How many have experienced 'weakness' in left arm?

[ElectricAlice]

How many people here have experienced a 'weak' feeling in their left arm and feeling like their left hand is less dextrous, stiff or numb fingers?

I'm curious because I see this coming up a lot on this site. I get it too and I'm convinced it must be a VERY common symptom of anxiety.

My theory is that the majority of people are right handed - therefore our left hand and arm will be slightly weaker and less dextrous. But when we have anxiety we magnify this and obsess over it and think it must match our right hand and arm.

I think it's important to realise that either side of our bodies don't have to match!

[orthagonal]

My personal opinion is that these little symptoms that set us off into anxiety spirals are actually experienced by almost everyone, it's just that people with HA, in fact, it may be the hallmark trait of health anxiety, is that we dwell on and obsess and catastrophize these symptoms. I think most people just go "hmm arm's numbish today, must've slept on it wrong" where as we go "hmm, arm feels weird must be a HEART ATTACK/ALS/ARM CANCER".

[xBettyBoopx]

I get weak left hand and arm, but then again I get everything!!!!! My anxiety levels lately are so high that I worry if I feel ok for a few minutes of the day!!! Worry worry worry worry that's all we do, it's so annoying:ohmy::ohmy::bighug1::bighug1:

xBettybx

[ElectricAlice]

My personal opinion is that these little symptoms that set us off into anxiety spirals are actually experienced by almost everyone, it's just that people with HA, in fact, it may be the hallmark trait of health anxiety, is that we dwell on and obsess and catastrophize these symptoms. I think most people just go "hmm arm's numbish today, must've slept on it wrong" where as we go "hmm, arm feels weird must be a HEART ATTACK/ALS/ARM CANCER".


Yup exactly what I think too. There's probably hundreds of people that get weird sensations and don't even bat an eye. Catastrophic thinking is so terrible! I guess it helps to laugh sometimes about it xD

[Sixpack]

How many people here have experienced a 'weak' feeling in their left arm and feeling like their left hand is less dextrous, stiff or numb fingers?

I'm curious because I see this coming up a lot on this site. I get it too and I'm convinced it must be a VERY common symptom of anxiety.

My theory is that the majority of people are right handed - therefore our left hand and arm will be slightly weaker and less dextrous. But when we have anxiety we magnify this and obsess over it and think it must match our right hand and arm.

I think it's important to realise that either side of our bodies don't have to match!


Me

Actually anxiety amplifies minor nothings into major somethings. Back when I was fixated on neuro diseases, my left arm "felt" heavier, weaker, less dexterous, crampier, etc...

I, by the way, am left handed. In my case it stemmed from actual issues with disks in my neck. I do, in fact, have some nerve damage in that arm from the disk issues. However, once, the doctor diagnosed it, I calmed down, the muscle tension was reduced, thereby putting less pressure on the disks and nerves and most of those symptoms went away.


In other words, I have an actual, non-life threatening, issue with my neck that causes some weakness BUT my anxiety over it all, my catastrophic thinking, amplified and/or created many more aches/pains.

---------- Post added at 17:01 ---------- Previous post was at 16:57 ----------

Oh, actually, I was noticing for the last week that my left hand has been very achy, tight etc.... Life has also been very tense here at home. Which causes my neck and back to tense, thereby squeezing on my already compromised neck issues. :). My dx is exactly that: Life is tense, my body is tensing up, causing the pain.