Numbness in pinky and ring finger

M

Matt<<

New member
hey bob, this, and jane is very right in that the problem could be stemming from anywhere from the c spine where it starts on down that whole arm to the wrist area(usually within a joint area). but that radial nerve is actually on the thumb side tho? the nerve i think jane ment to say was actually the "ulnar' nerve or also called the 'C 8' nerve at the c spine level, which is what innervates the sensory in the pinkie and only one side of that ring finger, tho in some people it CAN actually feel like that whole ring finger is invloved with sensory loss too? it kind of depends upon just how really profound that level of numbness just is.

a really good test to try and find the very exact spot from that c spine on down that whole arm to just exactly where the compression just is would be what is called an EMG/NCV test. this would pinpoint the area where the problem actually is much better than any other just to start? but only if the areas involved with the sensory loss are actively being compressed at the time of the testing. it just has to be actively 'going on' in order to best pinpoint or it may show normal nerve flow velocity? but if this has gotten to the point where it is pretty much a constant now, that test would tell you right away.

i am just wondering if you are suffering ANY actual neck pain at all here too? exactly how do you have to 'hold your neck posistion' while you play? if it is onto any particular side, and ALWAYS has to be held in that particular posistion, then the problem easily could be stemming from c spine given what just could occur over time in doing this? it could cause an impinged nerve up there at your c 8 as a consequence?

getting an MRI of that c spine would show this pretty heavy level of impingement if this is not actually in the elbow but at that c 8 level? the elbow would be the other best more commoh possible here too just because that ulnar nerve IS very vulnerable and runs within the outter side(that "funny bone" when hit, just IS that ulnar nerve)in what is called the 'ulnar crease"?

since this problem sounds from what you have stated to actually start AT the elbow, the most common areas of possible impingement or compression would simply BE either AT that elbow area or up in that c spine? when you have symptoms like you are here, the area of impingement would have to be either 'right at" the area where the sensory is being impacted, or further up from it in the c spine and would not be below your elbow here, tho you could also have some issue going on within that wrist area too? it just would not be THE main source of elbow on down type of loss, ya know what i mean?

but DO see your doc to get this and you evaluated and get him or her to actually send you for at least that EMG or the MRI or both just to get the best overall picture from c spine to the wrist area. hopefully it is nothing huge that is going on and can be fixed with certain non invasive types of therepy. but you DO need to do something since when any nerve is impinged and not recieving any good nerve flow velocity, over time that nerve will die off at the impinged site(impingement not relieved will almost always become worse with time) and stay that way permanently? this just can happen if a nerve, either sensory or motor and esp if there is pain involved, that pain can imprint upon that nerve and never go away. just see what pops up on your test results and that will kind of dictate any next steps depending upon where this is and how badly its being affected too. good luck with this and DO please keep us posted. FB
 
I had this problem for about 6 months. At the same time, I was losing the strength in that hand. I went to my ortho doctor and a neurologist and they found it was due to compression on the ulnar nerve which is located near the elbow. He operated and moved the nerve. That was in May and I am now getting the strength back in that hand.
 
i have been having numbness in my pinky and ring finger for about 2 months now,at first it was really mild,but now is really annoying.Sometimes the numbness goes up to my elbow and my wrist gets really stiff,any ideas on what this could be?
 
nopresc

My symptoms began just like yours--I began to have numbness and tingling on my left pinky and ring fingers. I originally thought that I had MS and was referred to a neurologist. She did the tapping on the elbow and it did reproduce the tingling in the fingers, however, I was also experiencing a heavy feeling in my legs and the tingling was beginning to start in my right hand, so she ordered an MRI of my neck. Well it turns out that I had a herniated disk at c5-c6 that was pressing on the spinal canal. I was not suffering any neck pain, so this was a great surprise to me. I had immediate surgery and am currently involved in rehabilitation physical therapy and feeling great.
My guess is if you are only having the symptoms in your hand, it most likely is a problem with your ulnar nerve.
Glad to hear that you are getting everything check out--let me know how you are doing.
 
Thanxs FB...i do have some pain up in my neck esp.when performing,but if i put pressure on my elbow my fingers will go numb instantly and i do notice some loss of grip.However i did call my MD today and will be seen Thurs.
 
Compression of the radial nerve in your arm, probably. The compression can happen at the wrist, elbow, neck or shoulder.

