Numbness of the skin in certain areas of the limbs or complete numbness of the limbs can be a manifestation of serious diseases and requires an in-depth examination.
Numbness of the limbs is an unpleasant sensation in certain skin areas. It is often accompanied by a feeling of tingling, cooling, burning, tightening, loss of sensitivity, etc. It may be caused by psychogenic factors. However, this feeling when arms and legs go numb may be a manifestation of one of many diseases.
Numbness can be limited or widespread, short-term or long-lasting, rarely or frequently recurring, mainly at night or during the day, alone or in combination with other types of sensory disturbances, etc. The most common and common causes of numbness :
1. Incorrect posture at the table or in bed causes mechanical compression of blood vessels and nerves. In this case, the feeling of numbness is often accompanied by tingling and quickly disappears when changing the position of the limb.
2. Carpal tunnel syndrome is widespread, manifested by numbness in the palms and fingers. This often frightens people and they come to the doctor with the question: “ My hands are numb, what should I do ?” The disease occurs more often among carpenters and women aged 30-40 years, whose work involves prolonged, similar movements with the brush - those working at a computer keyboard, painters, seamstresses. Numbness of the palm, thumb, index and middle fingers appears mainly at night or in the morning. It is accompanied by throbbing pain and tingling. The disease is associated with swelling of the tendon and compression of the nerve passing in one narrow canal. In the absence of treatment, the flexion of the fingers, especially the thumb, is impaired, and contracture of the tendons of the hand gradually develops.
3. Numbness of the fingers , toes, and individual areas of the skin on the thigh occurs in 90% of cases with osteochondrosis of the cervical and lumbosacral spine with intervertebral hernias, and glenohumeral periarthritis. It is associated with the pressure of a displaced disc, hernial protrusion and edematous tissue, spasmed muscles (during an exacerbation) on the nerve roots and impaired blood circulation in them. Numbness may persist for a very long period or permanently. Outside of exacerbation, numbness in osteochondrosis and scapulohumeral syndrome most often occurs during sleep due to muscle spasm and pressure on the nerve roots during an uncomfortable position or a long stay of a limb in one position, throwing the arm up, or an uncomfortable position of the head. This feeling goes away quickly when you change position. The same symptoms occur with a high-lying or additional first rib.
4. Numbness in the fingers is often observed in some women during menopause and menopause. However, they are paroxysmal in nature and are combined with a feeling of coldness in the hands, blueness of the fingers, redness of the face, flushes of sweating and a feeling of heat in the head and upper chest. These phenomena are explained by hormonal changes and autonomic reactions, leading to sudden changes in vascular regulation.
5. Polyneuropathies are multiple nerve damage as a result of infectious diseases (influenza, dysentery, tonsillitis), chronic intoxication with certain substances (alcohol, lead vapor, chlorophos), hypovitaminosis, work in low temperatures or with vibrating tools. Loss of sensitivity, tingling, and numbness in the hands and feet often manifests itself as a “gloves and socks” symptom. In these cases, there is a simultaneous decrease in temperature and pain sensitivity.
6. Unilateral numbness of the skin of the arm and leg almost always accompanies a short-term disturbance of cerebral circulation as a result of cerebral unilateral vascular spasm. In this case, numbness in the arm or leg is short-term and transient. With a hemorrhagic (hemorrhage) or ischemic (blocked by a blood clot) stroke, numbness in the arm and leg is almost always accompanied by decreased sensitivity, impaired active movements in the limbs of one side, and other symptoms.
If numbness of the extremities is prolonged or frequently repeated, it is necessary to consult a doctor and subsequent examination to diagnose the cause.
Author: Semyon Kupershmid, doctor of the highest category, Moscow.
No comments have been added yet. Be the first!
Have you ever felt numbness in your arms or legs? If yes, then you understand how unpleasant this feeling is, especially when the cause of this symptom is not at all clear. What to do when your arms or legs go numb? What could be the reason? We will talk about this in this article.
