numb pinky & 4th finger

[tashbarnes87]

Hi all, just a quick question for the past few weeks on my right hand i have been waking up with a completey numb pinky & 4th finger. I wiggle it and it comes back almost instantly. no pins& needles. I put this down to my little finger being screwed from breaking it twice but this morning woke up terrified as my left hand did exactly the same. So worried now . Any ideas? x

[rebeccad]

definatley the way you are lying, i posted the same thing a few days ago and you reassured me the same thing haha, its funny how we can reassure other people but not ourselves. I wake up constantly with numb fingers and hands it has to be the way you are lying else it would happen in the day, if it is only whilst you are asleep it is nothing to worry about, how are the other problems?

[PanicOver!!]

Hi

I often get this and had loads of tests turned out its something to do with a nerve in your elbows thats why it only affects the little and ring finger

[itoldyouiwasill]

Hi all, just a quick question for the past few weeks on my right hand i have been waking up with a completey numb pinky & 4th finger. I wiggle it and it comes back almost instantly. no pins& needles. I put this down to my little finger being screwed from breaking it twice but this morning woke up terrified as my left hand did exactly the same. So worried now . Any ideas? x

This is entrapment/irritation of the ulnar nerve. This can happen either at the elbow or at the shoulder but is far more common at the elbow. One of my main physical anxiety symptoms was waking up with this and then one day the left sided one did not clear and hung around for months and months...I still occasionally have a mini flare up.

This is usually caused by keeping your elbows on a desk etc etc or bad sleeping positions but for some reason it also seems to be common amongst anxiety sufferers...why this should be who knows but I have a feeling it may well be to do with oxygen deprivation of certain areas of the body (totally harmless) which is also the culprit for causing many of the aches and pains that go hand in hand with anxiety and depression.

....annoying I know but nothing to worry about!

:doh:

(...what a silly thing to say on a health anxiety forum but hey, you know what I mean...lol)

[tashbarnes87]

well im wondering if its to do with the constant ache in my shoudlers. I also sleep with both arms tucked above my head so it could be be because of that ? My arms have been killing today and if i massage my shoulders god does it hurt. Also feels like my back is burning :( xx

Thanks
all
xx

[itoldyouiwasill]

well im wondering if its to do with the constant ache in my shoudlers. I also sleep with both arms tucked above my head so it could be be because of that ? My arms have been killing today and if i massage my shoulders god does it hurt. Also feels like my back is burning :( xx

Thanks
all
xx

Yep, could well be!

I also carry a huge amount of tension across my back and shoulders which causes no end of chest and shoulder aches and pains and has also contributed to my upper right arm feeling weird and weak for the last 2 months. Muscular tension across this part of the body can refer aches and pains all over the place so this could well be the culprit for you.

[lauren6]

Hi Tash, I get this when my neck is bothering me. It always goes away. I'm not sure which nerve is causing yours but as far as the shoulders and tension, please look up progressive muscle relaxation and try to do this often. Right now, feel your shoulders. Are they hunched up a little or perfectly relaxed like a rag doll? Progressive muscle relaxation teaches you to shrug them, make them as tight as you can, then relax all the way. You'd be surprised how tense we keep our bodies a lot of the time. They also say it's hard to be anxious if our bodies are totally relaxed. When I went through a program for anxiety, they had us practice this a few times a day. I have to admit, I let go of doing this but I should! Try it, nothing to lose.

[pammy1944]

Is it your pinky and half of the fourth finger ? if so i think you will find that compression of C7 in your neck causes this ........ive had it for years ......good luck x

[ziggy95]

i get this if i sleep with my hand under my pillow, its annoying but goes away quickly. There are also some stretches you can do to release the nerve a little bit.