Numbness of the fingers of the left hand

Numbness of the fingers of the left hand in recent times occurs quite often. It happens by chance with short-term nerve compression, or pathological, manifesting itself as a sign of another, more serious disease.

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Causes of numbness in the fingers of the left hand

Consider some causes of numbness in the fingers of the left hand:

• pathological disorders in the spine, complicated degenerative-dystrophic processes in the cervical spine, deformative changes in the intervertebral discs, the vertebrae themselves or articular surfaces due to traumatic effects, prolonged static and dynamic loads of the back and neck, active sports, etc.;
• excessive load and tension of the muscles of the spine, resulting from prolonged uncomfortable position of the back or head, which causes short-term muscle spasms affecting the nearby nerve trunks;
• phenomena of ischemia in areas of the cervical spine and in the brain (impaired blood flow, stroke);
• the impact of stressful situations, psychological and emotional factors.

The most common cause of numbness in the fingers of the left hand is squeezing the neurovascular plexus. This plexus is responsible for trophism and nerve conduction, and the compression of blood vessels or nerves (especially long) leads to a slowdown in blood flow, deterioration of tissue nutrition and temporary loss of sensitivity.

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Symptoms of numbness in the fingers of the left hand

Clinical manifestations of numbness of the fingers usually peak at night and morning. The main symptoms are:

• reduced sensitivity of some or all fingers;
• tingling sensation in the fingers;
• transient muscle weakness in the fingers;
• burning sensation, "crawling goosebumps" on the skin.

Numbness can occur both at the fingertips and on the hand as a whole. If you have felt a slight numbness only a few times for a long time, you should not worry too much, because during sleep we can unconsciously accept physiological postures that are not quite comfortable for the normal course of the physiological processes. In this situation, you should simply relax your hand, putting it flat, and ensuring her maximum blood supply.

However, if numbness of the fingers of your left hand happens to you regularly - this is a very serious reason to consult a doctor for consultation.

It is impossible to ignore the constant violation of the sensitivity of the fingers, since it can later lead to dystrophy phenomena, tissue trophic disorders and even gangrenous damage to the limb.

Numbness of the left little finger

The numbness of the left little finger is often associated with the long-term constant tension of the carpal muscles and the muscular system of the entire upper spine. In such cases, as a rule, asymmetry and rotation of the cervical spine are observed, which provokes the infringement of nerve endings. The same pathology can be observed with the lumbar vertebrae.

Also, numbness of the left little finger can be a sign of a pathological process with bulging of the intervertebral disc into the spinal canal without disturbing the integrity of the fibrous ring. This condition is a specific stage of osteochondrosis, which subsequently develops into an intervertebral hernia.

Much often, numbness of the left little finger becomes a sign of serious cardiac problems (chronic heart failure or acute coronary syndrome).

To identify the cause of the reduced sensitivity of the little finger, it is necessary to undergo appropriate examinations (electrocardiography, X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine).

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Numbness of the ring finger of the left hand

Numbness of the ring finger of the left hand often occurs due to compression of the nerve endings in the elbow joint. The articular nerves (median, ulnar and wrist) may be pinched or injured. The ulnar and radiocarpal nerves are directly related to the ring finger of the left hand, which provoke a decrease in sensitivity due to various degenerative-dystrophic changes.

For effective therapeutic actions, it is necessary to trace the root cause of the compression of the nerve fiber, the depth of the process and the exact localization of the nerve damage.

In the absence of a history of traumatic effects on the hand and elbow, usually the main cause is the infringement of the ulnar nerve, the innervation of which can be broken in almost any part, ranging from the spinal column to the fingertips.

Signs of decreased sensitivity of the ring finger on the left hand, accompanied by numbness in the little finger, often indicate problems with cardiac activity.

To fully diagnose and assign individual therapeutic effects should be a specialist neurologist.

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Numbness of the thumb of the left hand

At the moment there are several factors that provoke numbness of the thumb of the left hand, among them cervical or thoracic osteochondrosis and cardiovascular diseases can be noted.

The most common cause is a metabolic disorder in the intervertebral cartilage of the cervical or thoracic dislocation. Violation of the sensitivity of the thumb may be accompanied by weakness of the hand, decreased muscle strength, and sometimes soreness of the outer side of the shoulder and forearm.

Atherosclerosis, which is characterized by a deterioration in the elasticity of the vascular wall and a narrowing of the lumen, often causes circulatory insufficiency in the tissues, which is also manifested by numbness of the finger.

The reduced sensitivity of the tip of the thumb can also be due to banal vitamin deficiency: this condition is often observed in the winter-spring period and is successfully stopped by taking complex vitamin and mineral preparations and a variety of vegetables and fruits in the diet.

