Why Your Hand Goes Numb at Night | Carpal Tunnel Explained (Dr. Dashe Field Notes Ep.1)
Why Your Hand Goes Numb at Night | Carpal Tunnel Explained (Dr. Dashe Field Notes Ep.1)
Your hand going numb isn't random. Here's what's actually happening.
A single nerve runs through a narrow tunnel in your wrist. When that tunnel tightens, the nerve gets squeezed. That's carpal tunnel, and it often hits hardest at night.
The signs: numb fingers, a hand that wakes you up, a grip that's starting to slip. Caught early, the nerve can recover. Left too long, the damage can stick.
Quick self-check in the video: press the backs of your hands together and hold. If your fingers go numb, pay attention.
I'm Dr. Dashe, a hand surgeon in San Leandro. Field Notes is where I break down one thing about your hands at a time. Follow for the next one.
Individual results vary. This is not a diagnosis.
Transcript
Push the backs of your hands together and hold. If your fingers go numb, that is a bad sign. >> [music] >> A nerve runs through a small tunnel in your wrist. When that tunnel gets tight, it squeezes the nerve. That is carpal tunnel. It often feels [music] worse at night. When you sleep, your wrist bends and presses on the nerve, your fingers go numb, your hand wakes you up at night, you start to drop things. Wait too long [music] and the muscle by your thumb can get small and weak. It may not come back. The sooner you [music] catch it, the more of your hand you save. I'm Dr. Dash, a hand surgeon. The best surgery is the one you never need, so catch it [music] early.