Finger numbness is a common clinical symptom, which refers to numbness in one or more fingers. It may be caused by bad posture, the use of certain drugs, cervical spondylosis, cerebral infarction, diabetes, etc. Depending on the primary disease, patients may also experience symptoms such as head and neck pain, dizziness, and decreased grip strength. Finger numbness is not only uncomfortable, but may also be a sign of certain health problems. Therefore, patients are advised to seek medical attention in a timely manner to find out the specific cause and take active treatment if necessary.
Epidemiology
Epidemiology
Finger numbness is relatively common in clinical practice, and is more common in middle-aged and elderly people and those who engage in repetitive hand work for a long time.
Infectious
Not contagious.
Incidence
Numbness in fingers is common in clinical practice.
Prone population
This symptom is more common in middle-aged and elderly people and those who engage in repetitive manual work for a long time.
symptom
Typical manifestations
Patients with numb fingers mainly experience numbness in some or all of their fingers, which may be accompanied by tingling, burning or crawling sensations. In addition, patients may also experience head and neck pain, dizziness, decreased grip strength, limited finger movement and other symptoms, which vary depending on the disease.
complication
1. Limited finger function
Long-term numbness may lead to decreased finger dexterity and grip strength, making it difficult to perform fine hand movements such as writing, typing, or grasping objects.
2. Psychological pressure
Long-term finger numbness and the functional impairment it causes may lead to psychological problems such as anxiety and depression.
reason
Overview
Finger numbness may be caused by non-disease reasons such as bad posture, low ambient temperature, and the use of certain medications. It may also be caused by diseases such as cervical spondylosis, cerebral infarction, diabetes, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Cause of symptoms
1. Bad posture
If the arm maintains the same motion or is under pressure for a long time, it may lead to restricted blood circulation and blocked nerve conduction, causing numbness in the fingers.
2. The ambient temperature is too low
Too low an ambient temperature may cause vasoconstriction and slower blood circulation, reducing blood supply to the fingers and causing numbness in the fingers.
3. Use certain drugs
For example, vincristine, colchicine, paclitaxel, and the aminoglycoside antibiotic isoniazid are neurotoxic and may cause numbness in the fingers after use.
4. Cervical spondylosis
If you have this disease, the cervical nerve roots may be compressed due to cervical spondylosis or cervical disc herniation. This compression can be transmitted downward along the nerve pathway, affecting the arms and fingers, causing numbness in the fingers.
5. Cerebral infarction
If you suffer from this disease, it may affect the area of the brain that controls finger movement and sensation, causing numbness in the fingers.
6. Diabetes
If diabetes is severe, it may cause abnormal conduction of peripheral nerve impulses, resulting in peripheral neuropathy, which can cause numbness in the fingers.
7. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
If you have this condition, the median nerve is compressed in the carpal tunnel, causing numbness in the fingers.
8. Others
Diseases such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, multiple sclerosis, hypocalcemia, Raynaud’s disease, etc. may also cause numbness in the fingers.
Common diseases
Cervical spondylosis, cerebral infarction, diabetes, carpal tunnel syndrome, Guillain-Barré syndrome, multiple sclerosis, hypocalcemia, Raynaud’s disease
Medical treatment
Outpatient Indications
1. Finger numbness persists or recurs;
2. Accompanied by tingling, burning or crawling sensation;
3. Accompanied by limited finger movement and decreased grip strength;
4. Accompanied by symptoms such as head and neck pain, dizziness, etc.
5. Other severe, persistent or progressive symptoms and signs occur.
All of the above require prompt medical consultation.
Department
1. If the numbness in the fingers persists or recurs, you should go to the neurology department or orthopedics department for treatment in time.
2. If you have diabetes, you should go to the endocrinology department for treatment.
Medical preparation
1. Make an appointment in advance and bring your ID card, medical insurance card, medical card, etc.
2. If you have had medical treatment recently, please bring relevant medical records, examination reports, test results, etc.
3. If you have taken some medicine to relieve symptoms recently, you can carry the medicine box.
4. Family members can be arranged to accompany the patient to seek medical treatment.
5. Patients can prepare a list of questions they want to ask in advance.
Questions your doctor may ask you
1. What symptoms do you have?
2. Did the numbness come on suddenly or develop gradually? Is it persistent?
3. Is the numbness limited to specific fingers or areas of the hand?
4. Are there any factors or activities that may cause or worsen symptoms?
5. Do the symptoms affect your daily activities or work?
6. Do you have any underlying diseases, such as diabetes, cervical spondylosis, etc.?
7. Have you ever been treated before? How was it treated? What was the effect?
Questions patients can ask their doctors
1. What might be causing my symptoms?
2. What kind of examinations are needed?
3. How to treat it? How long does it take? Can it be cured?
4. What should we pay attention to in daily life?
5. Do I need regular check-ups?
examine
Estimated inspection
If you have long-term or repeated numbness in your fingers, or are accompanied by head and neck pain, dizziness, decreased grip strength, limited finger movement, etc., you should actively seek medical attention. After seeing a doctor, the doctor will first conduct a physical examination on the patient to get a preliminary understanding of the condition, and then may recommend that the patient complete blood sugar measurement, thyroid function test, X-ray, CT, MRI, electromyography and other examinations to determine the cause.
