There are several reasons why people visit a neurologist. Numbness of the thumb and fingers are also common reasons for visiting a doctor. Numbness refers to the sudden abnormal reduced sensation due to a changed sensory nerve function. Numbness in the thumb or fingers results in tingling in the thumb and loss of sensation.
A decrease in the supply of blood or damage to the nerves is common factors associated with numbness. Hand numbness is a sign of more severe problems like heart attack, stroke or aortic dissection. However, there can be other symptoms as well.
What Do You Understand by Numbness?
There are a few common questions that should be taken into consideration. First, one should know the proper meaning of numbness. Identifying the unusual sensation or numbness is essential.
Some people feel pins and needles like paraesthesia at the tip of the thumb, and some may feel complete numbness. Numbness in different areas like the front, side or back of the thumb can indicate different causes of numbness.
Know the Median Nerve
The hand gets the supply of peripheral nerves that branch out in between the neck bones. These branches interlock and twist in a plexus and then run as defined lines of nerves called median, radial and ulnar. All three nerves help in the movement of the thumb, and only the median and radial ones are the ones associated with the sensation of the thumb.
The median nerve helps in the sensation of the palmer part of the thumb or the part required for a thumbprint. The most usual area for the median nerve to get pinched is the carpal tunnel, a narrow passage at the wrist. This is where the median nerve runs along with few other tendons to the fingers. If the tendon turns inflamed, the narrow tunnel swells up and lead to a pinched nerve.
If the tendons become inflamed, the swelling in the narrow tunnel can lead to a pinched nerve. This is sometimes painful, but not always. The median nerve can be pinched in the arm, which generally causes weakness or numbness in the wrist and thumb.
Know the Radial Nerve
The radial nerve is the superficial branch of nerves responsible for transferring sensation from the thumb, first two fingers, and the hand’s back directly to the brain. Numbness usually occurs when the radial nerve is interrupted. However, damage of the median nerve is more common than the radial nerve.
But if the latter is affected, the trauma is also of higher intensity. Not only just mild swelling or a pinching nerve, but it can feel as painful as a bone fracture in hand. Muscles are also affected by the affected region in the body. In some cases, we can notice how a thumb pulls away from the first finger.
Know the Ulnar Nerve
By the term, we know that it is about the ulnar nerve. An injury or damage of the ulnar nerve can cause tingling in the thumb or numbness along the side of the hand, the ring finger and also the little finger.
Know the Spinal Cord, Brachial Plexus and Nerve Roots
The nerves of our hands and arms are linked to the spinal cord. The nerves run inter-wined even more as they approach our brain. Also, the nerves that run separated start to run close to each other as they converge in the brain.
Before moving into the allegorical pathways of the spinal cord, all the electrical information travels through a very complex on-ramp called the brachial plexus.
While it’s entirely possible that only a small lesion could produce numbness to just one thumb, it becomes abnormal when the information enters the spinal cord. This will lead to weakness and numbness in various parts of the body.
Both motor and sensory information are separated in the spinal cord. It starts from where the roots of the nerves end. Sensory information enters at the back of the spinal cord, and motor information enters at the front.
Reasons for my Numb Thumb
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Thumbs and other fingers can become numb and weak due to carpal tunnel syndrome. Many people mistake the pain and numbness, thinking they have slept in the wrong posture, but it results from nerves running and compression in a particular area. With movement and shaking hands, the relief is again restored after some time.
Arthritis History – If a person has arthritis in the hands, wrists, or thumb, they may feel their median nerve compressed, resulting in numbness and tingling. The thumb joint can also swell up. This swelling is an essential indicator of the problems of arthritis.
Double Crush – Numb thumb can also be the result of a double crush. In this case, the nerves get compressed at two different body areas: the hand, wrist, thumb, neck, arm, etc. For example, a person may have a compressed nerve in the arm and another in the neck, forming a double crush. A double crush can numb only a particular spot or the entire body region around the affected area.
Other Causes of Numbness – Other possible causes of the numbness of thumbs and fingers include: Peripheral neuropathy, Ulnar nerve compression, Paraneoplastic syndromes, Guillian-Barre syndrome, Lyme disease, Ganglion cyst, Multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, Type 2 Diabetes, Spinal cord injury, Deficiency.
In B-12, Syphilis, Raynaud’s Disease, Cervical spondylosis Vasculitis, a Side effect of drugs usage, excessive use of alcohol, Sjogren’s syndrome and Amyloidosis.
Home Remedies for Numb Thumb
There are many home remedies to restore the sensation and feeling to the numb thumb or fingers. Even these remedies will reduce the pain and tingling of the numbing thumb.
- Massage the affected areas of the hands, the thumb and the fingers until you start feeling again. Massage helps to increase the blood flow. It is advised to massage the hand if it feels numb under warm running water.
- Elevate the hands and perform exercise daily to help with the blood circulation throughout the body.
- Avoid eating or drinking specific items that may turn things or your condition worse. The list includes dairy products, citrus fruits, and wheat. Potassium and calcium-rich foods like bananas and leafy and green vegetables are great during this period.
- Avoid extreme cold and freezing conditions. Wear warm clothes to protect yourself from the severe cold.
- Hot and cold compression will help to restore sensation in the affected area.
- Avoid smoking tobacco or drinking alcohol as they can make the numbness feel bad.
- If the numbness is a result of stress, try relaxation techniques and mediation to bring the stress under control and feel relaxed and comfortable.
Medications for Numb Thumb
The medication that is required for treating numb fingers and thumb depends upon individual circumstances.
Chronic Disease: For the constant numb thumb, medications are required to ease the symptoms. A remedy may include anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce swelling and pain.
For Complicated Cases: Sometimes antidepressant drugs are prescribed by the doctors to help eliminate the painful sensation. However, this medication is given only in low doses.
For Severe Cases: If the pain does not stop, doctors may recommend codeine to patients and other opium derivatives—this medication and trial help regenerate the damaged nerves with new medications and technologies.
If the numbness in the thumb or fingers persists, it is always better to visit a doctor for evaluation and medication. Most of the time, numbness occur due to compression of the peripheral nerve. In severe cases, it may lead to stroke. So before it is too late, it is also better to seek medical guidance.
