Numbness of the hand is noted with damage to peripheral nerves, nerve plexuses and roots, some other neurological diseases, injuries, vascular diseases. Occurs constantly or worries periodically, combined with pain, paresthesia, weakness, muscle atrophy. The etiology of numbness is determined taking into account the history, data from a general and neurological examination, EFI, radiography, MRI, CT, and laboratory tests. Treatment includes painkillers, medicines to improve blood circulation and reduce muscle tone, vitamin preparations, and physiotherapy.
Short-term numbness immediately after waking up is provoked by compression of blood vessels and nerves due to the uncomfortable position of the hand. Accompanied by tingling, “goosebumps”, “disobedience” of the limb. It occurs in people who put their hand under the body or under the pillow, throw a limb behind their head. Disappears a few minutes after changing the position of the body.
Numbness of the hand is determined with neuritis of infectious etiology, neuropathies due to compression of the nerve trunks by bone growths, tumors, inflammatory infiltrates:
They are characterized by a symmetrical lesion of the hands. At first, the distal parts of the limb are mainly involved in the process, then numbness, paresthesia, and other symptoms spread in the proximal direction. Polyneuropathies occur with alcoholism, severe somatic diseases, oncological processes, some infections, vibration disease, exogenous intoxications. Sometimes they develop during pregnancy.
The defeat of the upper bundle of the brachial plexus is manifested by numbness of the outer side of the forearm and shoulder, the lower bundle - hypoesthesia of the inner side of the shoulder, forearm, hand. It is combined with muscle weakness of the same localization. With total involvement of the brachial plexus, a decrease or loss of sensitivity is detected both on the outside and on the inside of the arm. The cause of the development of shoulder plexitis are:
Hand numbness
Scalenus syndrome occurs as a result of compression of the branches of the brachial plexus, subclavian arteries and veins by scalene muscles. A characteristic feature of the pathology is the sudden onset of symptoms. Pain in the neck, arm, head is complemented by muscle weakness, paresthesia, pallor of the skin of the arm, weakening or absence of a pulse. The area of numbness is determined by the involvement of certain branches of the plexus.
The most common cause of scalene syndrome is cervical osteochondrosis. Muscle compression also develops with curvature of the spine, after injuries, against the background of congenital anomalies, weightlifting, significant weight gain.
Numbness of the hand develops with compression, traumatic injury, inflammation of the spinal roots at the level of the lower cervical and upper thoracic vertebrae. The causes are osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia, spondylosis. The symptom can be detected with injuries of the spinal column, spondylolisthesis, osteomyelitis of the vertebrae, spinal meningitis. Sometimes the radicular syndrome is formed against the background of neurinomas of the roots, tumors of the spinal cord. The topic depends on the affected root:
Dystrophic changes in the spinal cord are accompanied by sensory disturbances below the level of injury. The degree of change depends on the extent of the lesion. Hypesthesia or loss of sensitivity of the hands is caused by myelopathies of the following genesis:
Numbness and tingling is the most common type of migraine aura. It starts at the fingertips, spreads to the entire arm, half of the neck. Then the violations disappear, replaced by a headache. Numbness, tingling, burning with senestopathies are distinguished by a significant variety of localization, a combination with other, often pretentious complaints. Sensations are migratory, periodic or constant, and can spread to various areas of the body, including the hands.
Takayasu's disease is manifested by numbness, weakness, pain in the hands, resulting from an inflammatory lesion of the aorta and large arteries. Depending on the location of the inflammation, one or both limbs may be affected. An external examination reveals a weakening or absence of pulsation, blanching of the hands. Fainting, dizziness, visual disturbances, heart problems are possible.
Unlike other obliterating vascular diseases, thromboangiitis obliterans can affect the vessels of not only the lower, but also the upper extremities. Pain, numbness in the hands and forearms, blanching, cyanosis of the distal parts of the extremities, absence of a pulse, the formation of painful nodules on the fingers, and trophic disorders are noted.
A list of other medical conditions that may be accompanied by hand numbness includes:
The etiology of hand numbness is established by a neurologist. In case of vascular pathology, a consultation with a vascular surgeon is required. The specialist studies the history of the disease, assesses the condition of the limb, the pulse on the arteries, detects edema, signs of inflammation, and other changes. Neurological examination involves the study of sensitivity, reflexes, muscle strength. According to the results are assigned:
Acupuncture
In case of numbness due to neurological diseases, it is necessary to exclude loads that provoke an increase in symptoms, take regular breaks to rest the hands. In case of traumatic injuries, the injured segment of the limb should be fixed or the victim with a spinal injury should be placed on the shield, and an anesthetic should be given. Increasing swelling, intense pain, followed by numbness of the limb, are the reason for an immediate appeal to a specialist.
The treatment regimen for neurological causes of hand numbness includes the following areas:
Patients are prescribed B vitamins, diuretics to eliminate edema. According to the indications, the treatment plan is supplemented with chondroprotectors. Chronic pain may require antidepressants. The list of non-drug methods includes ultraphonophoresis, UHF, hydrotherapy, therapeutic mud, applications of ozocerite and paraffin. An important role is assigned to massage, exercise therapy, manual therapy, reflexology.
In Takayasu's disease, immunosuppressive agents, antiplatelet agents, and anticoagulants are recommended. Carry out cascade filtration of plasma, lymphocytapheresis, plasmapheresis. With thromboangiitis, antispasmodics, NSAIDs, agents for improving the rheological properties of blood, and activating local metabolism are used. They issue a referral to ILBI, hyperbaric oxygenation, hemosorption.
The tactics of surgical intervention is determined by the nature of the pathology that provoked numbness of the hands. Neuralgia due to compression of the nerve by a tumor, scars, fibrous or bone growths are considered as an indication for neurolysis, tumor removal or decompression intervention.
For pathologies of the spine, discectomy, correction of scoliosis, operations to eliminate spinal canal stenosis and instability of the spinal column are used. The elimination of the cause of the occurrence of shoulder plexitis is carried out by removing the cervical ribs, excising tumors and aneurysms, and correcting the position of fragments in fractures.