Physical examination
1. Visual examination
The doctor will carefully observe the patient’s fingers for color changes, swelling or deformities, etc., to preliminarily determine whether the numbness of the fingers is caused by trauma, inflammation or nerve compression.
2. Palpation
Doctors use tools such as cotton balls and needles to gently touch the patient’s fingers to test touch and pain responses to assess nerve function and the extent of sensory loss.
3. Others
The doctor will also check the patient’s finger range of motion, muscle strength, etc. to determine whether there are problems such as muscle atrophy and joint stiffness, thereby helping to assess the severity of the disease.
Laboratory tests
1. Blood glucose measurement
This test can provide information about blood sugar levels, which can help determine if finger tingling is related to diabetes.
2. Thyroid function test
This test can determine whether the patient has thyroid function problems, such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, and thus help determine whether numbness in the fingers is related to abnormal thyroid function.
Imaging tests
1. X-ray
This test can determine the skeletal cause of finger numbness, such as cervical spondylosis, finger fractures, etc.
2. CT
This examination can observe structures such as soft tissue, blood vessels and nerves in more detail, thus helping to more accurately determine the cause of numbness in the fingers.
3. MRI
MRI examinations are more sensitive to soft tissue and are suitable for detecting problems with nerves, muscles, ligaments and other structures. Numbness in the fingers may be related to nerve compression or damage, and MRI can help determine the specific location and cause.
Other tests
EMG can help determine the cause of finger tingling by measuring the electrical activity of muscles and nerves to evaluate nerve and muscle function.
diagnosis
Diagnostic principles
Generally, according to the medical history, the patient has symptoms such as finger numbness, limited finger movement, head and neck pain, dizziness, decreased grip strength, etc., and combined with the results of blood sugar measurement, thyroid function test, X-ray, CT, MRI, electromyography, etc., a clear diagnosis can be made. During the diagnosis process, doctors need to distinguish several common diseases that cause finger numbness, such as cervical spondylosis, cerebral infarction, diabetes, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc.
Differential Diagnosis
1. Cervical spondylosis
In addition to numbness in the fingers, patients usually have symptoms such as head and neck pain, limited neck movement, radiating pain in the upper limbs, and dizziness. X-ray, CT or MRI can observe structural changes in the cervical spine, such as herniated disc, thereby helping to diagnose cervical spondylosis.
2. Cerebral infarction
In addition to numbness in the fingers, patients may also have symptoms such as headache, dizziness, slurred speech, and hemisensory disturbance. CT or MRI can observe the lesions of cerebral infarction and thus confirm the diagnosis.
3. Diabetes
In addition to numbness in the fingers, patients may also have symptoms such as polydipsia, polyuria, and weakened muscle strength, which can be confirmed by blood glucose testing.
4. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Patients often feel numbness or pain at the tips of the thumb, index finger, and middle finger, and are unable to hold objects. The symptoms are most severe in the middle finger and are more obvious at night or early in the morning. The diagnosis can be confirmed through tests such as electromyography.
treat
Expected treatment
For patients with numbness in their fingers, they should first pay attention to properly moving their fingers, adjusting the ambient temperature, etc. If the symptoms persist or recur, they should seek medical attention in time to find out the specific cause, and then take targeted measures to improve the symptoms as soon as possible.
Treatment of the cause
1. Cervical spondylosis
Patients should pay attention to improving their lifestyle, avoid bowing their heads for long periods of time, and exercise their shoulder and neck muscles appropriately. At the same time, physical therapy (such as laser irradiation, ultrasound therapy, etc.), traction therapy, acupuncture therapy, and massage therapy can be used to relieve symptoms. In addition, if there are problems such as inflammatory pain and muscle spasms, drugs such as ibuprofen, meloxicam, and eperisone can be used as prescribed by the doctor. If the nerve roots or spinal cord are severely compressed, surgical treatment can be considered. Commonly used procedures include anterior cervical surgery and posterior cervical surgery.
2. Cerebral infarction
Under the guidance of doctors, patients should take appropriate measures according to clinical types and onset time, such as thrombolysis (mainly recombinant tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase), antiplatelet aggregation (such as aspirin, clopidogrel), neuroprotective therapy (such as edaravone, citicoline), etc. If necessary, surgical treatment is also required, and commonly used procedures include craniotomy decompression, intracranial and extracranial percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, etc.
