Hand numbness is one of the complaints we encounter very frequently. Patients generally complain of numbness, numbness, felting, tingling and electricity in a few fingers of their hands. Rarely, numbness may occur in the entire hand.
In which diseases do hand numbness occur?
The most common cause of hand numbness is nerve compression in the wrist and elbow. Additionally, different types of hand and arm numbness may occur in cases of cervical disc herniation. However, hand numbness can also be a symptom of more serious diseases such as tumors and multiple sclerosis.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common cause of hand numbness and occurs as a result of the nerve going to the fingers being compressed while passing through a narrow channel at the wrist level. It is much more common in women than in men. Those most affected are middle-aged housewives. However, computer workers who use their hands a lot and people who constantly move their wrists due to work or sometimes hobbies are also at risk.
Repetitive wrist movements cause the ligaments where the nerve passes over the years to thicken and the pressure in the canal to increase. At first, mild numbness begins in the hand at night. There is numbness especially in the fingers except the little finger of the hand. As the disease progresses, it begins to wake people up in the morning and then spreads throughout the day. If left untreated, after this stage, permanent damage to the nerve cells occurs and there is wasting of the hand muscles.
Nerve compression in the elbow is a common condition and is more common in people who work with their elbows on the table. Sometimes there is no reason. The patient feels numbness in the little finger of his hand and the finger next to it. Nerve compression can progress rapidly, causing wasting and weakness in the muscles between the fingers.
What serious disorders may cause hand numbness?
Hand numbness may occur in cases of cervical disc herniation. Numbness in a cervical disc herniation usually occurs in one hand and may become more noticeable when the neck moves to that side and slightly backwards. There is usually numbness in the first three fingers of one hand. Spinal cord tumors, cysts, transverse myelitis and multiple sclerosis are also very serious diseases that can cause hand numbness. In these patients, numbness in the hand is usually It is serious. It can happen in both hands. Complaints generally do not occur day or night, they are continuous or gradually worsen.
What should a patient whose hand is numb first do?
The person whose hand is numb should first go to a physical therapist. Because the physical therapy doctor is trained in rheumatology, orthopedics and neurology, he has knowledge about all diseases that can cause hand numbness. The first test that should be requested from a patient with hand numbness is Electromyography (EMG). EMG test is a test performed by injecting tiny currents into the nerves and sometimes acupuncture-like needles into the muscles. Unless there is a very severe nerve compression, the second part of the examination using a needle is not necessary. An experienced physician can easily perform the EMG test without disturbing the patient. This tactic shows the location and degree of nerve compression with almost one hundred percent accuracy.
If the nerve compression is mild or moderate, surgery is not required. Generally, resting the wrist or elbow and sometimes a cortisone injection in the wrist and bracelet treatment are sufficient. Severe cases should be operated without delay. Otherwise, permanent loss of function in the hand may occur.
If nerve compression in the wrist or elbow is not detected in the EMG, then there are a few possibilities left. Since the next most likely possibility is a cervical disc herniation, the diagnosis can be easily made with a neck MRI. Although it is rarely encountered, the cause of hand numbness may be serious diseases such as spinal cord tumors, cysts and multiple sclerosis. There is no difficulty in diagnosing these diseases with MRI. Patients with especially persistent hand numbness complaints that do not change in severity depending on the hours of the day and hand activity or that gradually worsen should consult a doctor without delay.
However, there is another cause of hand numbness that is very common but does not show up in almost any test. It is the compression of the nerves coming out of the neck as they pass through the neck-shoulder area. In this case, EMG, MRI and other tests generally do not give any results. The key here is a good clinical examination. Although these disorders, which we call thoracic outlet syndrome, do not generally pose a major problem, they can sometimes be very disturbing. Therefore, it should be treated with appropriate methods.
The causes of hand numbness are mostly easily treatable diseases. But this complaint is caused by much more serious disorders. It should not be forgotten that it may be a harbinger of.
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