Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsThumb AnatomyFocal NeuropathyRadiculopathyDemyelinationOther CausesWhen to See a ProviderDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Thumb Anatomy
Focal Neuropathy
Radiculopathy
Demyelination
Other Causes
When to See a Provider
Diagnosis
Treatment
Thumb numbness is a symptom often attributed to a “pinched nerve” of the hand, wrist, or spine. In addition, numbness may be due to a disease or medications that causedemyelination(destruction of the protective coating of nerves, called themyelin sheath).
Less commonly, thumb numbness may be a sign of a vitamin deficiency, an infection like Lyme disease, or even a stroke. Different tests may be needed to pinpoint the underlying causes, including blood tests, imaging studies, nerve conduction tests, and a spinal tap.
What Is Thumb Numbness?
Numbness describes the loss of sensation due to dysfunction of a peripheral nerve.
Peripheral nerves are those that emerge from the spinal cord, which send nerve signals to and receive nerve signals from the brain. These included sensory nerves that send and receive signals involved with sensations such as touch, pressure, temperature, and pain.
Numbness can occur if any condition disrupts the delivery or reception of the sensory nerve signals. The symptom may beacute(sudden) orchronic(persistent),unilateral(one-sided) or bilateral (two-sided), or reversible or irreversible depending on the underlying cause.
In addition to numbness, there may be burning, tingling, or pins-and-needles sensations known asparesthesia.
Nerves Involved With the Thumb
Insofar as the thumb is concerned, numbness may be due to the disruption of themedian nervewhich services the palm and pad of the thumb, and theradial nervewhich services the back of the thumb.
These nerves, in turn, are connected to aspinal nerve rootcalled theC6 nerveof thecervical spinewhich runs from the neck to the shoulders and arms.
Injury or irritation of any of these nerves can directly or indirectly disrupt sensory signals to the thumb, resulting in numbness and/or paresthesia.
Peripheral Nerve Entrapment
Peripheral nerve entrapment describes the pinching of a peripheral nerve, resulting in a condition known asfocal neuropathy. Focal neuropathies involve the compression of a single nerve, leading to symptoms such as local numbness, pain, tingling, and weakness of your grip.
With respect to the thumb, the entrapment can either involve the median nerve or the radial nerve.
Median Nerve Compression
If the median nerve gets compressed, it can cause numbness in your palm and the pad of your thumb. It can also make it difficult to move your thumb toward your pinkie finger.
Many conditions can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, including:
Radial Nerve Compression
Damage to the radial nerve is less common than damage to the median nerve. If the radial nerve is pinched, it can cause numbness in the back of the thumb and make it difficult to cock your thumb at the joints.
Possible causes of radial nerve compression include:
Cervical Radiculopathy
Cervical radiculopathydescribes the pinching of a spinal nerve root.Insofar as the thumb is concerned, the compression involves the C6 nerve.
Unlike peripheral nerve compression which causes focal neuropathy, cervical radiculopathy causesreferred pain. This is when an injury of a spinal nerve root causes pain somewhere else in the body. In addition to pain, you may experience numbness or paresthesia.
Causes of C6 nerve compression include:
Demyelinationdescribes the destruction of the myelin sheath, an insulating membrane covering most nerves of the body. If the myelin sheath is damaged, electrical nerve signals can “misfire,” leading to a condition known asperipheral neuropathy.
Peripheral neuropathy encompasses a cascade of symptoms including numbness, pain, paresthesia, muscle weakness, muscle spasms,cold sensitivity, or a loss of coordination. Unlike focal neuropathy which affects one side of the body, peripheral neuropathy can affect both sides.
Demyelination can occur with many different conditions, including:
There are numerous other causes of thumb numbness. Some areinflammatory conditionsthat indirectly affect nerves. Others cause the obstruction of blood flow, known asischemia, which can temporarily or permanently damage nerves.
Examples include:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Even if you have no other symptoms but a numb thumb, you should see a healthcare provider if the numbness persists, worsens, or recurs frequently.
