Nervous tissues can be confidently called one of the most vulnerable, despite the functional importance of these structures. They are afraid of changes in oxygen levels, nutrition, and require huge amounts of nutrients. Therefore, any deviation, even a minor one, is enough for the pathological process to begin.
If your fingers go numb, this is clearly due to a disturbance in nerve conduction. The symptom develops against the background of inflammatory processes, focal changes and other disorders.
If nothing is done, there is a real chance of saying goodbye to local sensitivity, or even causing paresis or paralysis of the affected limb. Need specialized medical care.
The question is, which one? This is decided by a specialized doctor. Neurologists work with patients of this type.
The goal is to eliminate the primary pathological process and normalize nerve conduction. The issue can be resolved both conservatively and operationally. Depends on the specific clinical case.
With early correction of the disorder, there is every chance to normalize the condition and get out of the disorder without any consequences.
Diseases that cause numbness
Today, doctors identify numerous diseases, one of the signs of which is a feeling of numbness in the little finger on the left hand.
Chronic compression or microtraumatization of peripheral nerve fibers in the corresponding channels occurs due to regular physical strain caused by movements requiring activation of fine motor skills. Painful compression of the branches of the ulnar nerve during neuritis and cervical osteochondrosis occurs due to a disorder of the innervation of the fibers that provide sensitivity to the ring and little fingers. In such situations, patients complain about regular numbness of the little finger.
Many people fear this syndrome, which is a serious sign of a heart and blood vessel disorder. In recent years, this category of diseases is getting younger every day. The likelihood of worsening ischemic disorders and the appearance of problems with heart function increases in people whose work activity is caused by increased psycho-emotional stress and stressful situations.
Often, the innervation of painful impulses in the hand and a feeling of numbness in the little finger are the main signs of a latently developing heart attack. Correct diagnosis can put everything in its place. It is not recommended to ignore such signs. If the patient is not helped in a timely manner, serious complications and even death may occur.
Performing radiography and CT, MRI at the location of the cervical vertebrae makes it possible to determine another common cause of numbness in the fingers, degenerative transformations in the vertebrae, and osteochondrosis.
Main reasons
Numbness in the left hand and fingers occurs for various reasons. Conventionally, they are divided into pathological and non-pathological. The first include:
- Diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Most often, the reason that a person’s fingers tingle is due to degenerative processes occurring in the cervical region (for example, osteochondrosis). As well as diseases in which there is a decrease in intervertebral discs, injuries, excessive and regular loads on the spine. The appearance of unpleasant symptoms is due to the fact that when pathological processes occur in the spinal column, compression/pinching of the nerve endings and arteries occurs, resulting in deterioration of blood circulation, the appearance of pain, decreased sensitivity, etc.
- GM ischemia. As it develops, blood circulation is also disrupted, causing cells to stop receiving the required amount of oxygen. The consequence of this is also tingling, numbness and decreased sensitivity in the upper extremities (the middle, little and ring fingers are often affected by this symptom).
Non-pathological reasons why the left arm goes numb include:
- staying in one position for a long time;
- excessive stress on the muscles of the spine (quite often this phenomenon occurs during pregnancy);
- wearing tight accessories.
In all these cases, short-term spasms occur, due to which the nerve endings are compressed, the sensitivity of the limb is reduced, and a sensation of tingling and “goosebumps” occurs on the skin.
Speaking about what causes fingers to go numb, we should also talk about psychological factors. Emotional instability, overwork, stress - all this can also cause the periodic occurrence of unpleasant symptoms in the left hand.
Despite the fact that tingling in the fingers may not be of a pathological nature, in 80% of cases this symptom still indicates the development of various diseases. Most often they are associated with disruption of the vascular or nervous systems. The Internet, magazines and television talk about various ways to get rid of numbness in the limbs using folk remedies. But you cannot use them without the knowledge of a doctor! At best, they will simply eliminate the symptoms, at worst, they will aggravate the situation.
Don't self-diagnose! Only a doctor can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment!
IMPORTANT! The causes of numbness in the left hand may be hidden in diseases such as stroke and myocardial infarction! With these diseases, minutes count! Therefore, you should never self-medicate! If you experience discomfort in a limb (especially if 2 fingers go numb at once - the little finger and the ring finger), you should immediately visit a doctor or call an ambulance!
