Why do my hands go numb?
As already mentioned above, the causes of numbness in the extremities of the hands are different:
- diabetes;
- cervical osteochondrosis;
- carpal tunnel syndrome;
- arthritis;
- taking medications: antibiotics, antiarrhythmic drugs;
- mechanical disorders (compression in the neck or in the carpal tunnel area).
If you experience pressure, you can help yourself by doing a few short exercises. These practices will allow you to cope with numbness on your own, simply and most importantly, quickly.
The emphasis is on the neck, which has three main movements: bending forward and backward, lateral and rotation.
Massage technique
The patient can sit on a chair or lie on a massage table. They massage with two hands; if with one hand, the second is used to fix the limb being massaged, and help to grasp the muscles to influence them with massage movements.
Massage along the flow of lymph to the nodes of the elbow and armpits. Through the deltoid muscle and along the back of the shoulder, along the radius, the massage is completed with enveloping stroking in the area of the lymph node above the collarbone, then along the ulna, along the front surface of the shoulder and the movement is completed in the area of the axillary lymph nodes.
Hand massage
If the fingers are numb, massage the hand:
- planar, pincer-shaped stroking along the dorsum of the hand and starting from the fingertips, grasping the first part of the forearm;
- each finger separately, directing movements to the base and massaging the back, palm and lateral surfaces with stroking;
- circular, straight, comb-like rubbing, shading, sawing along the palmar and lateral surfaces of each finger and hand;
- forceps-like, pressing, shearing, stretching kneading;
- vibration: puncturing, effleurage, shaking, acupressure techniques, passive and active movements for numbness of the fingers.
Forearm massage
If your hands are numb, perform a forearm massage:
- stroke the area of the elbow;
- ironing is performed: flat, comb-shaped, grasping, comb-shaped and tong-shaped;
- perform: spiral, circular, straight grinding, sawing, planing, crossing, hatching;
- knead: longitudinally, transversely, felt, press, shift, stretch;
- perform continuous labile and stable vibration: by tapping, patting, chopping, shaking;
- perform linear and local acupressure techniques.
Elbow joint massage
Elbow joint massage
The elbow joint is stroked with circular and plane movements, rubbed in a straight line, in a circle, in a spiral, by shading and pressing. Perform point vibration and puncturing. Knead by pinching and sliding, stretching, pressing - passive and active movements.
Shoulder massage
When massaging the shoulder:
- stroke in the direction of the armpits with a flat, grasping, pincer-like movement;
- rub straight, circular, spiral, intersecting, sawing, hatching, planing;
- knead longitudinally and transversely - by felting, stretching, sliding, pressing, pinching;
- Vibration is performed by shaking, puncturing, tapping, patting, chopping, shaking, and acupressure.
Shoulder joint massage
Perform flat, grasping, tong-like stroking, rake-like ironing. Next - circular, rectilinear, spiral rubbing and shading. Next - kneading and pressing. Next – point vibration and puncturing. Movements should be passive and active.
First, massage the deltoid muscle, and then the shoulder joint. Place your hand on your back for better access to the joint. To access the lower articular capsule, the hand is moved to the side or moved to the massage therapist’s shoulder.
Exercises when your hand goes numb
All movements are performed with self-resistance - this is when the neck lightly rests on the hand. Each is accompanied by breathing techniques and a deep awareness of what is happening ( unlike physical education lessons ).
Inhalation is one movement, exhalation is another. After each inhalation, hold for a second, then also hold for a second as you exhale.
Important! All exercises are done for 3-5 repetitions in each direction.
Throwing the head back
Throwing back the head
1. We stand straight, the shoulders are not tense, the arms are at the seams, or they can be folded on the chest. We move our head back while inhaling. We throw our heads back, pause and exhale, bending our heads forward.
Tilt of head to the side
Lateral head tilts
2. Lateral tilts. Inhale in one direction, exhale in the other. We linger at the shoulder.
Head turning exercise
Head turns
3. Head turns, first in one direction with inhalation, then in the other with exhalation. At the very extreme point we fixate for a second. It's important to feel it.
Massage of the back of the head
Massaging the back of the head
4. Now we must fasten our hands on the back of our head. We try to push the back of our head with our hands half-heartedly to tilt our head back. Palms are not allowed.
Press on your hands for 5, 7, 10 seconds, then as you exhale, under the weight of your hands, your head slowly bends forward, stretching the back of your neck.
Try to lower your chin as low as possible to your chest and stay at the extreme point for several seconds (5, 7, 10).
Isometric exercise
Isometric exercise
5. Now we place our right hand behind our head and place it above our left ear. As you inhale at half strength, we begin to press your head onto your palm as if you want to tilt your head. The hand won't let me. We hold for 5, 7, 10 seconds and then, under the weight of your arm, begin to tilt towards the other shoulder, slowly and slowly.
Feel how your left shoulder girdle and the side of your neck stretch.
6. Change hands and repeat the same thing, but in the other direction.
Circular movements of the shoulders
Shoulder movement
7. You can complete the entire complex with circular movements of your shoulders. The arms hang freely along the body, only the shoulders work. The only condition is amplitude. Do it slowly, but try to maintain maximum amplitude. Repeat 10 times.