It is worth noting that in the vast majority of cases, numbness, that is, loss of sensation in the upper or lower extremities, is associated with an inflammatory process occurring in the body, as well as with disturbances in the functioning of the brain or spinal cord. It is because of these pathologies that you may lose sensation in both your arms and legs.
If a person has complete numbness in both limbs, that is, for example, both the right and left hand, then the reason for this phenomenon is hidden behind a stroke. Symptoms of a stroke also include:
If these symptoms occur, you must urgently call an ambulance.
Also, it is worth noting that the causes of numbness of the extremities can be a transient ischemic attack; malignant tumor, as well as a disease called multiple sclerosis.
The cause of numbness may be a disease called transient ischemic attack. This means that blood clots have begun to form in a person’s blood vessels, which can clog the vessels supplying the person’s brain.
The cause of blockage of blood vessels lies in the formation of so-called cholesterol plaques and, as a consequence of the disease, atherosclerosis.
Symptoms of an ischemic attack are:
The symptoms of the disease transient ischemic attack depend on which blood vessel is affected by the blockage of cholesterol plaque.
Attacks of this pathology can be periodic or, on the contrary, extremely regular. A person may have one arm or the other go numb.
Important! An attack of transient ischemic attack cannot be eliminated independently. You will definitely have to see a doctor. If you do not protect yourself in time and do not resort to timely treatment, then there is a risk of a stroke.
Multiple sclerosis is another cause of numbness in the upper or lower extremities. When the body is affected by multiple sclerosis, it can begin as damage to the arm (left or right) or lower extremities.
Unfortunately, there is no drug therapy that can combat multiple sclerosis. After a certain time, the disease may go away on its own.
In any case, you should consult a doctor.
If a person’s left or right leg goes numb, this may be due to pathological reasons such as:
Few people know about cauda equina syndrome. If it occurs in the human body, then the following picture is observed - almost all 18 nerve endings that are located in the lumbar spine are pinched.
The cause of this pathology may be hidden behind a hernia of the spine, inflammatory processes, neoplasms of a malignant or benign nature, as well as due to spinal stenosis.
Another cause of numbness in the lower extremities is radiculitis, which, in turn, is formed by an intervertebral hernia. A hernia appears when parts of the spine begin to push outward and because of this, almost all the nerve endings that are nearby are compressed.
Symptoms of a herniated disc: severe back pain, numbness in the limbs, weakness in the body. All these unpleasant sensations can go away after 6 weeks. If the pain does not go away and continues to bother you, then you need to inform your doctor about this in order to change the therapy.
Inflammation of the sciatic nerve is another cause of numbness in the lower extremities. Sciatica causes severe pain in the lower back.
The cause of the inflammatory process may be hidden behind:
The person complains of severe aching pain, which can radiate to the pelvic organs and abdominal cavity. There is a strong burning sensation and an unpleasant tingling sensation.
Treatment depends solely on the underlying cause of sciatica.
If a person’s hands go numb, this may indicate that he needs to check his body for the presence of diseases such as:
In these clinical situations, it is very important to numb the source of inflammation in a timely manner. For this purpose, anti-inflammatory medications are taken in the form of Ibuprofen and Naproxen.
Numbness of the limbs is not dangerous if it is caused by prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position or exposure to cold. But legs often go numb with high blood pressure, then numbness in the arms or legs indicates the presence of various diseases. The sensitivity of some areas of the arms and/or legs decreases, tingling and burning are felt. If numbness often returns, also accompanied by high blood pressure, this is a reason to consult a doctor.
