By symptom
Numbness & tingling
Pins and needles, or a hand that feels dead or asleep
What can cause this
More than one condition can produce numbness & tingling, and the pattern matters as much as the symptom itself — when it happens, what brings it on, and what makes it settle. The conditions below are the ones most often responsible. This page is not a diagnosis.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome usually begins gradually, and the pattern of symptoms is often more telling than their severity. Numbness and tingling affect…
Read articleCubital Tunnel Syndrome
Numbness or tingling in the ring and little fingers, weakness of grip and hand coordination, and aching on the inner side of…
Read articleNerve Compression
Numbness, tingling, or weakness in the area supplied by the affected nerve, which may worsen with certain positions or activities.
Read articlePeripheral Nerve Injury
Numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain in the distribution of the affected nerve, ranging from mild sensory changes to complete loss of function.
Read article
Other symptoms
- Numbness & tinglingPins and needles, or a hand that feels dead or asleep
- Pain & achingAching, sharp pain, or pain that wakes you at night
- WeaknessA weak grip, or dropping things without meaning to
- Locking or catchingA finger that clicks, catches, or locks bent
- SwellingA swollen hand, wrist or finger
- StiffnessA joint that will not move as far as it used to
- A lump or massA new lump on the hand or wrist
- Difficulty moving a fingerTrouble straightening or bending a finger
- Change in shapeA finger or wrist that looks bent or out of line
- A recent injuryA fall, a cut, a crush or a blow to the hand
- Cold, pale or blue fingersColour change, or fingers that go white in the cold
Working out which of these it is usually takes a history and an examination rather than a test.
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