Numbness of the hand: causes and treatment tactics

Why do my legs and arms go numb? What diseases can lead to these symptoms? Which doctor should I contact? How to diagnose the cause?

Numbness in the arms and legs is a neurological symptom that most often indicates damage, inflammation, or compression of sensory nerves. Often, numbness is accompanied by pain and unpleasant sensations such as tingling and “crawling goosebumps.” Many nerves are mixed, that is, they contain both sensory and motor fibers. In such cases, numbness is combined with a decrease in muscle tone and impaired movement.

There are many reasons for numbness in the limbs. Most often they are associated with pathological processes in peripheral nerves. The larger the nerve, the larger part of the limb loses sensation. In rare cases, the symptom is caused by disorders of the brain and spinal cord.

Numbness from compression of nerves and nerve roots

One of the most common conditions that leads to compression of the nerve roots is intervertebral hernia. Most often it forms in the lumbar spine, as it experiences the heaviest loads. Fortunately, in most cases, if you consult a doctor in a timely manner, intervertebral hernias can be treated without surgery.

Carpal tunnel syndrome leads to numbness, tingling in the hand and other symptoms. In the wrist area there is a tunnel formed by bones and ligaments. It contains a nerve that, under certain conditions, can be compressed.

In the area of ​​the shoulder girdle and collarbone is the brachial nerve plexus - all the main nerves innervating the arm depart from it. During injuries (most often road accidents), these nerves are stretched and compressed, resulting in numbness and, in severe cases, paralysis of the arm.

With spondylolisthesis, the upper vertebra “slips” a little from the lower one, this leads to compression of the spinal cord and nerve roots, and sensitivity disorders.

Preventing finger numbness

As with most neurological diseases, preventive measures boil down to the following:

• Maintain an active lifestyle. Do exercises and don’t forget about daily physical activity;
• Listen to your body and undergo timely medical examinations to identify pathology at an early stage;
• Periodically get tested and undergo examination of the vascular system;
• Try to eat healthy and balanced. Don't forget to take your vitamins.

The main thing to remember is that the body always warns in advance about changes, and does not suddenly get sick. Few people notice problems that are just beginning; most often they do not pay attention to it, hoping that everything will go away on its own. Lack of time, fear of doctors and injections, reduction of the importance of what is happening ultimately lead to the disease becoming much worse, treatment time taking much longer, or the consequences can cost lives.

Vascular disorders

One of the complications of diabetes is diabetic neuropathy, damage to sensory, motor and autonomic nerves as a result of impaired blood flow in small vessels. One possible symptom is numbness in the limbs.

There is a large group of diseases - vasculitis. Autoimmune inflammation develops in the vessel wall, it thickens, becomes weakened, and scarring occurs. In the lumen of the vessel, areas of narrowing appear in which blood flow is disrupted. Various organs, including nerves, can suffer from this.

With one of the systemic connective tissue diseases - Raynaud's disease - a spasm of the small vessels that supply blood to the fingers and toes occurs. In response to cooling or stress, a feeling of coldness and numbness occurs in the fingers.

Numb hands keep you from sleeping

Even healthy people can get numb hands during sleep: by placing their left or right hand under their head and deeply immersed in the world of dreams, a young body can sleep through the night without ever turning over to the other side. Moving the limb and lightly rubbing it quickly returns it to normal and the unpleasant sensations are forgotten. It’s another matter when your hands systematically go numb at night, when a tingling feeling appears in the daytime, when others are added to this symptom: pain, weakness, cramps. There are different options for numbness of the upper extremities, each of which may indicate a specific pathology:

diagram of the nerves of the hand, compression of which is possible due to osteochondrosis and other reasons

• Your hands go numb at night, and during the day you suffer from pain in the head, neck, back (and periodic numbness if you stay in one position for a long time) with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
  and herniated intervertebral discs
  ;
• The cause of numbness in the thumb may be a
  hemangioma or
  neurofibroma
  , which compresses the nerve endings, as well as a compressive effect on the median nerve passing through the carpal tunnel (
  carpal tunnel syndrome
  ).
  Meanwhile, if the thumb “does not come to its senses” for half an hour or more, you should not postpone a visit to the doctor, otherwise its muscles may even atrophy
  ;
• ulnar nerve neuropathy
  occurs . Some patients may not even know that they have this pathology. The disease develops imperceptibly in those people who are forced to rest their elbow on a hard surface for a long time and thus compress the ulnar nerve (a computer desk, for example), moreover, right-handed people often put stress on their right hand, and in left-handed people their left hand goes numb;

