numb fingers, not from cold

[caboLH]

Recently I experienced a numbness in my hand, mainly thumb, index, and middle fingers while diving. After that first incident a few weeks ago, I am now having the problem once or twice a week. I can get rid of the numbness if I move my arm (from the shoulder area) around for a few seconds and try to 'reposition' my arm. It seems like this is a problem in my back or wrists but I don't know. I will also get a wierd tingly sensation on the inside of my wrist if I touch it with anything, (like sitting my wrist on the boat) during this time.

I am wondering if this is a problem with my wetsuit fit, I wear a 3mm under a 5mm Henderson Hyperstretch with 7mm gloves that have the finger tips cut out of them. I am plenty warm with this set-up.

By way of background I dive the San Francisco Bay every day as a commercial diver. I've gotten lots of advice from other divers but none have experienced this problem.

Any ideas?

Leann

 

[RichLockyer]

Could be several things.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the first thing to come to mind.
Could be a pinched nerve in the neck... my wife had similar (but more serious) symptoms and required a cervical fusion... C4-C5-C6.
Could be a Type-2 (spinal) DCS hit.

 

[Louie]

Dear CarboLH,

I had a very similar problem a couple of years ago after a dive trip (I was terrified I got bent). Symptoms included numbness in the arm if I raised it, tingling sensation in fingers when I sat at the keyboard and a certain amount of upper back pain.

A trip to the physiotherapist confirmed trapped nerve (all too easy to do when diving with all the lugging things round, donning kit and removing kit).

Just to be safe, you may want to consult a doctor who knows a bit about diving.

Good luck

 

[caboLH]

Thank you for the responses and Private Messages.

Yes I do plan on going to the doctor, I have an appt in 2 weeks. I am taking these two weeks to fully document when the problem occurs and any remedies I undertake. I am hoping to be able to give the doctor enough info to make a diagnosis without too many tests.

In response to the PM's...the problem first surfaced in the left arm, (about 2 months ago) a numbness of the forearm which has not reoccured. I bought a 'carpal tunnel brace' for the left hand and wear it at night, no more left hand problems. Next I noticed when I sleep on my side the arm opposite the shoulder goes numb. I now sleep on my back, no more numbness unless I roll over onto a shoulder.

The problem I can't get rid of is the right hand numbness in the water when I am working. I will get tingliness and numbness a couple of times a week, it seems like once it starts for the day I deal with it all day off and on.

Out of the water I rarely have any problems.

Leann

 

[Saturation]

It sounds very carpal tunnel like. The distribution of symptoms affect mostly the median nerve:

http://www.eatonhand.com/ner/ner099.htm

The long term solution is physical therapy and a reduction of repetive strain that aggravates the situation.

It may also be caused by compression along the path of the nerve near the shoulder, are your staps too tight or pressing on your shoulder?

 

[caboLH]

Saturation,

Thank you for your reply.

What part of the shoulder should try to relieve pressure on? ie, where my straps are is it more in the back, front, or top of shoulder? Is there a name of this nerve I can look up on Web MD so I can see where it is in my shoulder? I am also wondering why my wetsuit straps would put pressure on this nerve and my bra straps don't seem to as when I am out of the water all is OK except on occassion at night.


I am going to change my wetsuit configuration for a few days and wear something that doesn't have shoulder straps and see if that helps.

Thanks again, I really want to figure this out as my sister had Carpal Tunnel surgery and her hand strength seemed to be less after the surgery.

Kind Regards,
Leann

 

[Saturation]

Hi Leann:

Search google.com for an accurate anatomical picture of the AXILLARY NERVE. It travels with the axillary artery and vein. In a minority of people, sometimes unusual tissue growth or a strangely placed bone, rib or calvicle causes the 'thoracic outlet syndrome' which worsens as one ages. All it does is compress the axillary artery, vein and nerve and provides symptoms such as numbness, cold hands, etc.,

http://www.teleemg.com/Chapters/jbr044.htm

Compression around were you typically put backpack straps is what to look for, in normal people, tight straps will press against the pectoralis muscle, which then presses against the nerve.

Dive with the straps looser and see if the symptoms are relieved, if not, we're down again to carpal tunnel.

 

[caboLH]

Saturation,

Interesting developments in the numb fingers dept....after your last e-mail and great explainations on where pressure may be the problem I changed my wetsuit configuration. I now wear a sports bra for 'support' as opposed to cinching the the wetsuit straps to keep the 'girls' lined up.

I just finished my third day of diving with this set-up and I have not experienced the numbness in my hands to the extent I was having. The first day of the new set-up I had a very brief bout with my right hand as I got into the water, then nothing for the rest of the day, there was also a little 'tingling' sensation on my inner lest wrist briefly. The last two days no numbness at all. I also changed my work habits a bit and am working more on my back in the water so as not to hyper-extend my hands when trying to wrap it around the boat's hull.

Hopefully this continues to work. Also, is it probable to get Carpal Tunnell in both hands at the same time?

Kind Regards,
Leann

 

[rmediver2002]

Working hull cleaning jobs we would wheel a couple cylinders on a old welding cart to the vessel and dive a 150' second stage whip connected to an AGA with a pony back up.

Makes it a lot lighter on the shoulders swimming the hull...

Hope it does not come back, glad to hear your doing better.

Jeff Lane

 

[caboLH]

Jeff,

Thanks for the info. I dive out of a 20' RHIB with a Hookah set-up in the boat. I do not have any tanks on my back. The only thing I am wearing besides my wetsuit is a weight-belt and a second belt with the hookah hose (70') secured to it so there is no shoulder pressure from a BC, tank, etc.

Leann