You should also see a provider if the condition:
The causes of thumb or hand numbness are many, and it can take time to run tests to determine if the cause is the result of an injury, infection, disease, autoimmunity, or ischemia.
Blood Tests
There are several tests a healthcare provider may order at baseline to narrow the possible causes of your symptoms. These include:
Nerve Tests
Several minimally invasive, in-office tests can be used to detect whether nerve signals aren’t being delivered as they should. These include:
Imaging Tests
Imaging tests can be used to detect injuries in the brain, spine, neck, shoulder, wrist, hand, or thumb. Certain imaging studies can detect changes consistent with ischemia, multiple sclerosis, lead poisoning, carpal tunnel syndrome, tumors, and arthritis.
Options include:
Spinal Tap
Alumbar puncture, also known as a spinal tap, involves the use of a long needle to extract a sample ofcerebrospinal fluid (CSF)for evaluation in the lab. A spinal can help diagnose serious infections or disorders of the central nervous system, such as neurosyphilis or multiple sclerosis.
The treatment for a numb thumb depends on the underlying cause. They can be broadly characterized as physical therapy, medications, and surgery.
Physical Therapy
If you have an injury that causes a numb thumb, you may just need to rest and give your body time to heal. You may also need to avoid certain activities (like sports) or movements (like typing on your computer) that make it worse.
Your provider might also recommend that you work with aphysical therapistduring your recovery. The therapist can give you exercises that can help with recovery and prevent future injuries.
Anoccupational therapistcan also help you make changes in your life or provide tools to help manage conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, cervical radiculopathy, or chronic nerve impingement. For example, anergonomicassessment can help you find ways to support your body while at your desk.
Medications
The list of medications used to treat nerve-related conditions like peripheral neuropathy is pretty expansive. The choice depends largely on the cause and severity of your condition.
Surgery
Surgery may be an option for chronic nerve impingement, cervical radiculopathy, and carpal tunnel syndrome when conservative options fail to provide relief. Options may include:
Summary
Other causes like stroke, diabetes, vitamin deficiency, autoimmune diseases, and infections can cause also numbness in the thumb.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Klein JP.Imaging of progressive weakness or numbness of central or peripheral origin.Handb Clin Neurol. 2016;136:923-37. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-53486-6.00047-8National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Paresthesia.American Society for Surgery of the Hand.Anatomy 101: nerves of the upper extremity.American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Carpal tunnel syndrome.MedlinePlus.Radial nerve dysfunction.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve).American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.Cervical radiculopathy.Hanewinckle R, Ikram MA, Van Doorn PA.Peripheral neuropathies.Handb Clin Neurol.2016:138:263-82. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-802973-2.00015-XBernardo A, Visentin S.Demyelinating diseases: from molecular mechanisms to therapeutic strategies.Int J Mol Sci.2023 Mar;24(5):4596. doi:10.3390/ijms24054596MD Anderson Cancer Center.How to cope with cold sensitivity during chemotherapy.Ghaly B, Ghaly S.The use of neuromuscular ultrasound and NCS/EMG testing in the differential diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome and radiculopathy.Neurodiagn J. 2019;59(1):23-33. doi:10.1080/21646821.2018.1553873Johns Hopkins.Lumbar puncture.Occupational Safety and Health Administration.Ergonomic assessment checklist.Cavalli E, Mammana S, Nicoletti F, Bramanti P, Mazzon E.The neuropathic pain: an overview of the current treatment and future therapeutic approaches.Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol.2019 Jan-Dec;33: 2058738419838383. doi:10.1177/2058738419838383