• 
  Hands go numb at night, there is pain in the hand, fingers become “wooden” (one or 4, because the little finger is not involved here) in case of median nerve neuropathy or carpal tunnel syndrome
  . The most likely cause of pathological changes may be old bruises and fractures, as well as inflammatory processes localized in this area (arthritis and arthrosis). Often a similar picture is caused by edema caused by pregnancy or decreased thyroid function (hypothyroidism);

• The symmetry observed in numbness of the fingers and hands is characteristic of polyneuropathy
  (
  a complication of diabetes mellitus
  ). By the way, with polyneuropathy, not only the fingers of the upper extremities suffer; the toes often go numb, and, in addition, the surface of the foot can be affected anywhere with the development of the corresponding syndrome.

• vascular causes of numbness - spasm or damage to arterioles

  They lose their natural color (turn white or blue), become cold to the touch, and the fingers hurt and go numb when blood circulation in the microvasculature is impaired, caused by a sharp spasm of blood vessels. This most often occurs in Raynaud's disease and scleroderma

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  ;

• It should be noted that chronic alcoholism and
  severe poisoning also contribute to the appearance of signs of polyneuropathy, namely, numbness of the fingers and toes during sleep and in reality;
• Of particular concern are cases when only the left hand
  and, especially, its thumb are numb, which is most often associated with the development of atherosclerosis, cardiac pathology, osteochondrosis of the cervical and/or thoracic spine. But if the loss of sensation in the thumb of the left hand mainly suggests diseases of the cardiovascular system, then numbness and other symptoms regarding the right hand are perceived as a suspicion of cervical spondylosis, which, however, does not affect young people;
• Heart problems
  by numbness in the little finger of the left hand, and if it stops showing “signs of life” together with the ring finger, then it is time for the patient to think about a visit to a cardiologist.

If both arms go numb at the same time or an unpleasant tingling sensation is localized in a specific area of ​​the left or right arm, or affects the hands or fingers, and the clinical picture is diluted by additional symptoms (weakness, pain, numbness of other parts of the body), the thought of development of the above-mentioned serious diseases (multiple sclerosis, neoplastic process). If this happens suddenly, then a TIA or stroke can be suspected.

Looking for a reason

Each person has pain and numbness in his own way and, probably, not all options for numbness in the fingers have been considered, however, if stiff limbs are increasingly waking you up at night, and a person cannot find an explanation for this, then perhaps a short list of reasons will help him that cause these unpleasant sensations:

1. Professional activity;
2. Osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine;
3. Intervertebral hernia;
4. Iron deficiency in the body;
5. Endocrine diseases;
6. Inflammation of the pancreas;
7. Pathological changes in joints;
8. Venous stagnation;
9. Arterial hypertension;
10. Sharp spasm of microcirculatory vessels;
11. Polyneuropathy.

In addition, to determine the true cause of hand numbness, you should pay attention to other symptoms that accompany these unpleasant, and sometimes painful, episodes:

• Weakness of the hand;
• Low contractility of the muscular system;
• Possible pain in the shoulder and forearm;
• Fatigue, malaise, bad mood;
• Dizziness;
• Heaviness in the head, noise in the ears;
• Inconsistency of movements;
• Unstable blood pressure (jumps and falls);
• Impaired functioning of the vestibular apparatus;
• Flashing "flies" before the eyes.

Some of the listed diseases and their symptoms can cause your toes to go numb, so it’s time to talk about this too.

Video: hand numbness

Video: 3 reasons for hand numbness in the “Live Healthy!” program

Diseases of the brain and spinal cord

One of the most common causes of numbness in different parts of the body associated with brain damage is a stroke, as well as a transient ischemic attack, which is popularly called a “mini-stroke”. Severe injuries to the brain and spinal cord can lead to sensory impairment.

