Numbness in Fingers: Causes to Avoid at the Workplace

Office workers often feel numbness and tingling in their fingers when they work for extended hours. Some of them identify it at an early phase and take precautions, while some of them fail to understand this feeling and think of treatments at a later stage. Since this can be dangerous in some cases, it is better to understand everything about the numbness in fingers beforehand.

In this article, we have shared the details from the very basics so that you get an idea of what this numbness in fingers and arms feels like, its symptoms, and finally, the ways you can avoid it at the workplace. We know that you must be intrigued to know those details, so let's move on to them without delaying any further. 

What is Fingers Numbness and Tingling?

Have you ever felt a tingling or prickling feeling in your fingers and arms as if someone is lightly touching your finger with a needle? This sort of prickling or tingling feeling is the numbness in fingers and arms. The tingling is often coupled with a burning sensation and makes you unable to pick even the lightest things off your desk.

People often find it difficult to move their fingers and start feeling clumsy when their hands get numb. Some of you might have felt this feeling at times, but in some cases, when you start having this numbness more often, the chances are that you lose the ability to do your daily tasks.

The good news is that you are not the only one who has felt this feeling while you were at your workplace; there are many people who experience it often. You might think that finger numbness is not a matter of concern, but it can affect your productivity and well-being. Therefore, it must be addressed as soon as possible.

The best way to avoid this feeling is to know its causes first and avoid them while you are at your workplace. So, let’s have a look at the numbness in fingers’ causes to devise a better strategy to avoid them later. 

Causes of Finger Numbness

You must be aware that nerves are responsible for carrying signals from the brain and let your organs carry out different actions. The tingling and burning sensation are felt when these nerves get damaged, compressed, or irritated.

Certain conditions are there in which you suffer from finger numbness and tingling. We have listed them below for you so that you can understand the causes better. 

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition in which you feel numbness in the thumb, index finger, and middle finger. There is a nerve called the median nerve that provides nerve signals to these fingers. At times, when undue pressure is exerted on this nerve, it gets blocked. Thus, you feel pain and numbness in these fingers and your wrist. 

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Some people suffer from the autoimmune disorder named Rheumatoid Arthritis, where they experience swelling, pain, and tenderness in their joints. This swelling can exert pressure on your nerves and cause blockage. Thus, numbness is common in these patients too. 

Cervical Radiculopathy

Cervical Radiculopathy is a condition in which a nerve leaving your neck gets inflamed. This disorder is also sometimes known as a pinched nerve and can make your fingers numb. 

Ulnar Nerve Entrapment

Ulnar Nerve Entrapment is a condition when you feel numbness in your ring and pinky fingers. You can experience this numbness, too, if your ulnar nerve gets pressured. 

Diabetes

Diabetes is a very common cause of numbness in fingers and feet. People usually experience nerve damage to the nerve leading to their hands and feet 

The above-mentioned causes are the most common ones that people experience. If the numbness is due to the undue pressure on certain nerves, it is more likely a problem in the way you sit and means that you need to correct your work ergonomics.

However, if this condition is a disorder, you will need medicinal help. A better way for an early diagnosis is the evaluation of the common symptoms, so we believe that you should know them too. 

Symptoms for Numbness in Fingers

If the numbness is due to a health condition, it is evaluated by running blood tests. However, if it is due to any other reason, it can be judged and treated aptly. The most common symptoms are:

• Cold hands
• Burning sensation in hands and fingers
• Cold feet

If you are experiencing these symptoms while working at your office, it means you need to make your office environment more work-friendly and avoid certain activities and gadgets that are potentially causing this feeling. Otherwise, it will impact your productivity. 

Tips to Prevent Numbness in Fingers

We know that you are a concerned office worker who wants to prevent the numbness in fingers both hands in the best way possible. So, here are some tips you can consider to have a better work experience and avoid any numbness in your fingers.

Take Breaks!

Often it happens that you work stressfully for long hours and forget to take breaks. In this way, your nerves get under pressure, and the chances of feeling numbness in fingers and arms become more common. So, try taking more breaks to walk around, stretch and relax. 

Use Ergonomic Furniture

One of the best ways to avoid numbness in fingers symptoms is by using the best office furniture because ergonomic injuries are very common. In order to avoid numbness in fingers and arms, we would recommend you to go for a desk chair with arms because these chairs can help you have a better work experience and take care of the ergonomics. 

Use an Ergonomic Keyboard

As we talked about carpal syndrome earlier, you would have an idea of what this condition is and how commonly people face it. Therefore, it is vital that you take all the precautions to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. One of the best ways of doing so would be to use an ergonomic keyboard. 

Do Some Hand and Wrist Exercises

Lastly, exercises always help, so we suggest you incorporate some hand and wrist exercises while you are at work. Try doing them more often when you are doing more typing-related tasks so that encountering numbness in fingers becomes less likely for you. Conclusively, doing all of this will help you have quality time at work.