Numbness in the fingers of my right hand

Unpleasant numbness and tingling of the fingers usually occurs due to a lack of blood supply to the hand, for example, if a person has been in a position for a long time in which the blood vessels are temporarily compressed. From a medical point of view, this is completely normal. Moreover, moving the hand "disperses the blood", and everything returns to normal. But when numbness of the fingers becomes systematic and is often accompanied by pain and impaired mobility in the finger joints, then this is an abnormal condition.

This may indicate inflammation, diabetes, intervertebral disc disease or the onset of multiple sclerosis. Also, numbness of the fingers of the right hand is an indicator of peripheral neuropathy.

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Causes of numbness in the fingers of the right hand

Numbness of the fingers of the right hand occurs for many reasons. Among them:

• tunnel syndromes;
• osteochondrosis of the thoracic and cervical spine;
• cervical spondylosis;
• herniated disc;
• neck injuries;
• polyneuropathy in chronic alcoholism;
• endocrine polyneuropathy in diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism;
• multiple sclerosis;
• peripheral vascular disease (narrowing of blood vessels due to the accumulation of cholesterol on their walls limits blood flow to the extremities);
• Raynaud's disease (or Raynaud's syndrome);
• pernicious anemia ( vitamin B12 deficiency in the body ).

It should be borne in mind that with polyneuropathies, numbness of the fingers of the right hand is combined with symmetrical numbness of the hands and fingers of the left hand and with numbness and impaired mobility of the legs.

With pernicious anemia (which occurs more often in women than in men), the pathology begins to manifest itself not only in numbness of the fingers and toes, but also in symptoms such as weakness, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, diarrhea, and burning pain in the tongue - when eating sour and spicy foods.

But with Raynaud's disease (or Raynaud's syndrome), numbness of the fingers of the right hand is caused by a sharp spasm of the blood vessels in the fingers, which is accompanied by paleness and cyanosis of the hands, painful sensations and a constant feeling of cold in them. Among the causes of this syndrome, doctors name not only prolonged exposure to cold and frequent hand injuries, but also rheumatic diseases such as systemic scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, nodular periarthritis, etc. Raynaud's syndrome can be caused by some diseases of the blood vessels, blood and central nervous system.

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Symptoms of numbness in the fingers of the right hand

Typical symptoms of numbness in the fingers of the right hand manifest themselves in the form of paresthesia. First of all, this is the loss of exteroceptive (superficial) sensitivity of one or several fingers at once. In addition, there are sensations of itching and "crawling ants", as well as burning and cold in the fingers.

With prolonged monotonous load or an uncomfortable position (when the hand is "numb") this occurs due to a temporary disruption of the blood supply to the limb, as a result of which the conduction of nerve impulses changes. If after a few minutes of changing the position of the body (or rubbing the fingers) the numbness goes away, then this is exactly the case.

With constant numbness of the fingers of the right hand, paresthesia becomes a sign of either pathology of some parts of the nervous system, or neurodegenerative processes, or autoimmune diseases ( systemic lupus erythematosus ). In this case, you need to seek medical help.

Symptoms of numbness in the fingers of the right hand, as well as the fingertips, as doctors note, in the vast majority of cases arise due to damage to nerve fibers in osteochondrosis or are a consequence of compression of nerve trunks in pathologies of the peripheral nervous system.

Numbness of the little finger and ring finger of the right hand

Numbness of the fingers of the right hand is the most pronounced symptom of tunnel neuropathies. Nerve trunks from the spinal cord to the fingertips go through special channels, which narrow in some places between the vertebrae. It is in these places that the nerve is compressed, which leads to the development of so-called tunnel syndromes or peripheral neuropathies, which account for 30% of diseases of the peripheral nervous system.

Thus, numbness of the little finger and numbness of the ring finger of the right hand can be the result of cubital tunnel syndrome (ulnar nerve compression syndrome). The ulnar nerve, which carries nerve impulses to the little finger and half of the ring finger, passes through the cubital tunnel, located behind the inner side of the elbow.

Most often, numbness of the little finger and numbness of the ring finger of the right hand with ulnar nerve neuropathy can be noted when the elbow joint is bent for a long time. Therefore, those who work with the elbow resting on a surface (table, machine, etc.) often complain of such symptoms. In addition, with overloads of the elbow joint in drivers and musicians, with injuries in athletes, as well as with work associated with vibration, thickening of the joint and ligaments occurs. As a result, cubital tunnel syndrome occurs and its symptom appears - numbness of the right little finger and numbness of the ring finger of the right hand, which can be accompanied by pain when pressing on the elbow and weakness in the hand. You can not let ulnar nerve neuropathy take its course: this threatens atrophy of the muscles of the hand.