In pregnant women
During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes changes associated with the need to carry a child and provide him with nutrition and breathing. The blood of a pregnant woman is localized in a larger volume in the pelvic organs, and accordingly, it becomes insufficient in other parts of the body.
Typically, blood deficiency is experienced by the extremities. This leads to numbness, changes in color and temperature. These processes are physiological. If the numbness is prolonged, disturbing and there is a suspicion of an internal disease, then for pregnant women the list of diseases is no different from other people.
Other factors
The above mentioned disorders occur frequently. Less commonly, diagnostic examinations identify other causes of numbness in the little fingers:
- The neoplasms are located in the area of the shoulder girdles and compress nerve and vascular bundles.
- Infection. For example, after herpes in a complex form, the left limb may become numb.
- Alcoholic drinks and smoking cause ischemia and numbness in the left little finger, then goosebumps and pain are felt, and the numbness spreads to other parts of the body.
- Autoimmune disorders in certain situations may indicate paresthesia in the little finger area.
- Holding your hand in a constant position for a long time. Numbness of the fingers in this situation will indicate trophic disorders.
- Atherosclerotic plaques in the main vessels in narrow branches block blood flow and prevent the saturation of cells with beneficial microelements. Everything is defined as 2-3 degrees of negative disorder.
Possible consequences
Numbness of the fingers does not indicate the presence of a dangerous disease, as long as the cause is not a symptom of a serious pathology. There are diseases that lead to unfavorable and tragic consequences.
Possible negative consequences:
- Chronic pain.
- Amputation.
- Immobility.
- Lack of sensitivity.
- Muscle weakness.
Additional reasons
Why do the fingers on my left hand go numb? The reasons may be varied. In most cases, this occurs due to compression of the neurovascular plexus. As a result, blood flow is disrupted, tissues stop receiving nutrients, and nerve conduction decreases. That is why there is a feeling that the fingers have allegedly stopped obeying, have become weak and are being taken away.
Compression of the neurovascular plexus often occurs when:
- keeping the hand above chest level for a long time;
- carrying bags and backpacks;
- exposure to severe frost, which provokes narrowing of the arteries and poor circulation.
IMPORTANT! Regardless of which finger you have numbness, the little finger or the ring finger, if it happens systematically, it means it’s time to go to the doctor. Only he will be able to determine the exact cause of this symptom and prescribe appropriate therapy.
Solution to the problem when your hands go numb when running
You won't believe how simple the solution to the problem of when your arms go numb while running is! These are ordinary expanders! Yes, yes, those that are squeezed in the palm of your hand. They are called "carpal expanders." If your hands get numb while running, just take wrist expanders with you for a run. And that's it - problem solved! This way we put additional stress on our hands and improve blood flow to them. And voila - our hands no longer go numb when running!
When choosing an expander for running, I would like to advise you to opt for plastic or rubber models. Do not use expanders with metal handles! Remember that your palms will sweat when running. And metal becomes very slippery in a wet hand. Therefore, metal expanders will always try to slip out of your hands. I myself have been using plastic ones for the second year now and am very pleased.
When choosing an expander, pay attention to the fact that under the thumb it has a small, upturned horn-support. This is a very important element that will not allow the expander to jump out of the palm. You will be very comfortable working with it while running.
Mild paresthesia
Slight numbness of the fingers on the left hand is detected in patients of different age categories. In this situation, it is necessary to properly rub your finger or hand; rubbing the shoulder joints is excellent. Elementary gymnastics helps eliminate numbness.
When paresthesia occurs during work, you will have to take a break and do a few exercises. When osteochondrosis develops, you need to constantly do exercises, go for a massage, and get examined by doctors.
Numbness of the thumb, index, middle, ring and little fingers of the left hand: causes
Impaired sensitivity of the upper extremities can be observed against the background of lesions of the spine, blood vessels, and nerves. Often the cause is osteochondrosis. Thus, this pathological condition is observed in many patients with C4-C5 disc herniation.
When various nerves are compressed, a person may experience numbness in certain fingers. Thus, pain and numbness of the thumb, middle and index fingers occur in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (damage to the median nerve), little finger and ring finger - ulnar nerve, etc.