If there is numbness in the legs, first of all, osteochondrosis is suspected. This is a disease that affects articular cartilage, deforming it and reducing its elasticity. Depending on the location of the damage, cervical, thoracic and lumbar osteochondrosis is distinguished. The causes of the disease may be:
As a result, arms and legs go numb, drops in blood pressure, headaches, and nauralgia with all the accompanying symptoms are observed. A similar picture is also caused by intervertebral hernias. High blood pressure, prolonged wound healing, and the smell of acetone may indicate diabetes. This is a disease in which the body produces insufficient or no insulin hormone, causing hyperglycemia. This disease also causes numbness in the legs. It is important to seek qualified advice in time, since diabetes mellitus leads to trophic ulcers, gangrene of the extremities, coma, and failure of almost all organs.
Leg cramps most often occur in pregnant women.
The condition of cramping the legs is especially familiar to pregnant women. This problem may be associated with varicose veins. With varicose veins, veins become deformed and nodes form. The consequences of advanced disease are thrombophlebitis, ulcers, bleeding of venous nodes, increased blood pressure. The reasons why legs go numb may be a lack of potassium, calcium and magnesium in the body, genetic predisposition, or toxicosis.
If, with high blood pressure and numbness of the extremities, confusion of speech is observed, facial muscle spasms are observed, or a stroke is suspected, urgent medical attention is needed. Other causes of loss of sensation in the legs and arms:
Since pain and numbness accompanied by high blood pressure may indicate serious illnesses, it is important to undergo examinations and begin treatment in a timely manner. Self-medication will only make the problem worse. First, you should contact a neurologist and orthopedist. You may need to consult a cardiologist. A blood test is required. Depending on other symptoms, the doctor will prescribe a referral for a vascular ultrasound or an x-ray of the spine.
Based on the results of the study, the doctor prescribes treatment. If osteochondrosis has been diagnosed, surgery may be necessary. During the remission stage, medications (anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics) and a set of physiotherapeutic procedures (physical therapy, massage, water procedures) will help. Additionally, you need to adjust your diet.
If doctors have diagnosed diabetes, treatment will be aimed at normalizing metabolism, lowering blood sugar levels and preventing complications. If necessary, vasodilators are taken to lower high blood pressure. It is important to remember that such a seemingly harmless symptom may indicate serious diseases that can only be diagnosed and treated by experienced specialists.
No comments yet. Be first! 4,698 views
To relieve fatigue, you need healthy sleep. However, many people often complain that their hands go numb at night. They even wake up from discomfort and cannot sleep until the discomfort completely disappears. Why does this phenomenon occur, and how to deal with it?
People often experience numbness in their hands when they sleep at night. Various reasons lead to this condition. Moreover, the factors can be both external and internal.
If the upper limbs go numb at night, then the following reasons can lead to this phenomenon:
In addition, internal reasons can also lead to numbness in fingers. If the hands are constantly numb, then close attention should be paid to this phenomenon (especially if the paresthesia extends to the legs). If eliminating external factors does not improve the body’s condition, then you should consult a specialist. Usually, with such symptoms, people go for a consultation with a therapist, neurologist or cardiologist. With any disease, a person may experience the following signs:
If your arms and legs go numb every night, this condition may be a symptom of a variety of diseases. Moreover, these diseases can be both harmless and not so. Some of them pose a threat to human life:
Cervical osteochondrosis. In this case, compression of the spinal nerves occurs during sleep, causing the upper limbs to receive insufficient blood. Symptoms of the disease also include pain in the neck and crunching.
Carpal tunnel syndrome. The median nerve is compressed between the tendons and bones of the wrist, which leads to pain and numbness in the hands. Typically, the disease occurs in people whose activities involve constant use of fine motor skills (artists, seamstresses, drummers).
Circulatory disorders. Moreover, this state of the body can also appear as a result of some other diseases. These include: diabetes, anemia, heart failure, high blood pressure.
Lack of B vitamins. In this case, it is recommended to drink vitamins by purchasing them at the pharmacy.
The causes of numbness in the right and left arms may also be different. Many people don’t understand why only one specific hand always goes numb, and what to do in this case? So, if the fingers of the right hand go numb, then this may indicate arthrosis, cervical osteochondrosis, or heart disease. Due to the narrowing of the arteries and vessels, the sensitivity of the limb is lost. With constant numbness in your right hand, you need to be as vigilant as possible, because this may indicate an imminent stroke.
