Numbness in right pinky finger and ring finger and outside of hand

Question

I have been experiencing numbness and tingling in my little finger and ring finger on my right hand and some numbness on the side of my hand.  It is beginning to interfere with my normal activities.  I went to my general practitioner who sent me for a nerve conduction test.  The physiatrist who conducted the test told me I had carpal tunnel syndrome.  However, everything I have researched on the internet suggests I have ulnar nerve entrapment or possibly a cyst in the Guyon canal.  I am not experiecing any symptoms in the fingers related to carpal tunnel syndrome.  I fear that, if I have not been properly diagnosed and treated, I could lose the use of my hand through muscle wasting, a result of untreated ulnar nerve entrapment.  I need some guidance as to what I need to do to get a proper diagnosis.

D_J_W · Answer

A physical therapy session has left me in a similar situation. They were working on my neck and I felt my right arm go numb (elbow to fingertips). I told the tech and they immediately twisted my neck in the opposite direction. this did not correct the problem. My arm felt normal after a couple of days but my pinky is still numb 2 weeks later.
I spoke with doc on the phone and was told that I should return for treatment and be sure to let them know what happened. I fear that PT will only make the situation worse and testing should be done to pinpoint the source of the damage that was done.
does anyone have a suggestion?

nerveousdeb · Answer

I have recently been experiencing the same thing.  I am left handed and   after going on vacation, I came home and my right pinky and the side of my ring finger closest to my pinky is numb and sometimes tingles.  I have itching in the palm of my hand also occasionally.  Also tightness and stretching in these fingers.  I have a lump on my pinky finger on the knuckle that the doctors have said is just a nodule.    I've had the lump for about 10 years.  My Insurance doesn't begin til January.  Any advise from anyone. I did have problems  with my neck trying to sleep in the hotel bed...

Deb

nerveousdeb · Answer

I have recently been experiencing the same thing.  I am left handed and   after going on vacation, I came home and my right pinky and the side of my ring finger closest to my pinky is numb and sometimes tingles.  I have itching in the palm of my hand also occasionally.  Also tightness and stretching in these fingers.  I have a lump on my pinky finger on the knuckle that the doctors have said is just a nodule.    I've had the lump for about 10 years.  My Insurance doesn't begin til January.  Any advise from anyone. I did have problems  with my neck trying to sleep in the hotel bed...

Deb

UncleDon · Answer

My pinky and ring finger on right hand went numb after a chiropractic neck adjustment.  On their  advice I went back within two days for another adjustment.  The chiropractor said go back yet a third time in a day or two if the numbness persisted.  It is my belief that the chiropractor caused the numbness.  There was no numbness before the initial adjustment.  
Now I am afraid to go back to the chiropractor because I don't trust them to know what do to get the feeling back in the fingers.  They have made no mention that the first adjustment may have caused the numbness. I'm kind of at a loss as to how to handle this.  Any suggestions appreciated.
Don

suavin · Answer

I now have this problem out of nowhere...before it was my butt went to sleep after hours of sleeping on my wallet on a bus sleep. But eventually went away with stretches and exercise...soft cushions...lol...you need to stretch and get your neck checked...especially if you don't do repetitive work...chiropractor or electric nerve stimulator...can help...on vacation...so im stuck for now...sat on the plane to Hawaii...for hours now this...lol...physical therapy is all you need for non-injury related...be persistent with stretching your spine and muscles...starts there...not your finger.

DavidArthur2 · Answer

I am experiencing the same exact symptoms you describe and I have already had the carpal tunnel surgery a few years ago. I am right-handed and am experiencing the same issues on my left hand... the pinkie and ring finger (outer ring finger to be exact) are numb as well as the side of my hand down to the wrist. I noticed it about a week ago but seems to be getting worse, or more noticeable... I see this is an old post but wondering if you ever found out what it was. Thanks & GOD Bless

jimmyfunnybone · Answer

have a pinch nerve, pinky numbness, fingers dont curl up, yet  the tingling comes and gos, what should i do, had an emg done, the doc said its okay, will take time to heal try keeping elbow straight,

help

james

LisiePooh · Answer

Hi, Minidog,
 Fast forward 3 years, and here I am, looking up what you did! First of all, I am wondering if your issue ever got resolved? I am having the exact symptoms you described; my pinky is totally numb and most of my right ring finger. I also fit all of the reasons they give as to how ulnar nerve entrapment can happen (i.e. sleeping with my elbow bent, on my arm, a fall, my desk is antique and thus the wrong height for my chair), so it is beyond me what caused this. My biggest worry is also what you expressed, the muscle wasting, which I keep reading is irreversible. To make matters worse, my doctor was in a car accident and is not expected back until December! So I am at an utter loss of what to do. 

I am with you on being your best advocate, but geez, doctors always get touchy when you tell them you looked something up on the internet!  

Any suggestions or advice from your experience with this>

Thanks,

LisiePooh

FeelingThePain · Answer

I have just started having these symptoms of the ulnar nerve being pinched; numbness and tingling in my right hand pinky and ring fingers as well as the out portion of my hand. Thanks to all of you for your comments. They have all been very helpful and PLEASE, always know that you are your BEST medical advocate!

