New numbness in your fingers after a wrist injury
A hand surgeon and a hand therapist on nerve pressure at the wrist
After a broken or dislocated wrist, swelling, bleeding or the position of a bone can press on a nerve. The median nerve gives feeling to much of the thumb, the index and middle fingers and part of the ring finger. Pressure on it at the wrist can cause tingling, numbness, pain or a weak pinch. Numbness can also come from a different nerve. An injury higher up in the arm or in the neck can cause it, too. Where the numbness is and whether it’s getting worse both matter. [1, 2]
Describe the change in detail
Tell your care team which fingers feel different and when it started. Say whether feeling is fading or your strength is changing. Mention if a new cast or splint feels tight. Your doctor may recheck blood flow, feeling, movement, swelling and how the broken bone lines up. Do not assume a normal pulse means the nerve is safe. [1, 2]
Signs you need help right away
Get an urgent exam for numbness that is new, constant or worsening after the injury. Growing pain or weakness makes it even more pressing. A cold, pale hand or severe pain that gets worse fast is an emergency. [1, 2]
Don’t wait for a scheduled visit if symptoms keep getting worse. Do not remove a cast or shift a broken bone into a new position unless your care team says to. [1, 2]
Map out the next exam
Questions about the nerve and your splint
- Which nerve fits my finger symptoms best?
- Should my splint or the position of the break be checked again?
- What specific change means I should come back today?
Chart the numb area
Note which fingers are numb and whether the numb area is growing. [2]
Sources and further reading
- 1American Society for Surgery of the Hand, carpal tunnel syndrome
- 2American Society for Surgery of the Hand, numb hands
General information from a hand surgery and hand therapy point of view. More than one nerve or injury can make a hand go numb. If symptoms are new or worse, get an exam instead of diagnosing yourself.
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