The causes of numbness in the left hand usually indicate heart disease. Sometimes symptoms appear not only at night, but also during the day. In this case, an urgent consultation with a cardiologist is required. If the disease is not treated promptly, it can lead to muscle atrophy. Your fingers will become so unruly that you can’t even clench them into a fist.
Pregnant women face many questions. One of them: why do my legs and arms go numb? During pregnancy, a woman's body undergoes a number of changes. Often, the expectant mother has reduced immunity, since all the vitamins that enter the mother’s body are aimed at the development of the baby. Therefore, for pregnant women, body malaise is a common condition. The following factors can lead to numbness of the limbs:
Many people do not understand why both arms go numb at night if a person always sleeps in only one position. This pathology may indicate osteochondrosis, a hernia between the vertebrae, or diabetes mellitus. If your hands do not go numb at the same time, but one at a time, then there is a possibility of some kind of disturbance in the central nervous system.
Before prescribing treatment, the doctor examines the patient. The doctor will decide what to do next only after a complete diagnosis. If a patient’s arms or legs go numb at night, he is prescribed special procedures, which include physiotherapy, exercise therapy, and massage. The doctor selects the exercises independently, taking into account the patient’s needs. So, with paresthesia, the following simple gymnastics helps:
In addition, the doctor may prescribe vitamins and medications that will help strengthen the walls of blood vessels. If paresthesia is a consequence of a sedentary lifestyle, then it is necessary to include more complex exercises in exercise therapy aimed at strengthening the entire body as a whole.
Of course, traditional methods are less effective than traditional medicine. However, they can be used against the background of traditional therapy. Their advantage is that they are affordable. Most recipes contain ingredients that are available in every home:
One way or another, treatment should be prescribed only after the diagnosis has been determined. Moreover, therapy will not give results if the factors that led to the development of the disease are not eliminated. If you follow your doctor's recommendations, all symptoms will go away quickly.
Patients often turn to doctors with the question: why do their fingers go numb at night? A harmless symptom, at first glance. In fact, it can provoke a real butterfly effect and lead to serious consequences if timely measures are not taken. Numbness of the fingers at night is a sign of sensitivity disorder or paresthesia, in medical terms. There are a number of reasons why this happens. First of all, this means that the limbs experience problems with blood circulation and innervation. This symptom often occurs at night when the body relaxes. Let's look at the reasons for this phenomenon and methods to combat it.
Numbness of the limbs indicates that the innervation in the corresponding organ is impaired. Simply put, one of the nerves that runs from the neck to the arm becomes pinched. Nerves have their own blood supply system - these are neighboring arteries and their branches. When something presses on an artery, the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the nerve is interrupted, causing it to stop functioning.
If the pressure is short-term, the nerve quickly restores its function. However, with regular negative impact, the nerve becomes unusable over time. So if your fingers or hands go numb at night for months or years, this could indicate significant nerve damage. That is why it is so important to pay attention to this symptom in time and take the necessary measures.
Numbness of the fingers or hands at night is a common phenomenon; the reasons may lie in everyday sleeping conditions, such as:
These problems are caused by external factors that you can cope with yourself. For example, buy a special orthopedic pillow and mattress. They will help the body take the correct position during sleep, which will help improve blood supply and the general condition of the musculoskeletal system.
To prevent numbness in your hands and fingers during sleep, you need to pay attention to your body position when falling asleep and waking up. It is clear that it is impossible to control the body in a dream, so you need to consciously develop the habit of correct positioning. When falling asleep, you should make sure that the limbs are not compressed by anything, the neck lies naturally without unnecessary tension and sharp bends.
It is also important to pay attention to sleepwear. One of the reasons why your hands go numb at night is tight, uncomfortable, squeezing pajamas. Women tend to go to bed wearing jewelry: bracelets, rings, necklaces, which can also be fraught with circulatory problems.