Numbness of the thumb of the right hand

Carpal tunnel syndrome (from the Greek karpos - wrist) causes numbness of the thumb of the right hand, numbness of the index finger of the right hand, numbness of the middle finger of the right hand and half of the ring finger. In this case, the median nerve is compressed as it passes through the carpal tunnel.

This happens due to constant tension during long-term static and dynamic load on one muscle group and on the wrist joint (for example, when working at a computer, as well as in painters, seamstresses, violinists). This syndrome is also called stenosing ligamentosis of the transverse ligaments by specialists: with excessive loads on the hand, the tendons of the wrist joint swell and compress the nerve trunk. This is the reason why the fingers go numb, and numbness of the fingers of the right hand often occurs at night, and in the morning a person may feel stiffness in finger movements.

Carpal tunnel syndrome can also appear with diseases such as arthrosis, arthritis, neurofibroma, hemangioma, etc. It is necessary to treat this syndrome, since the muscles of the thumb can atrophy, and a person will not be able to bend it.

Numbness of the index finger of the right hand

With degenerative disorders in the cartilage of the vertebral joints - osteochondrosis - there is a decrease in their elasticity, strength and shape, which leads to pinching of nerve fibers. As a result, patients complain of pain in the neck, shoulder girdle and chest, frequent headaches, fatigue, changes in blood pressure, dizziness and tinnitus, impaired coordination of movements, "flies" before the eyes. In addition, neurological manifestations of osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine are numbness of the index finger of the right hand. Very often, numbness is felt in the thumb.

Numbness of the index finger of the right hand can be a consequence of pathologies of the elbow joint, primarily such as arthrosis (epicondylosis) and arthritis. With arthrosis, the elbow joint begins to deteriorate and becomes inflamed, which leads to pain radiating to the hand, limited mobility of the hand at the elbow, numbness of the fingers and the inability to normally clench the hand into a fist.

And with arthritis of the right elbow joint, inflammation leads to deterioration of the conductivity of nerve impulses and numbness of the index finger of the right hand. Arthritis can occur as a result of infection, as well as after injuries or constant overloads of the elbow joint.

Numbness of the middle finger of the right hand

If, with partial loss of sensitivity of the index finger, there is numbness of the middle finger of the right hand, then doctors see the cause of this pathology in functional disorders of the intervertebral discs, cervical discs or muscles of the cervical region. These disorders occur with compression effects on nerve endings, which manifests itself not only in the form of paresthesia, but also weakness of the fingers, as well as pain in the forearm and shoulder.

Numbness of the middle finger of the right hand occurs when the distal processes of the nerve endings of the radial nerve are affected. That is, it is a peripheral neuropathy that can develop after stretching or tearing the nerve, for example, with a subluxation of the elbow joint. But the most typical cases are associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, which was mentioned earlier.

Treatment of numbness of the fingers of the right hand

Treatment of numbness of the fingers of the right hand should be aimed at the cause of this symptom. If the cause is pernicious anemia, then vitamin B12 is prescribed. If numbness of the fingers of the right hand is caused by osteochondrosis, arthrosis, or intervertebral disc disorder, then conservative therapy will include medication-based pain relief and prevention of further degenerative changes in the vertebrae using physiotherapy procedures and exercise therapy.

Treatment for numbness in the fingers of the right hand, prescribed by a doctor for peripheral neuropathies (carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome) consists of taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and reducing the load on the joints with the help of special orthopedic devices.

In case of acute pain, the doctor may prescribe injections of corticosteroids into the joint area, as well as use drugs aimed at improving blood microcirculation, for example, Trental.

Trental (analogues - pentoxifylline, pentilin, vazonit, etc.) stimulates metabolic processes and improves blood circulation in the tissues of the central nervous system, limbs and kidneys. It is prescribed for cerebral circulation disorders (atherosclerosis), ischemic stroke, peripheral circulation disorders of various etiologies, as well as paresthesia and Raynaud's syndrome. The doctor sets the dosage individually, usually 2-4 tablets 2-3 times a day (after meals). However, in some cases the drug gives side effects such as dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, bowel disorders, stomach pain, facial flushing, heart rhythm disturbances, decreased blood pressure. Trental is contraindicated in case of a tendency to bleeding, hemorrhagic stroke and retinal hemorrhage, as well as during pregnancy and lactation. For those who suffer from severe vascular atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, coronary heart disease and sudden changes in blood pressure, this drug is prescribed with caution.

In the treatment of numbness of the fingers of the right hand - in addition to medications - physiotherapy (thermal procedures), massage, therapeutic exercise (joint gymnastics, exercises to strengthen and stretch the muscles of the forearm), reflexology are widely used.

If all methods of conservative treatment of finger numbness in tunnel syndromes do not give the desired result, then the expansion of the carpal (or cubital) canal by surgery may be suggested. This relieves the constant pressure on the nerve column, and the person stops feeling numbness in the fingers of the right hand.