Numbness of the index finger of the left hand

Numbness of the index finger of the left hand may indicate some endocrine disorders (for example, diabetes, or other diseases that lead to metabolic disorders), inflammatory processes in the joints, possible injuries and tissue damage.

Pathological processes in the nerve brachial plexus lead not only to numbness, but also to impaired flexion-extensor function of the hand and finger.

Degenerative changes in the cervical vertebrae (especially the sixth vertebra), cervical muscles and intervertebral discs often cause significant impairment of the sensitivity of the index and thumb of the left hand. This symptom can be observed against the background of muscle weakness in the hand and unpleasant sensations in the forearm area.

The numbness of the index finger is often felt by those patients who, by virtue of their professional activities, are forced to endure long loads on the upper spine and specifically on the fingers. In such situations, physical therapy and periodic breaks during the working day will help.

Numbness of the middle finger of the left hand

Numbness of the middle finger of the left hand in combination with soreness, paleness of the skin may indicate a sharp spasm of the finger vascular network (the so-called Raynaud's disease). This condition develops with prolonged exposure to low temperatures, or as a result of injury.

However, the most common signs of a decrease in the sensitivity of the middle finger are associated with osteochondrosis, may indicate the development of intervertebral hernia, nerve endings, structural damage and trophism of tissues during inflammation and deformity of the joints. Osteochondrosis of the seventh cervical vertebra, which is responsible for the condition of the forearm and innervation of the middle finger, should be especially noted.

Each of the intervertebral discs plays the role of a kind of shock absorber. Osteochondrosis causes damage to these discs, they change their structure and flatten, squeezing nearby tissues and injuring nerve endings, so the clinical manifestations of cervical chondrosis depend on the location of the damaged nerve branch and localization of the innervated area.

Numbness of the fingers of the left hand at night

Quite often, patients complain of numbness of the fingers of his left hand at night. At the heart of this problem there are no age restrictions, it can alarm both elderly people and twenty-year-olds. Usually, this condition is associated with the incorrect posture of a sleeping person and ignore the problem.

Of course, a comfortable sleeping position is extremely important, but other, more serious processes can also be the cause of numbness.

If you are working at the keyboard day by day, straining your hands and fingers, the decrease in sensitivity can be observed just because of the constant tension of the muscles and tendons of the wrist, which in turn leads to squeezing of nerve endings.

Numbness can also manifest various kinds of anemia, diabetes mellitus, vitamin deficiency. Such reasons are usually stopped by physical therapy, physiotherapy, and taking vitamin complexes.

It is no secret that the scourge of our time is osteochondrosis of the spine, which may not manifest itself as pains in the back and neck, but causes persistent numbness of the fingers, especially during the nighttime, when the blood circulation processes slow down significantly.

If, in addition to night paresthesias, you are worried about the constant feeling of coldness in the limbs, even in the warm season, then you may suspect a violation of the blood supply to the hands. This condition is called Raynaud's disease.

In principle, all the factors contributing to the numbness of the fingers at night, can be easily treated, for this only need to accurately determine the cause of this condition.

Treatment for numbness of the fingers of the left hand

Treatment of numbness of the fingers of the left hand should be carried out by a specialist after the final diagnosis, based on the causes of this symptom.

May be prescribed therapy, which includes the following purposes:

• compensation of vitamin deficiency (B vitamins to improve tissue innervation) in injections or in capsules;
• filling the lack of trace elements (eg, calcium);
• taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
• painkillers;
• ointments and creams that improve nerve conduction and tissue trophism;
• therapeutic exercises, massage treatments, physiotherapy;
• salt-free diet with an abundance of herbs, vegetables and fruits;
• transition to a healthy lifestyle with quitting smoking and taking alcoholic beverages.

During treatment, it is recommended to refrain from physical exertion on the spine and upper limbs.

You can use alternative methods for treating finger numbness on your own:

• contrast baths using hot and cold water for 1 minute each;
• mix the hot olive oil with black or red pepper, after cooling down, rub your fingers several times a day;
• apply a warming compress of boiled potatoes or porridge on the arm or the cervical spine 2 times a day.

Still, the best treatment is prevention. Try to engage in active sports, more in the fresh air, eat properly and fully.

During prolonged work on the keyboard, knitting, during work associated with the constant tension of the hands, fingers and spine, it is recommended to take periodic rest breaks, while trying to relax the tense muscles as much as possible.

If you follow these recommendations, the numbness of the fingers of your left hand will pass without a trace and will not disturb you in the future.