It must be remembered that any physical pressure can cause tissue numbness. Thus, nursing mothers often place their baby next to them at night, and they are forced to put their hand under their head, thus creating pressure in the hand. The same thing happens when one spouse puts his head on the other's shoulder.
An equally important reason when your hands go numb at night is excessive stress during the day. This is typical for people with a manual nature of work: writers, programmers, seamstresses - everyone who spends a lot of time at the computer. Constant flexion and extension of the wrist leads to nerve damage.
Paresthesia of the limbs often indicates dysfunction of body systems.
The most common medical causes of numbness in the fingers are:
So, one of the most common causes of discomfort in the arms during sleep is cervical stenosis or protrusion of the intervertebral discs. These diseases do not always manifest themselves as neck pain. Patients often complain that they feel numbness in their hands. If the neck takes an incorrect position at night, while the muscles that protect it during the day are relaxed, the nerves become pinched, resulting in numbness in the hands or fingers during sleep. In this case, it may be helpful to wear a cervical collar at night.
An orthopedic collar helps relieve stress from the muscles of the cervical spine, holding the neck in the correct position, thereby eliminating pain. Most often used for osteochondrosis.
When putting the collar on at night, you need to make sure that it fits snugly enough, but not too tight, as lying down will raise your shoulders, creating additional pressure. If using a cervical collar has helped relieve numbness in your arms at night, then it may be a good idea to get an MRI of your cervical spine.
Scalenus syndrome or neurovascular bundle compression means pinched nerves in the upper extremity girdle. It can occur as a result of excessive stress on the arms and shoulder girdle, as a result of which computer users most often suffer from it. In a sitting position, they tilt their shoulders and head forward, which leads to pinched nerves, and subsequently to symptoms such as: loss of sensitivity, weakness, pain in the arms.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is characterized by compression of the median nerve between the bones and tendons of the wrist muscles. First, the little finger or thumb may become numb, and then the entire hand. To relieve pain and numbness in your hands, you can wear regular wrist splints at night. But this does not cancel a visit to the doctor.
Arthritis is the general name for inflammatory joint diseases. At the initial stage, it may manifest itself as inactivity, stiffness in the movements of the hands in the morning. Doctors call this the "glove sign." Signs of joint inflammation can be determined using x-rays.
Numbness of the limbs can be caused by a number of other serious diseases affecting the nervous, circulatory, and cardiovascular systems, such as: Raynaud's and Guillain-Barré syndromes, stroke, multiple sclerosis, thrombosis of the upper extremities. Most of them require immediate medical intervention.
In particular, you should not hesitate when the fingers of your left hand go numb: this may indicate heart problems. If the fingers of your left hand suddenly and for no apparent reason go numb during the day, this may be a symptom of serious heart problems, in which case you should definitely consult a cardiologist. This is due to the fact that the arteries responsible for the blood supply to the heart run on the left, so numbness in the left arm may indicate blockage of blood vessels and other blood supply disorders. Sometimes this is the only symptom of a myocardial infarction.
If after sleep the fingers of your right hand go numb, this is due either to everyday physical exposure or to the diseases mentioned above.
Poor nutrition and lack of exercise often lead to health problems. If your hands go numb in a dream, in many cases this indicates that you need to adjust your diet and start taking care of your physical fitness. Fluid retention in the body, lack of vitamin B, and lack of physical activity are common causes of numbness in the limbs at night. People tend to underestimate the severity of the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle. Fatigue, drowsiness, pale skin, tachycardia, numb hands at night - all this can be caused by a simple lack of vitamin B.
Here are some tips to help combat these ailments:
Artichoke decoction has a diuretic effect and helps cleanse the body, preventing fluid retention. Simply boil a few artichokes in water, then strain. Mix the decoction with the juice of half a lemon.
