Hand numbness ?

[Beth]

Hi, I have a client who presents with R hand numbness. He is in his 50's, executive, played tennis/golf for recreation. He had surgery on his R elbow for "tennis elbow" a  year ago. He is vague as to when his hand numbness started as it crept up on him until it's with him always. He cannot remember if his elbow surgery was before or after the start of numbness. He states this has been going on for at least a year. MD wants to go into elbow and see if numbness can be relieved with more surgery.  So, main complaint is R. hand numbness.I'm thinking, after my assessment, to treat scalenes & pecs and accessory muscles for TOS, as well as Coracobrachialis as tp's there can squeeze the nerves that supply the arm causing numbness. I also plan on addressing the entire R. arm with focus to forearm/elbow.  He also has a hard knoby thing on the palm of his R. hand, approximately one inch below the R. ring finger. It appears to pull the skin towards the wrist. When pressure is applied to that knob, he states its sore but not very painfull. He has tried ACP with no real success.  Any suggestions would be helpful to me.

 

[Lizzy]

Hand numbness ?

that hard knobly thing on his hand could be an indication of carpel tunnel/tendonitis. i've seen similar sounding/looking 'knots' on the palmer surface of the hand on people who grip too tightly, like some tennis players, golfers, etc.in order to determine when the numbing began, ask his doctor/surgeon about his soap notes for surgery. there should be some indication of his complaint of numbness if it existed prior to surgery.sounds to me, though, that TOS could be the culprit.

 

[Timmay]

Hand numbness ?

He also has a hard knoby thing on the palm of his R. hand, approximately one inch below the R. ring finger. It appears to pull the skin towards the wrist.

Can your client fully extend his ring finger? Ask him if he seems to be losing ROM in it gradually. My grandfather-in-law had this problem and eventually his right ring finger was permanently bent down towards his palm. It's called Dupuytrens Disease and the only way to fix it is with surgery. The tendon in the palm begins to thicken and lose elasticity. I know we can't diagnose but if he has these symptoms tell him he might want to see a Dr. about it. My grandfather-in-law said that it didn't hurt bad but the only uncomfortable thing about his finger being bent was trying to shake someone's hand.

 

[Stormy]

Hand numbness ?

Thank you for all your responses! I did think of Dupuytren"s contracture as I also know of someone who had surgery for this. My client has full extension and flexion of all his fingers and no finger discomfort. Just numbness.

 

[aomf]

I would do the exact same thing, Lovely_Day.  One thing I've found helps hand numbness sometimes is finger-springing around the carpals.  I dunno what everyone else calls it, but finger-springing is where you use your thumb or  two fingers to sort of vibrate over the area you're working on.Katykangaroo

 

[Lyeash.]

Katy:.............I just had to reply.........isn't it interesting what different techniques are called by different teachers,schools, MTs!  I was giving a massage to a PT and she said she'd like the TFL's addressed. I had this blank look on my face and when she said Tensor fascia latae, I broke out laughing and told her in massage school our instructor called them the "coffee muscles" { latae} as a way to help us remember them. It will always stay in my mind when I think of the coffee muscles=TFL.

 

[anonon]

Hand numbness ?

but finger-springing is where you use your thumb or  two fingers to sort of vibrate over the area you're working on.

Katykangaroo

Pincer grip/lobster hands/money hands?

Robyn

PsAnyone else taught to "chew" the SCM?

 

[Mono]

Hand numbness ?

Numbness in the hand can also be caused by the medial nerve being pinched in the lower cervicals. Perhaps releasing the uppper traps, levator and lower cervical muscles will relax the vertebre. Some times too the flexors are tight or sensative and can also cause numbness in the hands. The knot in the hand is more of a concern to me though. It does sound like Dupuytrens Disease.

 

[sophiesmummy]

Hand numbness ?

I to would look to upper body, do a full assmt. check all ROM check c1-c2 upper trapps I did work on jaw upper trapps in a simular case and it seemed to be working for my client. the main way you may want to approch is with side lying somatics and M.F.R they may seem less intrusive to your client.