Less common are such lesions of the central nervous system as an aneurysm (a pathologically enlarged, weakened area) of a cerebral vessel, arteriovenous malformation (incorrect communication between an artery and a vein, when blood is discharged directly, bypassing the network of capillaries), tumors of the brain and spinal cord, paraneoplastic syndrome ( damage to the nervous system caused by a tumor that is located outside the brain).

The article lists only the main common causes of numbness in the arms and legs. There are others. In order to get an accurate diagnosis and begin proper effective treatment, you need to visit a doctor.

Causes of numbness in other parts of the body

Numbness in various parts of the body also has many causes. First of all, these are damage or degenerative changes in the nerve plexuses, which are associated with the innervation of the numb area. But there are other provoking factors.

Language

There are both pathological and physiological reasons for tongue numbness - for example, a person drank a glass of soda that was too cold, ate a dish that was too spicy or too hot, swallowed a menthol candy, or brushed their teeth with a paste whose substances change the sensitivity of the receptors. Physiological reasons also include:

• manipulations in the oral cavity using anesthetics, installation of dentures;
• use of certain medications;
• changes in the mucous membrane of the tongue due to age-related changes are a common cause of numbness of this organ in women during menopause;
• periodic numbness of the tongue is often observed in women in late pregnancy, which is associated with gestosis or preeclampsia.

Among the pathological factors there may be those that require immediate medical attention. List of pathologies in which the tongue can become numb:

• poisoning with toxic substances;
• tumors and other brain diseases - in this case, numbness may be accompanied by nausea and headache;
• hypothyroidism;
• Lyme disease;
• diabetes;
• multiple sclerosis;
• GERD;
• heart disease - numbness in this case is accompanied by cardiac arrhythmias, shortness of breath, and chest pain.

If numbness of the tongue is accompanied by additional symptoms - headache, shortness of breath, palpitations - this may indicate an impending stroke or myocardial infarction, so in such a situation you need to call a doctor.

Face

The causes of facial numbness are often neurological or vascular pathologies. If unilateral numbness is observed, for example, only on the right or left side of the face, this gives reason to suspect trigeminal neuralgia.

Neuropathies of the facial nerve, also manifested by numbness of only the right half or left side of the face, are a consequence of infectious diseases of the nervous system. Therefore, as in cases with other types of sensory loss, the search for the causes of facial numbness should begin with a thorough examination of the patient.

Lips

A one-time, short-lived and completely understandable numbness of the lips is familiar to many; its causes are consistent with the factors that provoke numbness of the tongue. It is not surprising that the lips and tongue often go numb at the same time; this also happens with neuralgia of the glossopharyngeal nerve, fungal infection of the oral cavity, and food allergies.

Hypovitaminosis, iron deficiency anemia and vitamin B12 deficiency can be added to the factors of lip numbness.

The lower lip may also become numb along with the chin due to Rosai-Dorfman disease, a rare disease that affects the lymph nodes. Numbness of the lips along with other characteristic signs - palpitations, shortness of breath or headache can be considered as a prognostic parameter of an ischemic attack or heart attack.

Why does my mouth go numb?

The factors cited as causes of tongue numbness are also relevant to explain loss of sensation in the mouth. Together with other symptoms - bleeding of the lips, palate, inner surface of the cheeks - repeated or increasing numbness of the oral cavity may indicate the development of precancerous conditions of the oral mucosa. To avoid progression of the disease, you should consult a doctor at the first suspicious signs.

Chin

One of the rare pathological causes of chin numbness is Rosai-Dorfman disease, which affects certain groups of lymph nodes. Other diseases can also cause symptoms:

• cardiovascular disorders;
• tumor diseases;
• neuroses, prolonged depression;
• neuritis accompanied by migraine;
• osteochondrosis;
• iron deficiency anemia or hypovitaminosis;
• multiple sclerosis;
• diabetes mellitus and many others.

If chin numbness is detected, you should pay attention to accompanying symptoms characteristic of heart disease, vascular pathologies or neuralgic conditions. Do not forget about physiological factors - the chin often goes numb after visiting the dentist.

