CHARLOTTE – A client reached out because she had woken up and some of her fingers were numb. She lost her grip because of the numbness. She called me and left a message. By the time I called her back she had already seen her doctor (that was going to be my first piece of advice) and the doctor advised her to hang in there. Nothing against the doctor, but I was disappointed that they didn’t offer a solution or at least a way for my client to get some relief.

What could this be? I looked up the nerves that could be responsible for the tingling fingers in question. There are two main nerves that flow into your hand: the median nerve which provides feeling in your palm and flows into the thumb, index, middle and part of the ring finger. The other, the ulnar nerve, provides sensation to the outer edge of your hand and flows into the ring and pinky fingers.

If she came into my office, I would test those fingers/hands in question and check to see how they are doing muscularly and see where there might be a nerve impingement. I’d check her wrist, then her elbow, then finally at her neck. I’d also take into account she had slept on her shoulder and woke up with a sore neck/shoulder. The ulnar nerve originates in the neck. My goal would be to provide some relief from her pain, with massage opening up those muscles and joints.

-Lisa Lane (#13098) is a licensed massage and bodywork therapist in Mint Hill. To make an appt., please visit her website at www.ncmassagesanctuary.massagetherapy.com.