Thumb numbness is commonly caused by compression neuropathy, often due to carpal tunnel syndrome or arthritis. Other causes include forearm injuries, ganglion cysts, and double crush injuries. Diagnosis and treatment of the underlying cause can usually cure the problem.
Compression neuropathy is the most common cause of thumb numbness. This condition is typically caused by carpal tunnel syndrome or long-standing arthritis of the hand and wrist. In addition to numbness, compression neuropathy can also cause tingling and burning in the hand. Thumb numbness is usually cured by diagnosing and treating the underlying medical problem.
Carpal tunnel patients often report waking up with a numb thumb and several numb fingers. Sometimes they mistakenly attribute the condition to sleeping on the affected hand. Sometimes relief is found by shaking and moving the thumb and hand until sensation is restored.
The wrist bones, also called the carpal bones, join with ligaments to create a tunnel along the wrist and into the hand. A median nerve connecting the wrist and fingers runs through this tunnel. When an injury or disease causes the tunnel to become compressed, pressure is placed on the median nerve. The result is usually carpal tunnel syndrome, which includes thumb numbness and tingling.
A history of arthritis in the wrists, thumbs, or hands can also cause compression neuropathy. Arthritis spurs form along the carpal bones and trap the median nerve. The result is numbness and tingling in the fingers and thumb. Thumb joint swelling often accompanies numbness when arthritis is the culprit. Gout and other arthritis-related ailments all have the ability to cause numbness in the thumb.
Some cases of numb thumb are not caused by thumb or wrist problems. Instead, forearm injuries create pressure that in turn causes the thumb to go numb. Ganglion cysts, when located near nerves in the arm or hand, can also make the thumb feel numb. Also, diseases related to blood vessels have the ability to cause numbness in the thumb.
A medical condition called a double crush can also cause numbness in the thumb. In this condition, nerves get compressed in two different areas in the neck, arm, wrist, or hand, causing numbness in the thumb. For example, one pinched nerve in the wrist and one in the neck qualifies as a double crush injury and can make the thumb feel numb.
Diagnosis of persistent numbness of the thumb should be made by a doctor. Finding the cause and correcting it will usually fix the problem. Wrist braces, surgery, and physical therapy are among the possible treatments for the underlying cause.
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