Cheek

Being part of the face, the cheek can become numb for the same reasons that cause numbness in the face. Additional factors:

• diseases of teeth and gums;
• sinusitis, rhinitis and other ENT pathologies;
• inflammation or damage to the parotid salivary gland;
• head or facial injury.

It is necessary to pay attention to the frequency of manifestation of the symptom, the nature of its occurrence (sudden, gradual, increasing) and its duration. This information will be useful for the doctor in making hypotheses about the causes of loss of cheek sensitivity.

Nose

The tip of the nose, as the most “protruding” part of our face, often goes numb in the cold - this is a normal phenomenon that does not require medical intervention. If numbness of the nose occurs under completely favorable conditions, this may portend various pathologies:

• cardiovascular;
• neurological;
• respiratory;
• endocrine;
• hematological;
• viral.

A person will not be able to figure out the causes of nasal numbness on his own, nor will he be able to completely eliminate this symptom using folk remedies. The right step is to undergo a medical examination and get recommendations from a treating specialist.

Jaw

Numbness along with aching pain in the jaw and along the entire left or right side of the face often accompanies the course of chronic heart failure, a pre-infarction state, or an impending ischemic attack. Therefore, you need to monitor other parameters - blood pressure, heart rate, skin. If they are too pale or, conversely, hyperemic, this is an alarming signal.

The most common causes of jaw numbness (usually the lower jaw goes numb):

• diseases of the heart and blood vessels, circulatory pathologies;
• viral infections (usually herpes);
• otitis;
• jaw injuries;
• inflammation in the root zone of the tooth;
• trigeminal neuritis.

If the reason for jaw numbness is that the person has recently visited the dentist, there is no need to worry, this is a temporary symptom that will go away on its own over time.

Heart failure

Ear

Hypothermia, prolonged lying on the side and other physiological reasons can cause the ear to become numb. Sometimes, simultaneously with numbness, a person experiences other symptoms that suggest a pathological cause for loss of ear sensitivity:

• hearing loss – atherosclerosis of the vessels of the head;
• for severe headaches and muscle spasms - intervertebral hernia or osteochondrosis;
• with burning pain in the back of the head – arterial hypertension.

Inflammation in the soft tissues near the auricle and endocrine pathologies can also provoke ear numbness. The final word, as always, remains with the diagnosis.

Head

After sleeping on a hard pillow or in an uncomfortable position, a person often wakes up with a feeling of numbness in the neck and, it seems, in the head. In this case, this is a harmless symptom; a few minutes or hours will pass and sensitivity will be restored. If hearing disorders, numbness of the extremities, fever, pain behind the ears, and dizziness are added to the numbness of the head, one should suspect one of the pathological causes:

• pinched nerve;
• cerebral circulation disorders;
• multiple sclerosis;
• consequences of injury;
• tumor process.

Of particular danger is numbness of the head, accompanied by speech disorders, gait instability, dizziness, impaired motor functions, loss of sensation over the entire left side of the body and left-sided facial paralysis - such symptoms may indicate a stroke.

Right or left side of the body

Ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, coupled with paresis or paralysis - these are in most cases the causes of numbness on the left or right side of the body. Because these conditions are caused by damage to the brain, they are often accompanied by problems with memory, vision and speech. The precursors of dangerous pathologies are periodic numbness of other parts of the body, accompanied by surges in blood pressure, headaches, shortness of breath and dizziness, so you should always pay attention to them in case of loss of sensitivity.

Heart area

The most unpleasant sensation is caused by numbness in the area of ​​the heart - it seems to the patient that the main “motor” of the body stops, and because of this the whole body gradually becomes numb. Often, numbness spreads to the left hand (or only to the fingers), and a pressing pain appears in the area above the heart. These symptoms are typical for:

• angina pectoris, an attack of which is provoked by physical activity and is relieved by nitroglycerin;
• myocardial infarction, which can occur in a quiet position, but taking nitroglycerin does not produce results.

With such complaints, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. In most cases, numbness in the left side of the chest is a consequence of pinched nerves and osteochondrosis.