⚠️ The information in the article is for educational purposes only. All your actions must be coordinated with your doctor or other specialist at your local clinic!
Good health to you, dear readers!
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What to do if your hands go numb in your sleep.
Exercises and folk remedies. Many people, especially representatives of older age groups, are familiar with the sensation of tingling, “crawling,” awkwardness, and numbness in the hands, especially at night. However, the symptom can occur at any age. The main and most common reason why your hands go numb at night is cervical osteochondrosis or salt deposition in the cervical spine. This disease occurs in 70% of the population over the age of 50, but the process begins after overcoming the 30-year mark. Nowadays, osteochondrosis can also be found more and more often in adolescents.
Other causes of discomfort in the hands include diseases of the heart and circulatory system, atherosclerosis, vascular atherothrombosis, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, polyarthritis of small joints, inflammation in the nerves themselves, lack of B vitamins. In the absence of any pathology, numbness in the hands may occur with an incorrectly selected pillow or unphysiological position of the body and, above all, the arms during sleep. Many people have the habit of sleeping with their arms thrown up or placed under their heads, which impedes blood circulation in the upper extremities.
How your hands go numb at night
Unpleasant sensations can be very diverse in their localization. It is very rare to encounter numbness in the entire arm. More often, any part of it goes numb, which completely depends on the cause of the disease:
1. Cervical osteochondrosis, spondylosis, hernia or protrusion of intervertebral discs of the cervical spine, especially when the pathological process is localized in the lower cervical segments (C5-C7). It is from this part of the spinal cord that the nerves leading to the arms emerge. In this case, depending on the affected nerve root, numbness can be localized:
- along the inner surface of the arm, from the shoulder to the tips of the 5th and half of the 4th fingers (C7);
- on the back of the shoulder and forearm, the back of the 2nd and 3rd fingers (C6);
- along the side of the hand to the thumb and index finger (C5).
With a common pathological process of the lower cervical region, the location of numbness may be different. Headache with cervical osteochondrosis is also not uncommon.
2. Carpal tunnel syndrome - compression of the nerves leading to the hand in a narrow canal formed by the bones of the wrist. Occurs during prolonged activity associated with the same type of load on the hands, such as flexion-extension movements (working at a computer, playing musical instruments, assembling parts, conveyor belts). In this case, there is numbness of the entire hand or its parts strictly below the wrist, and sometimes numbness of the fingers is observed. The overlying parts of the hand are not involved in the pathological process.
3. Polyarthritis of small joints of the hand. Here it is typical to have manifestations only in the fingers.
4. In case of pathology of the shoulder or elbow joints, symptoms will occur in the underlying parts of the upper limb.
5. Diabetes mellitus and other metabolic disorders (liver disease, kidney disease, endocrine pathology). This also includes abuse of alcohol and nicotine, since the mechanism of development of the pathology is very similar. Numbness in this case has an “ascending” character, begins from more distant parts and gradually, over time, “rises” upward. This happens as larger vessels become involved. Usually two hands are affected at once, the sensations are symmetrical.
6. With hypertension, numbness of the hands at night appears only when the blood pressure level is elevated.
7. Numbness of the hands is of particular importance in case of heart disease. Here you should pay attention to which hand is going numb. If unpleasant sensations occur in the right hand, this can most likely be attributed to cervical osteochondrosis. But numbness in the left arm can be a sign of serious heart problems, such as angina or a heart attack. If numbness in your left arm occurs suddenly, especially at night, and does not go away within an hour, you should consult a doctor.
What to do if your hands go numb in your sleep
1. Try to eliminate all possible factors:
- replace the pillow;
- choose a more comfortable sleeping position, often changing position to prevent the blood vessels from being pinched;
- Avoid alcohol and nicotine consumption, especially at night;
- Do not engage in work that requires stress on your arms before going to bed.
2. Exercises for numbness in the hands at night:
- without getting out of bed, lie on your back and stretch your arms up, bend and straighten your fingers 50 times, then put your arms along your body and repeat the exercise;
- rotational movements in the wrists;
- stand up and clasp your hands behind your back, try to raise them as high as possible;
- in mild cases, just shake your hands.
3. You can relax tense neck muscles with light self-massage.
before bed and during the day. It is enough to simply rub your neck with your palms, you can also use anti-inflammatory ointments (Nise, Fastum Gel).
4. In the absence of contraindications and depending on the cause, physiotherapeutic procedures can be used:
- magnetic therapy on the neck;
- phonophoresis, darsonvalization of hands;
- paraffin on hands, forearms;
- electrophoresis with lidase on the carpal tunnel area.
5. Folk remedies:
- honey compress: spread honey on the numb areas of the hands in a thin layer, wrap and leave overnight, course of 7-10 procedures;
- wild rosemary: 5 tbsp. crushed raw materials, pour 1 glass of apple cider vinegar, leave for a week and use for rubbing numb areas;
- A glass of hot water every morning on an empty stomach will help strengthen the walls of blood vessels.