What Can Cause Numbness and Tingling in Your Hands?
Many cases of numbness and tingling in the legs and hands are often temporary, and can usually be traced to sitting or sleeping in the same position for a long period of time. This can prevent the flow of blood to a specific area of the body. Nerve and blood vessel pressure can result in the tingling sensation that you feel.
If this is the cause of your numbness or tingling, simply standing up and walking around can generally resolve it, so that the flow of blood resumes in the affected area. However, there are times when the numbness and/or tingling is caused by a more long-term problem
Workplace practices
Similar to sitting or sleeping in one position for a long period of time, the way you go about your day at work could be responsible for triggering numbness or tingling in the hands or legs. If you routinely sit at your desk for hours at a time, this could disrupt the flow of blood and nerve energy to certain areas of the body, and you should make a point of occasionally taking posture breaks.
You should also keep your back straight while sitting and avoid slouching over your computer because this is an unnatural position that could cause tingling. You might also develop carpal tunnel from using your computer mouse frequently because it forces the muscles and nerves of your hand into an extended position, which can disrupt blood and cause neural tension.
Determining the cause of numbness
When none of these simple causes apply, it will very likely involve some kind of nerve interference which can be diagnosed and corrected. Some doctors routinely use a Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) test in order to identify types of nerve disorders, as opposed to physical conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
A nerve conduction velocity test will be used to determine the effectiveness of nerve impulse conduction throughout the length of an entire nerve, and it’s excellent for identifying any signs of nerve injury. It’s a fairly simple test that simulates a particular nerve, after which the electrical impulse is measured downstream. Electrodes can be attached so that the speed of any electrical impulse can be measured as it courses through a nerve.
Since the normal speed of transmission is known, any decreased speed will generally indicate some kind of nerve disorder or damage. By taking the NCV test, you’ll be able to determine whether there is some kind of nerve disorder, and that will indicate to your doctor the appropriate course of action.
In cases where numbness or tingling is due to any kind of misalignment or strain on a given area of the body, advanced chiropractic care will generally be able to resolve the issue. Chiropractic care is superior in addressing problems such as numbness and tingling in various areas of the body when these sensations are due to abnormal stresses and loads placed on bones and muscle tissue. Poor posture over long periods of time often deforms the spine causing it to lose the normal curvatures. When this occurs the spinal cord will be subjected to increased tension in certain areas, which can also cause numbness and tingling.
Optimal Spine & Posture specializes in restoring the normal curves of the spine that have deformed due to years of poor posture or old injuries. Where other systems have failed, it is what we do at Optimal Spine & Posture that helps our patients achieve such phenomenal results.
If you are suffering from numbness and tingling in your hands reach out to us at Optimal Spine & Posture by calling (208) 795-3082 or filling our our online form for a FREE initial consultation.
