Hand tingling or tingling in other parts of the body is the result of nerve damage. The nerve damage can be caused by pressure on the nerve, a bruise or by harmful substances.
Patients who are affected by this often complain of numb fingers or hands, or of numbness, formication and burning sensations. The discomfort is referred to in medicine as paresthesia.
If the nerve is completely destroyed, the corresponding area is completely numb. Unless the known cause is an acute injury, a neurological examination should be carried out.
The most important causes of the main symptom ‘tingling hand or hands‘ are presented below, with the focus here on the causes in the specialist area of hand surgery.
How does a tingling hand manifest itself in carpal tunnel syndrome?
Tingling in the hand is one of the main symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Patients often also complain of numb fingers or generally speak of a numb hand. The fingers supplied by the median nerve are typically affected: the flexor side of the thumb, index finger, middle finger and the thumb-side part of the ring finger.
Tingling in the little finger must be attributed to the ulnar nerve and is atypical for this hand disease. As the disease often occurs on both sides, both hands often tingle.
Hand tingling in ulnar sulcus syndrome and Loge de Guyon syndrome.
In sulcus ulnaris syndrome, tingling is only experienced in a small part of the hand, namely on the flexor side of the little finger and on the little finger side of the ring finger. The same can apply to Loge de Guyon synd rome – but with one small difference. With ulnar sulcus syndrome, patients often also complain of a tingling sensation on the extensor side of the fingers described. This is not the case with Loge de Guyon syndrome.
Wartenberg syndrome is a very rare cause.
In Wartenberg syndrome, patients complain of a tingling sensation on the extensor side of the affected hand. The thumb and index finger tingle. This is due to a constriction of the superficial branch of the radial nerve on the forearm.
With the help of a small operation, which can be performed under local anesthesia, it is possible to correct the nerve constriction. As Wartenberg syndrome is very rare, it is often only recognized late. If the branch of the radial nerve is permanently damaged, surgery can no longer be expected to improve the symptoms.
Injuries with nerve damage.
Tingling and numbness in the hand can also be the result of injuries such as fractures, strains, bruises, ligament injuries and others. If it is only a sensory disturbance = paraesthesia or dysesthesia, then the corresponding nerve has suffered pressure damage due to a contusion or bruise.
If the nerve has been completely severed in a cut, for example, this results in numbness in the area supplied by the nerve.
Injuries also include conditions following radiotherapy to the armpits, e.g. after breast cancer treatment. Here, the nerve plexuses can be damaged so that patients complain of tingling in the entire hand and arm – sometimes only after many years. Pain can also occur in this context.
Orthopaedic causes of paraesthesia in the hand
The causes of paresthesia of the hands in hand surgery described above must always be differentiated from orthopaedic causes. If the tingling cannot be attributed to a specific nerve in the hand, the cause should also be sought in the cervical spine.
Shoulder and neck pain syndromes, a bulging disc = protrusio or a herniated disc = prolapse and signs of wear and tear in the cervical spine can also lead secondarily to irritation of the corresponding nerve roots and thus to tingling in the hand.
Internal causes of hand tingling
In internal medicine, there is a wide range of possible causes for tingling of the hands. In most cases, it is not just the hand or hands that are affected, as these are general disorders.
In these so-called polyneuropathies, various nerves are affected by an underlying disease. This results in tingling in the extremities (arms and legs), paralysis, irritation and other symptoms. The most important polyneuropathies include
- Diabetic polyneuropathy: 30% of all polyneuropathies, typically characterized by tingling in the hands and feet.
- Alcoholic polyneuropathy: 30% of cases.
- Polyneuropathies in vascular diseases
- Rheumatism
- HIV
- Gout
- Drug causes of polyneuropathy: chemotherapeutic agents, antibiotics, antirheumatics, viral agents = virustatics
- Toxic substances: Insecticides, paints, rat poison, adhesives
- and many others
Hand tingling in neurology
In neurology, there is a whole range of diseases that can lead to hand tingling. In addition to the diseases described above, spinal cord diseases and diseases of the central nervous system can also be the cause. However, these are usually combined with other often serious symptoms.
