Neuropathy in your hands can severely limit hand mobility, which keeps you from enjoying your regular daily activities. Instead of suffering with pain in your hands and fingers, call the experts at Pain Management NYC for the best treatment for peripheral neuropathy in hands, such as peripheral nerve stimulation. You may just need a splint or rest, but if you need more serious neuropathy treatment for hands, you can count on the NYC medical experts to provide you with an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for hand neuropathy.
What Is Neuropathy in Hands?
Neuropathy in hands is a condition that affects the nerves in your hands, causing pain, numbness, tingling or weakness. It has various causes, ranging from diabetes, injury and infection to autoimmune diseases and exposure to toxins. Neuropathy in the hands interferes with your daily activities. In some cases, it leads to serious complications, such as ulcers, infections or amputation.
If you suffer from neuropathy in your hands, you need expert care and treatment to relieve your symptoms and prevent further damage. At Pain Management NYC, certified doctors specialize in diagnosis and hand neuropathy treatment. They have the latest technology and techniques, such as peripheral nerve and spinal cord stimulation, to provide you with personalized and effective solutions for nerve and pain disorders.
What Causes Neuropathy in Hands?
Neuropathy in the hands is caused by damage to the peripheral nerves, which are the nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. The peripheral nerves carry signals for sensation, movement and other functions. When these nerves are injured or diseased, they send abnormal signals to the brain, resulting in pain, numbness, tingling or weakness in the affected area.
There are different possible causes of neuropathy in hands. Diabetes is one of the top causes of this disorder. High blood sugar levels damage the nerves over time, especially in the hands and feet. This is called diabetic neuropathy, and it affects about half of the people with diabetes.
Other reasons you may need treatment for peripheral neuropathy in hands include:
- Injury. Trauma, such as a cut, a burn or a fracture injures the nerves in the hands. This causes acute or chronic pain, depending on the severity and location of the injury.
- Infection. Some infections, such as shingles, Lyme disease and HIV affect the nerves in the hands. This causes inflammation, swelling and damage to the nerve fibers.
- Autoimmune diseases. Some autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or Sjogren’s syndrome, cause the immune system to attack the nerves in the hands. This causes pain, stiffness and loss of function in the joints and muscles.
- Exposure to toxins. Some toxins, such as alcohol, chemotherapy drugs or heavy metals, damage the nerves in the hands. This causes nerve pain, sensitivity or weakness in the fingers and palms.
What Are the Symptoms of Neuropathy in Hands?
This nerve damage condition shows up in different ways that vary depending on the type and severity of the nerve damage. These symptoms worsen over time if the underlying cause isn’t treated properly. So seek medical attention from an experienced neurologist familiar with neuropathy treatment for hands.
Neuropathy in hands affects the sensation, movement and function of the fingers and palms. One of the earliest symptoms is tingling, burning and prickling sensations in the hands or fingers.
You may also experience:
- Numbness or loss of feeling in the hands or fingers
- Pain or discomfort in the hands or fingers, especially at night or during cold weather
- Difficulty with fine motor skills, such as buttoning, typing or writing
- Muscle weakness or wasting in the hands or fingers
- Reduced reflexes or lack of coordination in the hands or fingers
- Changes in the shape, color or temperature of the hands or fingers
- Dry, cracked or infected skin on the hands or fingers
What Are the Complications of Untreated Neuropathy in Hands
Without effective treatment for neuropathy in hands, the nerve damage worsens over time, affecting your quality of life and increasing your risk of developing other health problems. Therefore, seek early diagnosis and treatment for peripheral neuropathy in hands, to forestall further damage.
Frequent injuries and infections are perhaps the most damaging because they cause further health deterioration. If you lose sensation in your hands, you may not notice cuts, burns or other injuries that become infected. You may also have difficulty with wound healing and infection prevention.
Other possible complications include:
- Muscle atrophy and contractures. If you lose muscle strength and control in your hands, you may experience muscle wasting and stiffness. This affects your hand function and appearance and limits your range of motion and flexibility.
- Raynaud’s phenomenon. If you have poor blood circulation in your hands, you may develop Raynaud’s phenomenon, a condition that causes your fingers to turn white, blue or red in response to cold or stress. This causes pain, numbness and ulcers in your fingers.
- Amputation. In rare and severe cases, untreated peripheral neuropathy in your hands lead to tissue death and gangrene, which may require amputation of the affected fingers or hand.
What’s the Best Hand Neuropathy Treatment?
Which neuropathy treatment for hands your doctor recommends depends on the cause and severity of the nerve damage. The main goals of neuropathy in hands treatment are to relieve the symptoms, improve hand function and prevent further complications.
There are various medications that reduce pain, inflammation and nerve damage associated with neuropathy. These include pain relievers, anti-inflammatory drugs and topical creams or patches.
Your New York City doctor may combine medication with other treatment for hand neuropathy including:
- Physical therapy. Physical therapy improves the strength, flexibility and coordination of the muscles and joints in the hands. Physical therapy also helps with pain management, wound healing and prevention of contractures or deformities. A physical therapist designs a customized exercise program for you and teaches you how to use splints, braces or assistive devices if needed.
- Spinal cord stimulation. This and peripheral nerve stimulation relieve your pain from neuropathy in hands.
- Surgery. Surgery may be an option for some cases of neuropathy in the hands, especially if the nerve damage is caused by compression neuropathy, injury or infection. Surgery decompresses, repairs or removes the affected nerves, and restores the function and sensation of the hands. Surgery may have risks or complications, such as infection, bleeding or nerve injury, another reason why you should rely on experienced nerve pain doctors in NYC.
- Alternative therapies. Some alternative treatment for neuropathy in hands, such as acupuncture, massage, biofeedback or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), relieve the symptoms of neuropathy in hands by stimulating the nerves or improving blood flow.
If you’re looking for the best neuropathy in hands treatment in New York City, contact Pain Management NYC today. You get the latest technology and techniques to provide you with treatment options that work.
Boleslav Kosharskyy, MD, is a top-rated, best-in-class interventional pain management doctor. He is board-certified in Anesthesiology, Interventional Pain Medicine, and Palliative Care.
Dr. Kosharskyy is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Rehabilitation Medicine at Albert Einstein Medical College. He’s also the Associate Medical Director of Pain Medicine and Director of Anesthesia for the Joint Replacement Center at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein Medical College.
He is an active member of the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA), the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA), and the New York State Society of Anesthesiologists (NYSSA)