Numbness in hands

Numbness in one or both hands describes a loss of feeling in the hands or fingers. Numbness in hands often occurs with other changes, such as a pins-and-needles feeling, burning or tingling. Your arm, hand or fingers may feel clumsy or weak. Numbness can occur along a single nerve in one hand or in both hands.

Hand numbness can be caused by damage, irritation, or compression of a nerve or a branch of a nerve in your arm and wrist. Diseases affecting the peripheral nerves, such as diabetes, also can cause numbness. However, diabetes usually causes numbness in the feet first. Uncommonly, numbness may be caused by problems in your brain or spinal cord. When this happens, arm or hand weakness or loss of function also occurs. Numbness alone isn't usually associated with potentially dangerous disorders, such as strokes or tumors. Your doctor needs detailed information about your symptoms to diagnose the cause of numbness. A variety of tests may be needed to confirm the cause before treatment can begin. Possible causes of numbness in one or both of your hands include: Brain and nervous system conditions Cervical spondylosis Guillain-Barre syndrome Paraneoplastic syndromes of the nervous system Peripheral neuropathy Spinal cord injury Stroke Trauma or overuse injuries Brachial plexus injury Carpal tunnel syndrome Cubital tunnel syndrome Frostbite Chronic conditions Alcohol use disorder Amyloidosis Diabetes Multiple sclerosis Raynaud's disease Sjogren's syndrome (a condition that can cause dry eyes and a dry mouth) Infectious diseases Lyme disease Syphilis Treatment side effects Chemotherapy or HIV drugs Other causes Ganglion cyst Vasculitis Vitamin B-12 deficiency