Long-term impairment of the sensitivity of the little finger can be observed when the nerve is pinched and inflamed, which can occur against the background of systematic stress on the limb (work conditions, sports) and certain diseases.
If a person experiences numbness in only the tip of the little finger, this may indicate the presence of pathologies in the wrist, elbow, shoulder joints, chronic cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, neuropathy, endocrine diseases, and tumors.
Atherosclerosis and thrombosis can contribute to the development of pathology. The cause of numbness in the hands may be a lack of vitamins in the body (especially A and group B).
Numbness can occur during sewing, knitting, playing musical instruments, prolonged work at the computer, or uncomfortable body position during sleep.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is an occupational disease and can occur in pianists, drummers, artists, sign language interpreters, and representatives of other professions who perform monotonous flexion-extension movements with their hands.
The treatment regimen for numbness of the upper extremities is selected depending on the background of the disease against which this symptom developed.
If the numbness was due to physiological reasons, no treatment is required; the numbness usually goes away when the causative factor, for example, excessive load on the limb, is eliminated.
In other cases, the patient may be prescribed:
- Drug therapy: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, vitamin-mineral complexes, etc.
- Physiotherapy: laser, magnetic, ultrasound therapy, phonophoresis, massage, physical therapy, acupuncture.
- Correction of the musculoskeletal system: in some cases it is necessary to immobilize the wrist (for example, using an orthosis).
If the problem cannot be resolved with conservative therapy, the patient may need to undergo surgery.
General recommendations
If numbness occurs due to prolonged work at the computer or other activities, you must:
- Take regular breaks, relaxing your hands as much as possible.
- Perform special exercises for fingers and hands.
If your hands are numb, it is recommended to give up bad habits, get a good rest (ensure a good night's sleep), strengthen your immune system, and avoid hypothermia. Patients may need to limit their salt intake; it is recommended to enrich their diet with vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and nuts.
Folk remedies
Randomly, usually one, two or three fingers become numb. If discomfort is felt throughout the entire hand, then this is clear evidence of vascular diseases.
It is recommended to go to a cardiologist, neurologist, and also donate blood for sugar levels if your fingers:
- become cottony
- lose sensitivity
- turn red or white
- become cold
The fingers on the left hand may become numb due to heart problems.
The thumb, index and middle fingers are innervated simultaneously by the middle and radial nerves, so they can become numb separately only in exceptional situations. For example, due to muscle tone, intervertebral hernia, protrusion, the ring finger may lose sensitivity.
Most often, the little finger, innervated by the ulnar nerve, goes numb. On the left hand this happens due to:
- overstrain of the muscles of the upper limbs
- spinal strain in the lower back
- osteochondrosis accompanied by bulging intervertebral discs
- intervertebral hernia
- heart failure and other heart diseases
The thumb and index finger are innervated by the median nerve. Doctors, in the case of squeezing it, which entails loss of sensitivity with the fingers, talk about carpal tunnel syndrome. Also, the reasons may be:
- development of neurofibroma and hemangioma
- arthrosis and arthritis of the elbow joint
- pathologies in the functioning of the discs and muscles of the cervical spine
If there is tingling in the fingers, mainly in the little finger of the left hand, then this may indicate the development of cardiac diseases, for example, chronic heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, etc. Therefore, if you often experience numbness in the little finger on your hand, be sure to visit a cardiologist and get it checked ECG. Thanks to this, you will be able to identify pathologies in time and begin to treat them.
Numbness of the little finger in 70% of cases is a symptom of heart disease
. In addition to cardiac diseases, an unpleasant symptom can occur with prolonged strain on the left hand or excessive stress on the spine. In such conditions, pinching of nerve endings occurs, resulting in a feeling of numbness in the little finger.
Numbness of the left hand and fingers, in particular the little finger, can cause a pathological process in the spinal column, in which bulging of the intervertebral discs is noted, but the integrity of the fibrous ring is not impaired. This condition is one of the stages of osteochondrosis. And its danger is that it can cause an intervertebral hernia, the treatment of which will require surgical intervention.
Why do my hands go numb while running?
Let's look at the root of the problem, which leads to numbness in your arms when running. The bottom line is that while running, our legs act as the main pistons for moving both ourselves and our blood throughout the body. Of course, in addition to our heart.
