Contents
Cramps in the hands and fingers are involuntary contractions of these parts of the body. They can happen at the most inopportune moment, for example, while driving a car, while using a power tool, or during other potentially hazardous activities. Such muscle spasms can harm both the person himself and those around him. Therefore, it is necessary to find out the causes of seizures and prevent their occurrence.
Hand cramps can occur in almost anyone, regardless of age. The intensity of the attack also varies. Sometimes the cramp is so strong that the pain will bother the person for several more days.
Sudden and frequent convulsions, as well as their soreness, give rise to a person’s fear of another attack. This makes him nervous and think about the state of his health. Therefore, you should not endure convulsions. You need to know what is the cause of their occurrence and how to deal with them.
Causes of cramps in the hands and fingers
If a person cramps his hands and fingers, then it is necessary to look for the cause of such a violation, because such spasms themselves occur very rarely.
Possible factors that can provoke the development of seizures include:
Long work at the computer, long-term load on the wrist joint. In this regard, some professions are dangerous. At risk are violinists and guitarists, accountants, machinists, tennis players, programmers, etc.
Multiple sclerosis.
Developing osteochondrosis.
Migraine.
Angina pectoris.
Myocardial infarction.
The presence of an intervertebral hernia.
Vegeto-vascular dystonia.
Dominant polyneuropathy. At first, a cramp will begin to cramp your legs, and over time it will move to your fingers. Facial muscles, respiratory muscles are involved in the pathological process. If left untreated, this pathology increases the likelihood of death.
Diabetes.
Pathology of the thyroid gland.
Damage to the peripheral nerve.
Cirrhosis of the liver.
chronic hepatitis.
Gastritis.
Vitamin B12 deficiency. This is especially true for people who are on a diet.
tunnel syndrome. Seizures develop mainly in the evening and at night, when the venous outflow worsens, and the tissues swell.
Deficiency of magnesium, calcium and potassium.
Alcoholism or poisoning with low-quality alcoholic beverages.
Severe prolonged stress.
Hormonal failure with metabolic disorders.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Curvature of posture.
Progressive osteoporosis, in which the bone elements become very fragile, can break and put pressure on the nerve endings and choroid plexuses. As a result, the hands and fingers will cramp.
The growth of a tumor in the region of the spinal column or in the region of the chest will lead to the fact that it will begin to put pressure on the nerve endings and blood vessels. As a result, the patient will experience convulsions of the upper limbs, accompanied by painful sensations.
Infectious diseases can provoke convulsions in humans. In childhood, muscle spasms can develop against a background of high body temperature. Such contractions are called febrile seizures. In adults, convulsions develop with a severe course of infection with dehydration, or with damage to brain structures.
Cramps in the hands and fingers can disturb people who have had a stroke. They develop due to the fact that certain parts of the brain have been damaged and cannot control the movements of the limbs.
As it becomes clear, there are many diseases that can provoke the occurrence of seizures in the upper limbs. However, sometimes they occur in completely healthy people. Moreover, they can be caused by completely harmless circumstances, for example, wearing tight clothes with tight cuffs or sleeves.
Cramps develop in the hands with a sharp hypothermia of the body, when the ambient temperature suddenly drops by 10 or more degrees. For example, when diving into cold water in the hot season, or when leaving a warm room into frosty air.
Fingers can be cramped when a person has been working at a computer for a long time without taking breaks. This also includes many hours of knitting, embroidery, playing musical instruments.
Many people point out that they experience cramps in their hands after a long workout in the gym.
Coffee lovers and smokers are more likely than other people to suffer from cramps in the hands.
Pregnant women often complain that their fingers cramp. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that during the growth of the fetus, the mother’s body spends a lot of trace elements. They are necessary for the baby to meet his needs. If you do not make up for their deficiency, then convulsions will disturb more and more often. The situation is exacerbated by hormonal changes in the body.
As it becomes clear, there are many people in the world who suffer from temporary or permanent seizures. Experts say that muscle spasms in the hands and fingers haunt every third patient. At the same time, the reasons that cause them can not always be called harmless.
Symptoms of cramps in the hands and fingers
It is not difficult to determine a spasm on your own. During an attack, the muscles seem to turn to stone, the person feels heaviness and pain in the region of the upper limb.
Sometimes the palm can involuntarily clench into a fist, or vice versa, unbend in the opposite direction. Fingers often tremble during convulsions.
The intensity of pain varies. It can be sharp or pulling. Often, a spasm is accompanied by goosebumps and tingling.
Clonic convulsions are distinguished by rhythmic twitches.
When do you need to urgently see a doctor?
If your hands or fingers have cramped, then you need to seek medical help when this condition does not go away for a long time – 4 hours or more.
Also, on an emergency basis, you need to visit a specialist for ascending cramps, which began with the legs, and then moved to the hands.
Sometimes a cramp in the left arm can be a sign of a heart attack. In this case, the patient may lose consciousness. The reason lies in cardiac arrhythmias of varying intensity: from ventricular tachycardia to complete AV blockade. In addition, in a patient during this period, seizures can be triggered by neurological disorders, but a similar situation is observed with a heart attack not often, in about 3-4% of cases. Acute chest pain and a drop in blood pressure come to the fore. If you suspect a heart attack, you should seek emergency medical attention.
Transient convulsions require a doctor’s consultation, but emergency treatment can be delayed.
How to treat cramps in the hands and fingers?
If a person has an attack of convulsions, then he needs to provide first aid. In this case, it is recommended to massage the hands, as well as the forearm area.
When there are no serious pathologies of the nervous or circulatory system, the following methods should be used:
It is necessary to squeeze the fingers of the palm into a fist and shake it several times.
You need to unclench your fingers, lift them above your head and move them intensively in the air.
You need to repeat these simple hand manipulations several times until the cramp stops.
Frequent bouts of convulsions, which are caused by muscle strain, can be eliminated if you regularly perform intense flexion and extension with your little finger. You need to do the exercise at a fast pace, for three minutes.
Hand baths help to increase blood flow in the upper limbs. It is good to add a little lavender oil to the water. Such a procedure will not only calm the nerves, but also save the tissues from hypoxia. Therefore, it is best to do it before bed.
You need to understand that it is not difficult to eliminate a seizure attack, it is important to find out the cause of its occurrence. Therefore, with regular spasms, you need to consult a doctor.
Depending on the cause of the seizures, the specialist will select the appropriate treatment. In 70% of cases, convulsions provoke a deficiency of trace elements and vitamins. Therefore, the patient is selected complexes containing B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium.
With convulsions caused by innervation, acupuncture helps well. For 10-15 sessions, it is possible to completely solve the problem and get rid of convulsions for a long time.
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