Nearly everyone has experienced the sensation of paresthesia, or tingling, at some point. It’s an odd feeling, and most people don’t enjoy it. Most of the time, that pins-and-needles feeling is temporary and harmless.
It can be a sign of an underlying problem, though. When patients come to Ortho 1 Medical Group complaining of tingling fingers, our experts take a detailed medical history, discuss any other symptoms that may be present, and then work to rule out conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, or other underlying causes.
Tingling in your fingers that happens rarely and goes away isn’t something to worry about. It could be due to holding your fingers in an awkward position, dehydration, or other possible causes.
If it happens often or never stops, it’s more likely related to some underlying condition. The best treatment to resolve your paresthesia depends on the cause. For example, if you have diabetes, tingling may be linked to diabetic neuropathy, which is nerve damage caused by diabetes.
Diabetic neuropathy happens most often in the legs and feet, but it can happen in your arms and hands, as well. Treating paresthesia due to diabetic neuropathy is related to controlling your diabetes.
One of the most common causes of paresthesia is a pinched nerve. Injury, inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, and repetitive motion injuries can cause pinched nerves.
Various medications can also lead to a sensation of prickling in your fingers. It is a common side effect of multiple drugs that are often used to treat cancer and HIV. Some heart and blood pressure medications, antibiotics, and anticonvulsants can also cause paresthesia.
Other conditions that can cause the tingling feeling include:
There are many other potential causes, some of which are quite rare. It’s essential to receive care from a highly trained expert, such as the providers at Ortho 1 Medical Group, to understand the likely cause of your paresthesia and receive effective treatment.
Your nervous system is made up of two parts—central and peripheral. Your spinal cord houses a big bundle of nerves, and they branch off and run to every part of your body, including your hands.
The nerves that give you such precise sensation in your fingertips must pass through some narrow places as they travel through your shoulders, arms, and wrists. In some of those areas, the nerves must also share space with tendons that work with your muscles so that you can move.
Two such areas are your elbows and wrists. In your elbow, a group of tendons and bones form what’s called your cubital tunnel, and in your wrist, a similar passage is called your carpal tunnel.
In either area, the tendons can become irritated and inflamed, and press on the nerves as they pass through. And when the nerves are pressed, they may cause the tingling sensation of paresthesia. Treatments for cubital and carpal tunnel syndrome are available.
If you’re experiencing frequent tingling in your fingers, schedule an appointment at either location of Ortho 1 Medical Group. Our experts are happy to answer your questions and investigate the cause of your discomfort.
