For the past few months I have been waking up with a numb right arm and hand. At first I thought I slept on it and thus causing the numbness, however, I have tried several different ways to sleep whereas it is impossible for me to lie on my right side. Strange thing is, it also happens any other time when I hold something in my right hand for a few minutes, such as talking on a mobile phone. It is not freaking me out as yet but I am starting to get a little concerned. Make matters worse, I am a cigarette smoker and have been for many years. Could this be caused directly from me smoking? I know all the facts re smoking, my general health etc and it is a disgusting habit. I am planning on quitting permanently after I have gotten help for my nicotine addiction.
Suggestion:
It seems that you have some type of RSI (repetitive stress injury), which probably comes from working with a computer or sitting at a desk, leaning forwards. Then your nerves get a little injured, your back muscles get stretched and weak, and over time as some muscles are trying to over compensate, they atrophy. The result is that your own muscles cannot do their job any more. That arm/hand probably gets easily tired.
The best thing is to go to a doctor, and then take serious physiotherapy. Keep in mind that finding a really good physiotherapist is not easy…
ps. smoking certainly does not help, it's just another burden to the system. RSI happens primarily due to overload of toxins in the injured area – poor circulation caused by lack of movement does not clear the toxins, which are products of muscles working. Add toxins from cigarettes to the mix and you know why you should stop smoking immediately.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Sounds like tendinitis, I've had that before. No fun!
You should see a doctor who specializes in that kind of stuff. An Orthopedic Surgeon and a pain management doctor. The pain management doctor will do a nerve test to see if it is a pinched nerve somewhere. I had the same thing happen an I went to a pain management doctor and he did a nerve test.
He found I had nerve damage in my neck which made my arm and hand go numb. He also found carpal tunnel syndrome which is found in the wrist and can make your hand and arm numb as well. He sent me to an Orthopedic Surgeon and that doctor told me I needed an operation on my wrist. Of course that made me scared cause I hate operations.
He told me to wear a special wrist brace which has a velcro fasten on it and it fits over your wrist thumb and part of your hand to support the wrist. The pharmacy can help you with what you need. No script is needed. This will really help a lot. You need to wear it during the day weather you are using that hand an wrist or not. Also wear it when you sleep. Make sure the brace you get is for the wrist you need it for cause it comes in left and right braces.
I am no doctor but I know what you are going through with the numbness and how weird it feels, and how painful it was for me as it continued to get worse. As it got worse for me I started to have trouble with one of my fingers on the same hand which is my left hand, wrist and arm. So I went back to the doctors to let him check it out.
He found what is called trigger finger. A very painful and uncomfortable addition to carpel tunnel an nerve damage. That is when you try to close and bend all your fingers in a fist and one finger feels real tight at the last big knuckle that is closest to the palm, and is hard to bend all the way down towards the palm of your hand. It is usually the middle finger that this occurs in.
If you close that finger to much or all the way it will make a popping noise and the pain is horrible cause when you go to open your hand and straighten all your fingers out that one finger is stuck bent in that down position and you have to take your other hand and hold the big knuckle in place and pull an pop the other finger back up to straighten it out. Talk about seeing stars, holy moley.
Well I never had the operations done and I still have trouble with it all. The nerve damage is still there as well as the carpel tunnel but it has gotten a lot better in the last few years. There are things I have learned to do differently as well as sleeping on my right side and keeping the arm and hand that goes numb straight down on top of my left side so that does not happen much now.
The trigger finger is still a big problem and I still have not gone to get the operation for that. Not sure if I want to. Best thing to do is go a doctor that deals with that stuff and see what they come up with. If you want to go to the drug store and try the brace I spoke of you could do that first and save yourself a trip to the doctors for now. Just make sure you get the right brace for carpel tunnel. It should tell you on the box. Smoking does not help things either, in more ways than one but you already know that so Good luck feel better and get that looked at by a professional.
Sorry this was so long but there was no short way to explain it all and I have a hard time keeping it short an simple and not as detailed as I do.
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