For someone in his twenties, what should I do next if I have numbness in my hand?

Doctor's Answers 2

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Dr Aaron Gan

Hand Surgeon

Numbness in one hand is a sign of a nerve problem. The problem may stem from the peripheral nerve (the end nearer the hand) or further proximally, in the spine or even the brain.

The first thing to do is to seek medical attention from a general practitioner, who will take the relevant medical history and perform basic clinic examinations to exclude severe conditions such as stroke.

He or she will then refer the individual to a hand and wrist specialist should a peripheral nerve problem be suspected, a spine surgeon should a spinal nerve root problem be suspected, or a neurologist should a brain problem be suspected.

Numbness in the hand is a common problem and there can be various causes for this, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, thyroid function abnormalities or even nerve irritation from the neck.

If you are concerned about a stroke, the common symptoms are difficulty with speech, facial drooping, loss of power in a limb(s) and it tends to be permanent.

If any of these symptoms resonate with you then it would be worthwhile visiting your local emergency department for an urgent assessment.

If it is just the numbness, you could visit a local GP or polyclinic for an initial assessment, followed by a referral to your nearest Sports/MSK physician for further investigation/treatment. Should the problem turn out to be a more localised nerve compression, a nerve conduction study and ultrasound scan might be useful. Options then include splints, injections or surgical releases of the nerve.

I hope this helps.

BW

Dr Dinesh

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