burning, tingling and electric shock sensations. It is also a condition that negatively affects a person's life and reduces the quality of life.
In some people, numbness that occurs during writing can also occur when working, playing sports, using tools or equipment. It may occur due to repetitive hand movements. This may occur due to neurological or orthopedic causes. Recovery is possible with treatment methods depending on the cause of the disease. If left untreated, it can become chronic and permanent.
Why Does Hand Numbness Occur?
Repetitive wrist movements can cause thickening of the ligaments where the nerves are located over time or an increase in pressure in the canal. The disease, which mostly manifests itself with mild numbness, may continue with numbness of all fingers except the pinky finger.
It is a disease that needs to be treated. Otherwise, it may require treatment for many years and may be permanent. Nerve compression in the elbow is usually seen in people who work at the table and put their elbow on the table too much.
Among the causes of hand numbness; There are movements such as continuous knitting, floor wiping, squeezing cloths, shaking carpets, keyboard and mouse use. Carpal tunnel syndrome, which occurs as a result of nerve compression in the wrist, is one of the most common causes of numbness.
Among the rare causes, pronator teres syndrome can be seen in case of nerve compression in the area below the elbow.
Ulnar nerve compression at the wrist level, also known as guyon's canal syndrome, or cubital tunnel syndrome, in which the elbow is compressed, are common causes of numbness.
In addition to these, taking into account the complaints seen in the person, neck hernia, spinal cord or some neurological problems in the brain can also cause numbness.
Why Does Left Hand Numbness Occur?
Although numbness in the left hand usually occurs as a result of nerve compression, some joint damage can also cause burning sensation, tingling and numbness on the left hand. Left hand numbness is a problem that should be taken into consideration as it can also occur due to heart diseases.
While numbness accompanied by arm pain may indicate that the heart muscles are not getting enough oxygen, it can also cause some diseases. Angina is an important disease called coronary angina, which poses a risk of heart attack. Left hand numbness, which is among the symptoms of a heart attack, can have many different causes.
What Causes Right Hand Numbness?
Right hand numbness is usually observed as carpal tunnel syndrome. It can also be the beginning of spinal cord problems. Fractures or cracks in the bones in the right hand as a result of trauma can also cause numbness.
It can also be seen due to diabetes, as well as vitamin deficiencies are among the different causes. This problem, which can be seen in one hand or both hands, is usually caused by median nerve, ulnar nerve and radial nerve compression.
How Does Hand Numbness Pass?
The cause of numbness and the disease varies from person to person. It is a disease that can be caused by orthopedic problems and neurological disorders. In orthopedic problems, physical therapy applications are tried to be treated by applying physical therapy to the person. In advanced cases that do not improve with physical therapy, treatment is performed with surgical intervention.
In cases caused by neurological causes, treatment methods deemed necessary by the physician are applied depending on the condition of the disease. Physical therapy can be applied depending on the condition of the patient and the level of the disease. In addition, in advanced stages, the person is given local anesthesia and has the option of treatment with surgical operation.
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
The feeling of numbness in the hands and fingers is usually caused by carpal tunnel syndrome. The nerve and muscle tissues extending from the arm to the palm and fingers pass through a narrow channel in the wrist. It is a syndrome that occurs when it passes through the carpal tunnel area and puts pressure on the median nerve.
Carpal tunnel syndrome can cause pain, numbness, burning and loss of sensation in the hand and wrist. The median nerve located in the tunnel provides sensation of the senses in the thumb, index, middle and face finger and control of the muscles in the thumb.
It is a pathologic condition in which microtraumas in the canal area can cause narrowing of the canal volume or an increase in its blood content. This syndrome, usually caused by entrapment neuropathy, is more common in middle-aged women.
Examination is performed in three different periods. In the early stages and periods, local conduction slowing is seen in nerve conduction studies, although complaints are usually not observed. In the second period, numbness and pain are observed, which increase mostly at night.
In the third and final period, nerve damage, loss of sensation and muscle wasting may be observed due to neurological causes.
The diagnosis of this condition is made by specialist doctors, and the diagnosis is made by listening to the history of the disease, physical examination and EMG. Depending on the condition of the disease, it can be treated with physical therapy or surgery under local anesthesia.
What is Guyon's Canal Syndrome?
Guyon's Canal Syndrome is pain, numbness and loss of sensation in the little finger and ring finger. In the later stages, the disease causes muscle wasting and loss of strength. This condition, which causes significant nerve damage, is treated with EMG and physical examination, depending on the stage of the disease. Physical therapy or surgical operation is performed during the treatment process.
What is Cubital Tunnel Syndrome?
The most common cause is known as entrapment. Symptoms include pain, numbness and loss of sensation in the pinky and ring finger. In addition, pain and sensitivity problems can be seen on the inside of the elbow. In the later stages, muscle wasting, deformities and loss of strength occur.
The diagnosis is determined by physical examination and EMG performed by a neurologist. It can be treated with physical therapy applications or surgery depending on the stage of the disease.