Question
Hello,
I just received a call from my 23 year old son who says that he has had increased numbness in his fingers over the last two days-first one hand, now going over to the other hand. It started with a sharp pain in his arm yesterday. What can I tell him?
Thank you very much,
Susan
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Answer
Numbness is usually caused by pressure on a nerve.  The nerves to the fingers come from the neck and go through the wrist.  If your son has been spending a lot of time at the computer or otherwise using his hands a lot he could have early symptoms of carpal tunnel, caused by swelling in the tendons around the wrist compressing nerves.  Or he could have some nerve pressure in his neck, caused by restricted spinal joints.  If the problem persists, he might want to see a good chiropractor who should be able to help him figure it out.  Also, taking breaks from the computer to stretch the arms and necks, and not sleeping on the stomach are 2 things to take note of.