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Klein JP.Imaging of progressive weakness or numbness of central or peripheral origin.Handb Clin Neurol. 2016;136:923-37. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-53486-6.00047-8National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Paresthesia.American Society for Surgery of the Hand.Anatomy 101: nerves of the upper extremity.American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Carpal tunnel syndrome.MedlinePlus.Radial nerve dysfunction.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve).American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.Cervical radiculopathy.Hanewinckle R, Ikram MA, Van Doorn PA.Peripheral neuropathies.Handb Clin Neurol.2016:138:263-82. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-802973-2.00015-XBernardo A, Visentin S.Demyelinating diseases: from molecular mechanisms to therapeutic strategies.Int J Mol Sci.2023 Mar;24(5):4596. doi:10.3390/ijms24054596MD Anderson Cancer Center.How to cope with cold sensitivity during chemotherapy.Ghaly B, Ghaly S.The use of neuromuscular ultrasound and NCS/EMG testing in the differential diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome and radiculopathy.Neurodiagn J. 2019;59(1):23-33. doi:10.1080/21646821.2018.1553873Johns Hopkins.Lumbar puncture.Occupational Safety and Health Administration.Ergonomic assessment checklist.Cavalli E, Mammana S, Nicoletti F, Bramanti P, Mazzon E.The neuropathic pain: an overview of the current treatment and future therapeutic approaches.Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol.2019 Jan-Dec;33: 2058738419838383. doi:10.1177/2058738419838383
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Klein JP.Imaging of progressive weakness or numbness of central or peripheral origin.Handb Clin Neurol. 2016;136:923-37. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-53486-6.00047-8National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Paresthesia.American Society for Surgery of the Hand.Anatomy 101: nerves of the upper extremity.American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Carpal tunnel syndrome.MedlinePlus.Radial nerve dysfunction.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve).American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.Cervical radiculopathy.Hanewinckle R, Ikram MA, Van Doorn PA.Peripheral neuropathies.Handb Clin Neurol.2016:138:263-82. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-802973-2.00015-XBernardo A, Visentin S.Demyelinating diseases: from molecular mechanisms to therapeutic strategies.Int J Mol Sci.2023 Mar;24(5):4596. doi:10.3390/ijms24054596MD Anderson Cancer Center.How to cope with cold sensitivity during chemotherapy.Ghaly B, Ghaly S.The use of neuromuscular ultrasound and NCS/EMG testing in the differential diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome and radiculopathy.Neurodiagn J. 2019;59(1):23-33. doi:10.1080/21646821.2018.1553873Johns Hopkins.Lumbar puncture.Occupational Safety and Health Administration.Ergonomic assessment checklist.Cavalli E, Mammana S, Nicoletti F, Bramanti P, Mazzon E.The neuropathic pain: an overview of the current treatment and future therapeutic approaches.Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol.2019 Jan-Dec;33: 2058738419838383. doi:10.1177/2058738419838383
Klein JP.Imaging of progressive weakness or numbness of central or peripheral origin.Handb Clin Neurol. 2016;136:923-37. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-53486-6.00047-8
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Paresthesia.
American Society for Surgery of the Hand.Anatomy 101: nerves of the upper extremity.
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Carpal tunnel syndrome.
MedlinePlus.Radial nerve dysfunction.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve).
American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.Cervical radiculopathy.
Hanewinckle R, Ikram MA, Van Doorn PA.Peripheral neuropathies.Handb Clin Neurol.2016:138:263-82. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-802973-2.00015-X
Bernardo A, Visentin S.Demyelinating diseases: from molecular mechanisms to therapeutic strategies.Int J Mol Sci.2023 Mar;24(5):4596. doi:10.3390/ijms24054596
MD Anderson Cancer Center.How to cope with cold sensitivity during chemotherapy.
Ghaly B, Ghaly S.The use of neuromuscular ultrasound and NCS/EMG testing in the differential diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome and radiculopathy.Neurodiagn J. 2019;59(1):23-33. doi:10.1080/21646821.2018.1553873
Johns Hopkins.Lumbar puncture.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration.Ergonomic assessment checklist.
Cavalli E, Mammana S, Nicoletti F, Bramanti P, Mazzon E.The neuropathic pain: an overview of the current treatment and future therapeutic approaches.Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol.2019 Jan-Dec;33: 2058738419838383. doi:10.1177/2058738419838383
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