Numbness ?

[YT2095]

what causes loss of sensation (I`m not refering to any drugs or anaesthetics here).

for example sometimes at night you may have experienced your arm go "dead".

Yesterday I was cutting up some pretty thick cardboard with scisors, after about 15 mins I realised that I`de got a blister on my thumb (just a pressure type caused by the rubbing) but the most curious part was that half of my thumb was completely numb! and now, a good 20 hours later, it`s still numb?

 

any idea why and what causes it, and how I can get it back to normal again?

 

at least at night when your arm goes dead, it comes back within 5 mins.

[alt_f13]

When your arm goes numb at night it's probably lost circulation. It comes back ->after<- you wake up because you brought the circulation back. Next time it happens to me I'm turning the light on to see what color it is.

 

You might have pinched a nerve in your thumb though. I've done that before and it was numb for a long time too. I think I hit it on something or got it caught in something. Not too sure.

[YT2095]

well the temp of my thumb is the same, so I assume the circulation`s ok

 

as for the arm thing, I`ve actualy done that deliberately before, and the temp stays the same too, so I assume it`s the pinched nerve you mentioned also.

I`m just hoping now that I`ve not actualy caused any real damage, it`s a bit of a silly way to have created anything permenant in the way of damage. I wonder if I can fix it somehow?

 

LOL, Where`s Glider when ya need him!

[blike]

Probably sitting in Advanced Research Methods ....... again :-D

 

 

 

(reference to 'whats your schedule' thread)

[Skye]

Well till Glider gets here I'd guess you did some damage but the peripheral nervous system usually heals well so it should be gone soon.

[Glider]

YT2095 said in post #3 :

well the temp of my thumb is the same, so I assume the circulation`s ok

 

as for the arm thing, I`ve actualy done that deliberately before, and the temp stays the same too, so I assume it`s the pinched nerve you mentioned also.

I`m just hoping now that I`ve not actualy caused any real damage, it`s a bit of a silly way to have created anything permenant in the way of damage. I wonder if I can fix it somehow?

 

LOL, Where`s Glider when ya need him!

 

Sounds like there's definite (but minor) damage. Sounds worse than it is, as it is no more damage than you would expect, having caused a blister. By applying the pressure of the scissors for 15 minutes to the same spot (sufficient to cause a blister) and rubbing hard (by cutting thick cardboard), it sounds like you've covered the first two or three stages of a pressure sore:

 

Stage I "non-blanchable erythema of intact skin -- the heralding lesion of skin ulceration"

 

The constant pressure and rubbing will have resulted in a localized inflammatory response (the release of substance-P, prostoglandins and histamine). This results in redness and swelling and hyperalgesia, due to the release of the substances mentioned above.

 

Stage II "partial thickness skin loss involving epidermis and/or dermis" (by loss, you can assume 'skin death' as the skin covering a blister, although intact, is dead)

 

Stage III "full thickness skin loss involving damage or necrosis of subcutaneous tissue that may extend down to, but not through, underlying fascia"

 

There would be no necrosis, but clear damage to subcutaneous tissue. Continued rubbing and pressure after stage II (the appearance of a blister, or at least the death of skin at that area) will have resulted in the destruction of free nerve endings (C and A-delta fibres mainly). You should still have deep sensation (vibration, tap and thud) which are mediated by larger afferent fibres, but shallow cutaneous sensation in that area will be gone, or dulled, until the subcutaneous tissue repairs itself. There is nothing you can do to get the sensation back, it will just take a little time (a day or so).

 

blike said in post #4 :

Probably sitting in Advanced Research Methods ....... again :-D

 

That's tomorrow I have to give a lecture on 2-Way ANOVA from 2 till 3pm, then take a seminar from 4 till 5pm on the same subject...then hit the bar and dull the pain.

[YT2095]

wowzers, I think the odd part is, I actualy uderstood some of it

thnx

 

the place the blister is, is on the knukle of the second joint as it leaves your hand.

the numbness... imagine you put your right hand down flat on a table (we only had right handed scissors) where the last knukle of your thumb touches the table is where it`s dead (and still is over 26 hours later).

but it`s the weirdest sensation! not at all uncomfortable, but just a little disconcerting with some things. there seems to be no sign of it "wearing off" yet, and I did try a needle in it after reading your post, and there is feeling, but not sharp, more akin to a dull annoyance (so the underneath is fine as you said it would be).

if you look at the area I mentioned the blister was (second joint from hand) then go 90 degrees (or parallel to the numb area) to the left, in that joint there is some swelling, and when I rub it lateraly along an edge I get a tingle in the thumb tip (so I know it`s still alive) it feels a bit like the "funny bone" in yer elbow when you catch it oddly or "twang" it.

 

what`s actualy happened to it though? as there is no apparent damage to that area other than a sensitivity when "twanged". I`de love to see the nerve, a before and after shot.

anyway I digress, what can I do to fix it?

[Glider]

YT2095 said in post #7 :

if you look at the area I mentioned the blister was (second joint from hand) then go 90 degrees (or parallel to the numb area) to the left, in that joint there is some swelling, and when I rub it lateraly along an edge I get a tingle in the thumb tip (so I know it`s still alive) it feels a bit like the "funny bone" in yer elbow when you catch it oddly or "twang" it.

 

what`s actualy happened to it though? as there is no apparent damage to that area other than a sensitivity when "twanged". I`de love to see the nerve, a before and after shot.

Joints are where nerves are most vulneraple. At a joint, the nerve is less protected, as you know when you bang your 'funny bone'. That particular sensation is caused by a blow crushing the ulnar nerve, which causes those shooting parasthesias down the distal T1 dermatome (which includes your little finger, half of your ring finger and half the palmar area).

 

If you have parasthesia (unusual sensation: tingling, burning etc.)in an area distal to your thumb joint then it sounds like a crush injury to the nerve innervating that area. In other words, the pressure you applied at the joint, has slightly damaged the nerve at that point (or the inflammation is putting pressure on it where it crosses the joint), which is interfering with afferent transmission from areas distal to the point of injury.

 

anyway I digress, what can I do to fix it?

There is nothing you can do to fix it, it will fix itself (you could avoid using scissors on thick cardboard for a while though. Also, you could avoid sticking needles into it. Just look after it). It's not an uncommon thing; people do this kind of damage to themselves all the time. The fact you have sensation (albeit a weird one) beyond the site of injury shows that the damage isn't too bad; the nerve is intact, just slightly damaged or under pressure. It will recover. It's just a matter of time. Might be another day...might be a few days, but I wouldn't worry about it.

[YT2095]

Thnx Glider

 

It`s still "dead" but it`ll get better. Interesing what you said about the "funny bone" it`s those areas of my hand I have problems too, I had to use crutches for 4 months, and since then, I`ve never got 100% feeling back in those fingers either and that was over 6 years ago? but the temperature in them drops too?

I`m used to it now and it doesn`t bother me, but I`de love to know how to fix it, any ideas?

[Guest clifford zagnut]

hey, yt2095, did you know that i have a big numb space between my ears? really, you can't feel if someone touches your brain, even though it's all nerve tissue... not that i`de know, never having possed one and all that.

[Guest j0nan]

hi i recently slept with a wrist brace on and wen i woke up the topside of my thumb was numb i was wondering if this is serious or if it will go away its already been another day and it hasnt gotten better

[radiohead]

How tight was the wrist brace? I have worn knee braces a couple times because my knees are bad and after a game of basketball or football, my calf does go numb and I am assuming it's because of the brace not letting sufficient blood to my calf.