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Consistent Tingling In Hands Extending To Finger Tips, Realize When Hands Are Not Busy. Tips To Overcome This?
Posted on
Tue, 28 May 2013
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Tue, 28 May 2013
Answered on
Thu, 13 Jun 2013
Last reviewed on
Question : For the past month, I have experienced numbing tingling in my left arm and hand, extending to fingertips. It comes and goes. It does not deter me from my daily activities and notice it most when my hands are not busy. There is no pain involved. I am female, early seventies, still work at a job (office, computer, sedentary). The tingling begins in the upper part of my arm not extended to shoulder, and moves all the way to my fingers.
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
Such symptoms are most likely caused by nerve compression. Depending of the nerve and the area of compression it can be carpal tunnel syndrome (most common), elbow or wrist.
Carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by long pressure on the median nerve in the wrist. This can happen during computer writing for example. Characteristic for this syndrome is tingling, numbness or pain in the the thumb, index, middle fingers, and radial half of the ring finger. Other fingers are free from symptoms (last two).
You can perform simple test. Please flex your wrist gently as far as possible and keep it for 60 seconds. If the tingling will appear or aggravate, carpal tunnel syndrome is most probable.
Ulnar nerve entrapment should give similar symptoms, but it affect ring and little finger only.
I suggest you to visit neurologist, have physical examination and EMG test. This test is able to tell which nerve is compressed and on what level.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Thank you for the query.
Such symptoms are most likely caused by nerve compression. Depending of the nerve and the area of compression it can be carpal tunnel syndrome (most common), elbow or wrist.
Carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by long pressure on the median nerve in the wrist. This can happen during computer writing for example. Characteristic for this syndrome is tingling, numbness or pain in the the thumb, index, middle fingers, and radial half of the ring finger. Other fingers are free from symptoms (last two).
You can perform simple test. Please flex your wrist gently as far as possible and keep it for 60 seconds. If the tingling will appear or aggravate, carpal tunnel syndrome is most probable.
Ulnar nerve entrapment should give similar symptoms, but it affect ring and little finger only.
I suggest you to visit neurologist, have physical examination and EMG test. This test is able to tell which nerve is compressed and on what level.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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