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Back in 1991, the front of one of my fingers got numb.  It took me a while to figure out why. 

Eighteen years later.  Same thing again.  Silly me.  Hopefully, I’ve learned and it won’t happen a third time.

Watch the video, so it won’t happen to you.

As I mentioned in False Carpal Tunnel from Tight Pectoralis Minor – if that muscle is tight it can cause the shoulders to round forward and create pain between the shoulder blades. 

If very tight, it can cause numbness or tingling in your fingers, hands, and even up you arm.  If very tight it can also pinch an artery leading to the hands, causing poor circulation in them.

One way to tell if the Pectoralis Minor is causing the numbness in your fingers is to raise your arm.  If after a few minutes the numbness your numbness is worse and if lowering the arms makes it better, the problem is most likely a tight pectoralis minor muscle. 

If you get numb hands riding a bicycle, motorcycle, driving, or doing anything else where your arms are somewhat up — BUT lowering them relieves them — look to the pec minor.  Forearm muscles are also frequent culprits as well, but with them it doesn’t make any difference in the feeling whether your arms are up or down.

However unless you loosen the pec minor, your hands could become numb most of the time.

Because most of us work with our arms in front of us.  This muscle is usually tight on almost everyone.  But seldom do we feel any pain there.  Because they pull the shoulders forward, the muscles between the shoulder blades (the rhomboids) are continually fighting to keep your shoulders back. 

The solution is to loosen the pectoralis minor (First go to:  False Carpal Tunnel from Tight Pectoralis Minor) then watch the video below. 

The other thing to do is strengthen the muscles of your upper back.  (I’ll get to that another time).

This video shows stretches for the Pectoralis Minor.

Save your health, save the environment.   Get a Water Filter.

I like the water pitcher filter.  So convenient.  Sometimes my tap water is so full of chlorine it is disgusting.  The filtered water tastes very good and is far, far cheaper than bottled water.  

Rather than trying to figure out how many gallons have gone through the filter.  I simply change the filter when the water tastes less than good.

You can also get filters that attach to your faucet.

If possible, buy yours from a local store.  See which brands of filters they carry the most of  and buy that brand that has the most shelf space of filters.   That way you can get filters locally when you need them.

For those who are really frugal, here’s an interesting article:

How to refill a “disposable” Brita brand water pitcher filter with activated carbon.

Why buy a replacement filter for $6 to $10 (or more) when you can refill your old filter cartridge housing for about 50 cents?! http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-refill-a-disposable-Brita-brand-water-pit/

 “You will never get rid of chronic pain if you are dehydrated”
Pete Egoscue

Author of Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain
and Pain Free at Your PC

There’s a lot more to say about water and health.  But, another time.

If you need to find a water filter system or reusable bottles, go here.

This is a self-help technique video.

If you saw the other videos, you know that numbness in the hands and fingers can come from any of several along the nerve pathways. 

It is not unusual for more than one location to cause the problem.  Doctors frequently only look at the wrist as being a problem. 

Unfortunately people have had carpal tunnel surgery, when the carpal tunnel wasn’t even the problem at all. 

In previous videos we looked at the forearm muscles and how they can cause problems when tight. — And showed a very effective self-treatment.

In spite of it’s name the pectoralis minor muscle is very significant.

However, the pectoralis minor muscle is often overlooked.

But it is often very tight. When tight, it causes the shoulders to round forward. This causes the muscles between the shoulder blades to continually try to counteract that. And that causes pain between the shoulder blades.

As the video tells, when the Pectoralis muscle is tight, it can pinch on the nerves going into the fingers. It can pinch any or all of the major nerves that go into the hand, and can even cause numbness up the arm.

If you experience numbness in any part of the hand when your hands are up, but not down, it is very likely the Pec. minor. Although if very, tight it can create numbness all or most of the time.

If you get numbness, even when you arms are partially raised – as in driving a car, riding a bicycle, motorcycle, operating lawn equipment, etc., the Pectoralis Minor muscle could be the blame. Although you want to look at the forearm muscles first.

This video shows you how to work on this muscle yourself.

Part 2 will show you some stretches for the Pectoralis Minor. But this is sufficent to get you started.

This short video is part 2.  Please see the previous post for part 1. 

This video shows a self-massage (with the elbow of the opposite arm) of the carpal tunnel ligament.  Plus a stretch for the carpal tunnel ligament and some of the forearm muscles.

Note:  When I mention using cold water from a bottle in the refrigerator, I meant pouring the water SLOWLY over the wrist and forearm.  (over a sink, of course, or outside).

Use a bottle size that is easy to handle – like a half liter or liter bottle. 

Whether using ice or cold water, you want to your skin to feel cold to touch.  If that takes 30 seconds or if that takes longer than that, that’s all you need.

 Cold is an natuaral anti-inflamitory without any side affects.  It also helps bring the white blood cells to the area – which is beneficial in healing.

WARNING:  If you have a medical condition where you are told not to get your extremities cold, then don’t.

I will have a post on how and why to ice at another time.

If you use your hands for just about anything – whether a musical instrument, washing windows, computer use, cutting hair, carpentry, bagging groceries, or whatever – chances are you have tight forearms.

The forearm muscles control most of the movement in the wrist and fingers.

This video shows excellent self-help techniques that will help prevent, relieve and  carpal tunnel syndrome, false carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow (you don’t have to play tennis or golf to get them), and numbness in fingers in hands.

You should FIRST watch the video What you should know about the hands wrist and forearm.

If you want your forearms, hands and fingers to feel normal again, watch this video.

Correction: in the above video when I said that the tight thumb muscles didn’t cause pain, I meant in the rest of the hand.  Tight thumb muscles definitely can cause thumb pain.

Part 2 – comming to the next blog.

Do you have numbness, tingling, and/or pain in your hand, fingers, wrist, forearm or elbow?

You can do something about it.  No drugs, no side effects, no shots, no surgery.

But first you need to understand what is going on.

How you use your hands can contribute hand numbness, carpal tunnel, tendinitis (tendonitis), repetitive stress, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow, hand weakness and pain. 

Watch this Video. 

Part 1

  Part 2

After you are done with this page, Go To Self-Help Techniques for the Hand, Wrist and Forearm

Forearm tightness is much more common a problem causing hand problems than carpal tunnel syndrome.  And using your hands in non-ergonomic ways can lead to tendinitis in the elbow region.  

You saw the neutral position for the hand as it relates to the forearm in the video.  Whenever possible, keep your hand in the neutral position.  When using a mouse, keyboard, etc., try to not flex or extend your wrist.  Your hands should float over the keyboard.  Your wrists should never be touching anything while you are typing. 

Wrist rests are to use when you are not typing.   They are for resting your hands on (little finger side down) when you are not typing.  Your hands should float above the keyboard.  The back of your hands should be in a straight line with the forearm. 

Wrong use of wrist rests can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, forearm tightness, tendinitis, etc.

 Confused about where to navigate on this site? Go to the Home page.