Because it's been going on for a while and getting worse, you should get it checked out. However, for most people gentle stretching can help. If sitting at a desk too long is related, you might get some relief by moving your arms and hands around every 30 minutes.
 
hey bob, just because there was a supposed "negative x ray only" done on your c spine, by no means would actually tell alot other than vertebral/disc issues and NOT what realistically needs to be seen "within" that c spine, the nerve roots and that spinal cord itself too? until you can obtain that MRI, you seriously simply do NOT truely know what all the "possibles" of what can produce your symptoms just
'look like" and 'how" they really are in there?

hopefully the neuro will run that needed EMG/NCV and also send you for a much more in depth test like that MRI just to truely rule in or out other things. that EMG would simply show 'where' that true impingment of that ulnar actually even starts at, either up IN that c spine level by 'something' that just CAN do this, trust me, or if this IS only AT that elbow area in that ulnar crease? but that part simply DOES need to be found out in order for you to even begin to obtain the best and more appropriate treatments and options bob. good luck with this and DO please keep us all posted, K? if for some insaen reason that neuro does NOT actually even DO that one really needed EMG, make darn certain to ask for it since its kinda a basic type test he "should be doing" just given your symptoms? but DO also make certain he knows you also have some neck pain as well?

brenda, sorry to hear about how you ended up where you are hon. trust me, i do know how much it suckst to even have cord injuries too. but mine was done with a scalpel and directly into my cord about one third of the way to try and resect(they actually dug this out tiny piece by piece) the cavernoma out before i had that one more bleed that would have ment instant and permenant paralyzation(my glob was already taking up an area of 4x6x8 in there and my actual cord amp is about only 10. just no room for anymore bleeds) did NOT have a freaking clue i even had this sob til my needed MRI was done back in 01 to define what we just knew by symptoms i had been having WAS also a herniated disc? ya just never really know what is going to pop up on any inner scan til you have to obtain that good "look' inside of something.

i did suffer some pretty insane levels of actual damge to MANY areas, some i was told simply would be becasue they were in the way, but some of the worst, i was never told about more specifically so did not have any real clue what they ment for me post op? i am just wondering how severely and what areas of your cord were damaged to the point of needing rehab therepy, if you don't mind sharing? its just really an interesting subject to me now, knowing how much about neuroanatomy i HAD to start learning post op just to really get to know the 'new me' and simply explain why i was feeling or not feeling particular things? just so VERY insane the first year mostly following sp cord injuries of any kind?

hopefully you will regain everything that kind of became "disconnected' during this and things will once again be back to normal. it really DID and still does truely amaze me at what anyone can actually still regain after suffering some pretty slammin injuries to even the inner part(tracts?) of that spinal cord with the right therepies and motivation, which i am sure you are finding out now too? sorry you even HAD to go there at all brenda, but glad things are getting much better for you now. FB
 
Hi Feelbad,

I do not want to hijack Bob's post, so I will begin a new post to describe my experience. I will post on the spine board because I think that would be the more appropriate board.

Bob--Feelbad is correct, the neck x-ray is really only going to show a fx and some loss of disk space that may be an indication of spinal cord compression. The MRI is really the gold standard test which the neurologist should order along with an MRI of the heard to rule a possible MS related issue.
 
the fact that you just can even reproduce numbness by simply pressing on that ulnar nerve crease area at all means that nerve IS a bit more 'prominant(sticking out from the crease) a bit more than it should be, which probably IS from inflammation(this could be AT only the elbow or the inflammation of that whole nerve could be FROM that c spine level too). i am glad you will be checking into this soon. but DO make certain that ANY testing is just done FROM that base of operations within that c spine and all the way down too. ya just never know how much other areas could simply be involved at the more 'key' points til you check them all, ya know what i mean? good luck and DO please keep us posted, FB
 
I don't think it wouldn't be radial nerve compression, since that would make your thumb, index, and middle fingers numb. It sounds more like ulnar nerve compression. Sometimes it could be related to the way you sleep, so you could try splints that keep your elbows in a neutral (slightly bent) position at night.
I had the same problem for a year and a half. Sleeping with my arms bent was making it worse, but unfortunately for me, the splints weren't enough by themselves. It turns out I had severed a tendon in my elbow when I fell ice skating 18 months before. The tendon injury made other tissues in my elbow shift around, which led to the ulnar nerve compression.
If I remember correctly, one of the "tests" they did was tap with a finger over my "funny bone"-- it made my fingers tingle, which was considered a "positive sign". (If you hit anybody's funny bone hard enough, it will make fingers tingle, but this was just a light tap - shouldn't be uncomfortable normally.) I also recall that I used to trigger tingling or numbness by just putting my elbows on a table (e.g., when you prop your chin on your hand.)
Besides having the tendon repaired, I had an "ulnar nerve transposition" -- basically they move the ulnar nerve over. It was a big surgery, and I have a 6 or 7-inch scar, but it fixed the problem. I got full strength back in my arm and hand, and have no pain, numbness, or any other problem anymore. I had heard it was supposed to be a really painful and awful procedure, but I didn't have very much pain with it. The hardest part was having a full arm splint on for so long while it healed - but then again, I had a tendon repaired too, so maybe it wouldn't be immobilized for too long.

I would start by asking about elbow &/or wrist splints at night. Hopefully it's something simple related to positioning over night, and won't require anything more invasive.

Good luck!
 
Back
Top