There are a number of exercises that can help you sleep peacefully at night and relieve the symptoms of numbness in your fingers. The greatest effect is achieved by combining exercises with medical treatment and the techniques described above. It is also necessary to remember that correct posture plays a vital role in the normal functioning of the circulatory and many other systems of the body.
Exercises can be performed during the day, before bed, and even at night if you wake up and feel tingling or numbness in your fingers. The exercises will be especially beneficial for people whose work involves manual labor.
If you spend the whole day at the computer and type a lot, be sure to take breaks every 40-45 minutes. This will benefit not only your hands, but also your vision.
Knowledge is the key to solving health problems. The causes and treatment of various diseases associated with the human musculoskeletal system are described in detail in the works of professionals and masters of their craft.
Here are a few books that may be useful for those who experience frequent numbness in their fingers at night:
Irina Kotesheva is a candidate of medical sciences, a professional in the field of physical therapy. In her books, she shares her extensive experience in dealing with major problems associated with spinal health.
Sound and restful sleep is the key to health, because it gives the body complete rest, which is so necessary after a stressful workday.
To cope with ailments that interfere with nighttime rest and disrupt the functioning of the body’s main systems, you should pay attention to three “pillars of health”:
Limbs can become numb for quite common and understandable reasons; everyone experiences this phenomenon sooner or later throughout their life. However, if numbness occurs regularly over a long period of time, this is a good reason for an urgent visit to the doctor. Only a specialist will be able to most accurately determine the condition of the body, conduct the necessary research, find out the cause of the discomfort and prescribe effective treatment.
Periodic numbness of the fingers at night is a serious symptom that does not depend on age and can indicate dangerous diseases that eventually lead to disability, so it is very important to start fighting this disease in time.
Many people are familiar with this uncomfortable feeling when in the middle of the night there is an aching pain in the arm, which is accompanied by a tingling sensation when trying to move it. This feeling is called numbness. It happens that the limbs go numb at any time, and it happens that the hands go numb at night. The reasons can be completely different - from uncomfortable posture to serious illnesses. Basically, this condition is caused by a violation of the blood supply. But what contributes to this disorder?
The most common cause of numbness in the upper extremities during sleep is the pillow. It's about its size. If it is very large, the person sleeping on it will have a strong bend in the cervical spine. In this case, the blood supply to the spinal nerves, which are in particular responsible for the mobility of the upper limbs, is disrupted. If the problem is only with the pillow, the issue can be resolved very quickly, you just need to replace it with a lower one or, even better, with an orthopedic one. Such a pillow, due to its non-standard shape, ensures control of the correct anatomical position of a sleeping person, which ensures adequate blood supply to all parts of the body.
Quite a large number of people complain that their hands go numb at night. The reasons for this phenomenon may lie in incorrect body position. This problem mainly occurs among people who like to sleep with their arms thrown up. In this case, it is also a matter of blood circulation. Due to the fact that the cardiovascular system works a little slower at night, blood flows worse to the arms, since they are at a level above the body.
Another reason for numbness in the limbs during sleep is tight and uncomfortable clothing that has tight folds, seams or tight cuffs. It should be remembered that sleepwear, be it a nightgown or pajamas, should be loose, not press anywhere and not restrict movement. In addition, during a night's rest, it is advisable to remove bracelets and rings.
But there are situations when your hands go numb at night, the reasons for this are various kinds of ailments. Moreover, these can be both harmless and very serious diseases.
One of the most common ailments that is accompanied by night numbness of the hands is osteochondrosis. In addition to this symptom, the disease has a number of other accompanying conditions, for example, pain and crunching in the neck, and periodic weakness in the arms.
With carpal tunnel syndrome, your hands also go numb at night. The reasons in this case are quite simple. Compression of the median nerve between the wrist bones and muscle tendons leads to numbness in the fingers and long-term pain. Often this disease manifests itself in drummers, artists and other professionals who frequently and monotonously bend and straighten their wrists during their work.
