Please help me out here: finger stiffness!!!

[Dazo]

So, something new has come up here and it has rised my anxiety to new levels.
I have had bad anxiety now for two days cause of my fingers.

Its like this, my left hand and two fingers on it feels strange to me.

They are really stiff at times, they ache and they can get really cold.
I have had it like this now for about two weeks, not constantly but at soem point.
Like when i am about to eat, it feels hard to take a fork. This happened today earlier and right now when i ate it was not like that.

Of course my old fears about ALS and MS comes back really bad.

Can someone please help me out here?, i dont want to spoil this weekend with my thoughts.

I have tensed underarms at times too, maybe it is cause of them?

/ Daniel

[Nechtan]

Hi Daniel,

I get this quite a bit. Are the two fingers in question your little finger and the one nearest? It doeesn't matter if it is or not its just that's where I get it. Its a fairly recent thing which I think is down to Carpal tunnel syndrome (http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/carpal_tunnel.html). I have a tendancy to hold my hand tight against my face and sometimes when I am reading I hold books in an awkward position. It can be caused by a number of things. It is much like repetative strain injury and just as equally could be just that. With anxiety we are usually tensed up so it is easier for us to strain or pull something. The more tense we are the more likely it is to happen which is why I think alot of people with anxiety complain of stiffness, twinges and twitches.

Also it is worth noting that you may not be doing anything strenuous for this to happen. For example I have a tendancy to notivce sometime, ecpecially in bed, that I have my hands and/or fingers in an unusual position. Again it is usually when I am tensed up so I tend not to notice for a time and I think this puts them under strain without actually moving them. Ultimately I think tension from anxiety is the root.

If this looks like it could be the same with yourself then please try not to let it worry you. If you can get to your GP then it is worth getting it looked at. Other than that there are things like Power Ball (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Powerball-Neon-Blue-Pro/dp/B000GK8EQQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=sports&qid=1231523513&sr=8-4) and similar tools to help.

All the best

Nechtan

[Dazo]

Yes Nechtan, it is those two fingers on me too.

Maybe it is all the tense that makes me feel like this?
I have been worry so much now for two days and i feel really sick about all this.

It doesnt seem to be so common though?

/ Daniel

[Nechtan]

To be honest I don't know if it is common or not with anxiety but these conditions themselves are very common- especially among sports people and people in certain types of jobs.

I understand how you are feeling as I am the same. Whenever I have a sensation that is new or I don't like I constantly worry to the point of being sick. It is only natural. If you cannot put your mind at rest then it would be worth seeing your doctor so you can at least get some peace of mind.

How are your back and neck? Because I am tensed up so much these are the areas I notice where I get aches because of the tension and my posture. In the case of the fingers I can see it clearly. If I sit at the computer or read a book I have the weight of my head resting in in left hand. The fingers are stretched of my face. This is something I do without thinking and cannot stop doing. When I become aware of it I can actually feel the strain on my fingers. This is what is causing alot of my finger problems.

Then of course the fingers are weakened so it is easy to pick up strains. Just last night I was washing my plate in the sink holding the plate in my left hand and I felt it start to seize up because I was gripping it too tight at an awkward angle. And I have had this many times when opening bottles or applying pressure with my left hand. It just seizes up which gives me a fright and I have to quickly shake my hand to loosen it again.

If you are aware of anything you are doing that could be putting pressure on those fingers then it is good to notice it and try not to keep doing it so that your fingers can recover. It could be something you are not aware of at the moment but being looking for it you might find it. With anxiety we do so many things in auto-pilot.

I wish you all and all the best

Nechtan

[Dazo]

Thanks!

I guess it can be anxiety related.
My arms are very tensed and my muscles there are sore. It maybe affects the hands too.

[Nechtan]

I think that is it and is certainly the case for me.

If you can get a shoulder massage I'll bet you'll be told that your shoulders are knotted up because of the tension. This is a good way of loosening up if you can. Relaxation techniques too will ease the tension as well and if you can just try to loosed your body a bit if you feel you are tensing up- easier said than done. Tension from anxiety really does cause alot of aches, pains and stiffness in the limbs and elsewhere.

All the best

Nechtan