Buttock

Numbness in the buttock often occurs after an intramuscular injection into the gluteal muscle: it is short-lived, and after a light massage, sensitivity is restored. If the gluteal muscles are “taken away” regularly, it is worth looking for the causes of numbness in pathological conditions.

The innervation of the buttocks is connected with the lumbosacral nerve plexus and with another node of nerve fibers - the so-called “cauda equina”. This bundle of nerves, formed in the lower part of the spinal column, really resembles a tuft of hair like a ponytail. Nerve fibers provide sensitivity to the buttocks, pelvic organs and the so-called sellar area, so any damage or compression of the nerves in this area leads to numbness of these organs.

That is why one of the first causes of numbness in the buttocks is called cauda equina syndrome, or compression. This is not an independent disease, but a symptomatic complex, the development of which can be triggered by damage or herniation of the vertebral discs or the spread of a malignant formation. Frequent accompanying signs of the syndrome are paralysis of the lower extremities, numbness of the anal area and inner thighs, urinary incontinence or, conversely, difficulty urinating.

Numbness of the buttocks can also be observed with lumbosacral osteochondrosis, stroke, and radiculopathy.

Genitals and perineum

With cauda equina syndrome, not only the buttocks are affected, but also organs located in the saddle area - the genitals and perineum in men and women. Therefore, the first thing that is suspected when there is numbness in the delicate area is the syndrome described above. The condition is usually accompanied by erectile dysfunction in men and loss of bladder and anal sphincter control in patients regardless of gender.

Other causes of numbness of the penis and perineum in men:

• intensive cycling;
• prolonged sitting in one position;
• uncontrolled use of pills “for potency”;
• wearing swimming trunks that are too tight;
• abuse of masturbation, use of mechanical devices to maintain an erection;
• various diseases, including tumor and mental disorders.

In women, numbness of the perineum often occurs as a result of taking hormonal contraceptives, wearing tight underwear, in the second half of pregnancy, and with mental disorders.

Who should I contact?

A neurologist is involved in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders, such as sensory loss and numbness in the extremities. In order to correctly assume what was the possible cause and choose the right direction of the diagnostic search, the neurologist must examine the patient, find out in which parts of the body numbness occurs (only in the fingers, in the hands or feet, in the entire arm or leg, in one limb , or right and left symmetrically), are there any other neurological symptoms or concomitant diseases.

Depending on the results of the examination, the neurologist may refer you to other specialists:

• For vasculitis, Raynaud's disease - see a rheumatologist.
• For cardiovascular pathologies, see a cardiologist.
• For diabetes mellitus, see an endocrinologist.
• In case of tumors or injuries, see a neurosurgeon.
• For infectious diseases - see an infectious disease specialist.
• In case of poisoning with harmful substances at work, contact an occupational pathologist.

Treatment methods

In modern medicine, there are several effective methods for treating numbness in the fingers of the left hand.

• Drug therapy. This method involves the use of products selected by a specialist, in the form of ointments, preparations and creams. Which can relieve inflammation, swelling and pain.
• Therapeutic massage and manual therapy.
• Using ultrasound or laser. This will help restore damaged tissue and lost sensitivity.
• Special exercises and health-improving physical education. This will help improve blood circulation and the general condition of the body.

Examination for numbness of extremities

• Depending on the suspected cause of numbness in the limbs, the doctor may prescribe different types of diagnostics. X-rays help diagnose diseases associated with disorders of the skull and spine, such as intervertebral hernia. If there is a suspicion of vascular pathology, angiography is performed - an X-ray examination with the introduction of a contrast solution into the vessels.
• If necessary, you may be prescribed other imaging methods: ultrasound, CT, MRI.
• In order to check in which nerves the conduction of impulses is impaired, electroneuromyography is used - a study using special electrodes.
• Sometimes they resort to the method of evoked potentials. Special sensors are placed on the patient's head to record brain activity. The affected nerve is stimulated through the skin using electrical impulses and the brain is observed to respond to the stimulation.

Since dozens of different reasons can lead to numbness in the arms and legs, the diagnostic program must be individual for each patient. In some pathologies, if left untreated for a long time, even more serious, irreversible neurological disorders may occur. Visit a neurologist, make an appointment by phone: +7 (495) 120-08-07