Numbness of the limbs can occur with chronic circulatory problems, which can occur as a result of many other diseases. Such ailments are anemia, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and ischemia. In this case, the arms and legs become numb. The reasons are slightly different. If this is a heart disease, then the pumping function of the heart deteriorates, and the efficiency of pushing blood through the vessels decreases. During diabetes mellitus, the level of glucose in the blood is significantly increased, as a result of which the walls of blood vessels are affected and their function is reduced.
Numbness in the fingers is also a very common phenomenon. This situation is associated with a pinched nerve in the wrist area. Due to the overload, there may be nerve compression or swelling, and tingling in the hands and then numbness in the fingers may occur.
If timely treatment is not started, irreversible problems may arise, for example, the thumb may atrophy, or in a more complex situation, hand strength may be lost. It’s not just the thumb that can go numb; most often the little fingers go numb.
Numbness in the fingertips may indicate a lack of minerals in the body. This condition also gives a signal about the development of atherosclerosis. Under the numbness of the index or middle finger with the presence of painful sensations, neuralgia of the brachial nerve may be hidden. In addition, the cause may be a problem with the elbow joint. It happens that the fingers of the left hand go numb. The reasons in this case are heart disease. Most often in such cases, the little finger or ring finger goes numb. If there is weakness in the thumb and index finger and there is no sensitivity, this may indicate the development of cervical osteochondrosis.
Before starting treatment, it is necessary to identify the root cause of the problem. Correct diagnosis will only speed up and facilitate therapy. For example, if the cause is a heart disease, you should contact a cardiologist, and if the nerve endings are pinched, you will need to consult a neurologist who can eliminate the problem using vitamins and medications. The doctor may also prescribe additional physiological procedures. And if the problem is a lot of physical activity, you just need to reduce it.
Most often, numbness in the legs is associated with a disease such as atherosclerosis. This is caused by insufficient blood circulation, which may be caused by ischemia of the lower extremities. With atherosclerosis, rapid fatigue and weakness in the legs can also be observed.
Numbness of the lower extremities can also occur due to inflammation of the joints. This disease is called rheumatoid arthritis. Also, a feeling of numbness in the legs can be caused by neuropathy when the nerves of the limbs are affected. Most often, the development of this disease is associated with diabetes, arthritis or multiple sclerosis.
There are different cases when arms and legs go numb, and the reasons also differ. If numbness of the limbs occurs rarely and does not cause much discomfort, the cause can be eliminated quickly and easily. Regular exercise in the morning, a healthy lifestyle and exercise can help.
To avoid this problem, you need to periodically rotate your hands. Particularly important is warming up the shoulder joints, which is performed in circular movements in both directions.
But in any case, you should not brush aside the problem that has arisen. First of all, you should analyze your lifestyle, evaluate the comfort of your sleep clothes and whether the pillow suits you. You can also monitor the position in which a person sleeps. For example, mothers, when sleeping with a small child, often throw their arm up so as not to disturb the baby. If numbness occurs in such a situation, you just need to change your position, and the problem will solve itself. But if this phenomenon occurs frequently and causes serious discomfort, you should first consult with a therapist, who, after drawing conclusions, will refer the patient to a more specialized specialist. The main thing is to find out why your hands are going numb. The reasons, as has already become known, can be very different. Therefore, it is the condition that caused the discomfort that needs to be eliminated, not the symptoms. Only in this case will the treatment bring results.
Numbness of the hands with cervical osteochondrosis is associated with compression of the ends of the spinal cord in the area of the C3-C5 vertebrae. These vertebrae are responsible for the sensitivity of the upper limbs. Many people are familiar with hand numbness, but not everyone understands the source of this problem.
Paresthesia - the scientific name for numbness of the arms and legs - is manifested by mild tingling, partial or complete loss of ability to work. Patients also note a certain feeling of alienation of the hand.
Of course, short-term loss of sensation in the upper extremities can be a consequence of prolonged exposure to an uncomfortable position. But if unpleasant sensations constantly bother you, this is already a reason to suspect spinal pathology. Indeed, often the cause of numbness in the hands is cervical osteochondrosis.