3. Diabetes
Patients should control their blood sugar within the ideal range by controlling their diet and taking hypoglycemic drugs (such as metformin, acarbose, etc.). At the same time, patients can follow the doctor’s advice to take drugs such as niacin, coenzyme A, adenosine triphosphate, and prostaglandin E2 to improve neuropathy. If the local nerve is severely compressed, nerve decompression can be considered to relieve it to improve symptoms.
4. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
For patients with mild symptoms and short course of illness, conservative treatment is the first choice, including wrist brace fixation, local blockade treatment, local physical therapy, etc.; for patients who are ineffective with conservative treatment, whose symptoms recur or who develop thumb muscle atrophy, surgical treatment can be considered.
Drug treatment
See treatment of cause for details.
Related drugs
Ibuprofen, meloxicam, eperisone, recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator, urokinase, aspirin, clopidogrel, edaravone, citicoline, metformin, acarbose, niacin, coenzyme A, adenosine triphosphate, prostaglandin E2
Surgery
See treatment of cause for details.
Treatment cycle
The treatment cycle is affected by factors such as the severity of the disease, treatment plan, timing of treatment, age and physical condition, and may vary from individual to individual.
Estimated cost of treatment
There may be significant individual differences in treatment costs, which are related to the chosen hospital, treatment plan, medical insurance policy, etc.
Prognosis
General Prognosis
The prognosis of finger numbness mainly depends on its underlying cause, whether it is actively treated, etc. If the finger numbness is caused by diseases such as cervical spondylosis and carpal tunnel syndrome, the prognosis is usually good after timely treatment, and the symptoms can be relieved or controlled; but if the finger numbness is caused by a serious neurological disease or irreversible injury, the prognosis may be poor, and inactive treatment may lead to long-term or permanent sensory or functional impairment.
Hazards
1. Long-term numbness in fingers may cause patients to have adverse psychological states such as anxiety and depression, especially when the symptoms affect work and daily life.
2. Finger numbness may lead to weakened grip strength, affecting delicate movements in daily life, thereby reducing quality of life and work efficiency.
Self-healing
Those caused by non-disease reasons will generally recover on their own.
Curative
With active and effective treatment, most patients can be cured.
daily
Nursing principles
For patients with numbness in their fingers, they should avoid maintaining the same posture for a long time, keep warm appropriately, improve their lifestyle, eat a balanced diet, etc. in their daily life to help relieve symptoms.
Life Management
1. Pay attention to changing your posture regularly to avoid prolonged pressure on your wrists or neck.
2. Numbness in fingers may be related to the cold environment, so you should keep warm, especially in winter or cold areas.
3. Try to avoid prolonged repetitive hand activities, such as typing or using a mouse for a long time, and take proper rest and relax your hand muscles.
4. Maintain a regular schedule, ensure adequate sleep, and avoid staying up late and overwork.
5. Maintain a relaxed and happy mood, and avoid negative emotional states such as tension and anxiety.
6. Maintain a balanced diet and avoid smoking and drinking.
Follow-up consultation instructions
Follow your doctor’s orders for regular checkups, especially for those with a history of chronic diseases, so that your doctor can promptly understand changes in your condition and adjust your treatment plan if necessary.
diet
Diet
The diet plan for patients with numbness in fingers should be determined according to the cause of the disease. For example, there are no special dietary restrictions for those caused by cervical spondylosis, while those caused by diabetes need to control the intake of sugar and fat.
Dietary advice
1. Food choices should be diversified, with a reasonable combination of coarse and fine staple foods, and a reasonable combination of meat and vegetables in side dishes.
2. You can eat more foods rich in vitamins and dietary fiber, such as kelp, konjac, corn, etc.
Dietary taboos
1. Don’t be picky about food or have a biased diet.
2. Avoid eating raw, cold, spicy, high-sugar, and high-cholesterol foods.
3. Try not to drink alcohol, strong tea or strong coffee.
4. Quit smoking.
prevention
Precautions
Finger numbness is a preventable symptom. Common measures include actively treating diseases that may cause finger numbness, avoiding maintaining the same posture for a long time, keeping hands warm, and avoiding hand injuries.
1. Actively treat cervical spondylosis, diabetes and other diseases to slow down the progression of the disease and reduce the risk of finger numbness.
2. Take a break and change your posture regularly to avoid maintaining the same posture for a long time.
3. In cold environment, protect your hands.
4. When performing activities that may cause hand injuries, appropriate protective measures should be taken, such as wearing gloves or using safety tools.
5. Perform stretching exercises for your wrists, fingers, and neck regularly to increase blood circulation and reduce muscle tension.
6. Avoid smoking and limit drinking.
7. Keep a relaxed and happy mood and avoid excessive tension and stress.