The neck is the most mobile and most fragile part of the spine. Therefore, people most often suffer from cervical osteochondrosis. The clinical manifestation of the disease may vary. But the mechanism of occurrence of symptoms of osteochondrosis is based on the same processes that provoke the development of two syndromes: vertebral artery and radicular.
When intervertebral discs are destroyed, their elasticity and density decrease: pathological mobility of the SDS occurs. At the slightest load on the neck, the vertebrae shift towards the paravertebral structures, squeezing the roots of the spinal cord, which are responsible for the sensitivity of the hands and the vertebral artery (pain appears).
If osteochondrosis progresses, the intervertebral discs are further destroyed, bone tissue density increases: a protrusion, hernia is formed, and osteophytes are formed. At the same time, the intensity of compression of the paravertebral structures increases: blood circulation slows down, blood flow to the brain worsens, and the functions of the nerve endings of the spinal cord are disrupted. External manifestations of such processes are: limited mobility of the neck, loss of sensitivity in the hands (partial or complete).
For more information about the process of destruction of intervertebral discs, watch the video:
With cervical osteochondrosis, decreased sensitivity of the upper extremities is observed very often. As a rule, tingling and “goosebumps” occur if the patient remains in one position for a long time. Numbness of the hands is preceded by a body position in which:
The localization of discomfort depends on the location of the pathology and the type of pinched root.
This kind of manifestation of cervical osteochondrosis resembles the symptoms of an autoimmune disease, heart disease, vascular disease, and other ailments. You can recognize the factor that provokes numbness in your hands by additional signs.
The danger of osteochondrosis is that it can “masquerade” as all these pathologies. So, in addition to numbness of the fingers or an entire limb, the patient also exhibits other symptoms:
It is possible to determine why the upper limbs are numb after examining the patient. To exclude pathology of the cardiovascular system, the patient undergoes the following:
Computed tomography is one of the most effective methods for diagnosing various diseases, in particular osteochondrosis. CT helps to accurately determine the condition of bones, joints, bone tissue, etc.
If the examination does not reveal any abnormalities, a comprehensive examination of the spine is prescribed (see table).
Paresthesia of the upper extremities is a sign of a complicated course of cervical osteochondrosis, if the diagnostic results showed:
To get rid of such an unpleasant symptom as numbness of the fingers, it is necessary to eliminate the cause of its occurrence - pinching of blood vessels and spinal roots. Therapy for cervical osteochondrosis is carried out comprehensively using medications and auxiliary techniques for restoring spinal functions.
Conservative treatment is based on taking anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotectors, painkillers and vasodilators. The main purposes of its use:
Dr. Anton Epifanov tells more about non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs):
The use of auxiliary methods for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is recommended after the symptoms of the disease subside. These include:
Physiotherapeutic procedures: magnetic therapy, acupuncture, laser and ultrasound. Therapeutic effect:
Massage (collar area, shoulder girdle), manual therapy. They are helping:
For pain and numbness in the hands, contrast baths have a good effect. Pour water into two containers: cold and hot. Then we lower our hands first into one and then into the second bath. While taking a hot bath, stretch your fingers: press them onto the bottom of the container, clench them into a fist and unclench them.
Tight muscles in the back and neck are what most often worries a person with osteochondrosis. As a rule, the best results are achieved through the use of massage and physical therapy.
Numbness in your hand or fingers is not a pleasant feeling. It can occur at any time: day or night. In any case, if the sensitivity of the upper limb is impaired, the patient needs to get rid of this kind of manifestation of cervical osteochondrosis. What can be done:
Prevention of numbness of the upper limb involves taking measures that help prevent exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis. Patients are recommended:
By following the recommendations for treatment and prevention, you can not only prevent numbness of the hands, but also prevent the occurrence of other health-threatening complications of cervical osteochondrosis.