MiniDog · Answer

If you can get an appointment without a doctor referral to a specialist, i.e. hand surgeon, you should get a second opinion.  I got a referral directly from my health insurance advocate after talking to the Call a Nurse line.  I have an appointment May 13 with a hand surgeon at a university hospital.  I am not a doctor, but I have done enough research on the subject to know that something has to be pinching the ulnar nerve to have the numbness in the pinky and ring fingers.   My numbness is also more prominent in my pinky finger.  You may have a pinched nerve as a result of the fracture.  Medicmommy said she tried chiropractic adjustment to relieve her symptoms.  Perhaps that would work for you.  That will be my next option if I have no luck with the hand surgeon.  Good luck to you.

melea69 · Answer

i broke my right arm in a car accident. they said it was a spiral frature to my humerous bone.  they did not do surgery but now my right pinky and my ring finge has been going numb. this has been happening since i broke my arm i told the doctor but he said it was nothing. but it has to be somthing for my arm to all of a sudden start going numb he won't even send me in to get a nerve test done what should i do? i feel it more in my pinky then anywhere else

medicmommy · Answer

After having my symptoms of two separate and very serious medical issues "blown off" twice by doctors, I've learned to become a medical advocate for myself. At one point, I actually carried around my personal medical chart with copies of everything in it (labs, radiology reports, etc), so when I hit the doctor,"Oh, I don't have that test result" reply, I could hand it to them. At one point I had to refuse to leave my Dr's office because she didn't want to do a particular diagnostic blood test when all of my symptoms warranted it. (I never did get a reason why -maybe justification to the insurance company?) Anyhow, I got the test, and I was right. It pinpointed the problem -one which could have had fatal results if it had gone on more than a few more months. 
Back to the neck thing...I'm a paramedic who has been picking up people larger than myself for most of my 24 year career. As a result, I get muscular neck pain now and then which also causes my cervical vertebrae to misalign and causes the outside of my hand, and my two outside (pinkie, ring) fingers to tingle or feel cold, or go mostly numb. Mine is relieved by a chiropractic adjustment (or two) and massage therapy. Perhaps this is the case with you as well...Good luck! ~MM
P.S. It's called "Medical Practice" for a reason....

MiniDog · Answer

Thanks for the suggestion to have my neck checked out.  I have the name of an orthopaedic surgeon at a unversity hospital and plan to make an appointment tomorrow.  I asked the physiatrist who conducted the EMG test if this could be coming from my neck and she said no.  However, again in researching the Internet, I learned the ulnar nerve starts at the neck, runs behind the collar bone and down the inside of the arm to the elbow then to the last two fingers.  I am losing faith in the doctors in my area.  They just seem to want to pass off whatever you have as the first thing that comes to their minds or tell you it's all in your head.    I went to five different doctors from 1996 to 2003 before I was finally  diagnosed with fibromyalgia.  The last doctor I saw then was at a teaching hospital.  He referred me to rheumatologist who is treating me for the fibromyalgia.

medicmommy · Answer

Hello. My sister experienced something similar and she had a problem with nerves from her neck being pinched (she had a deteriorating disk in her neck). Perhaps you may need to have your neck checked out as well...~MM

MiniDog · Answer

Thank you for your response.  Finally someone knows what I am talking about.  Doctors seem to want to pass this off as carpal tunnel syndrome although none of the fingers involved are related to the carpal tunnel.  I have no problems with my wrist, thumb, index or middle fingers.  My numbness is restricted to the little finger and the outside of my ring finger and outside of my hand on my right hand - I am lefthanded.  Overuse is not an issue as I am extremely lefthanded.  I agree this is a problem with the ulnar nerve.  I am seeking a second opinion from a university hospital in St. Louis.  I would appreciate comments from anyone who has either experienced this condition or treated it.

anuragsrivastava · Answer

Thank you for your question. Although without being able to examine you I can not offer you the specific advice on diagnosis and treatment that you need, but I would try to provide you some relevant information about your health concern.

From the symptoms you describe, it sounds that it could be a circulatory disturbance (due to compression of blood vessels) or a nerve pinched.   Additionally, this may be associated with impingement of nerve or frank carpal tunnel syndrome in which median nerve is impinged leading to numbness, tingling sensation or pain. I would advise an orthopedic consultation who may investigate the problem with help of X-ray or MRI of the hand to reach to a probable diagnosis and further treatment required as per the diagnosis achieved. The first line of treatment mostly involves a splint to stabilize the wrist and needs to be worn at night or during the day for several weeks. Surgery may be successful in your case but suggested on severity and duration of nerve compression. Hot and cold compresses may also be helpful. In addition, avoid/reduce the number of repetitive wrist movements whenever possible. Hope this helps.

Red931 · Answer

Usually when the pinky and ring finger are numb it is in fact the Ulnar Nerve that is damaged or entrapped. This is called Cubital Tunnel Syndrome.

You will have to wait until your doctor reviews your EMG and see what he or she suggests. Depending on what the numbers were in certain locations you may be prescribed physical therapy or surgery to have the Ulnar Nerve relocated. The surgery usually will be your only option if the fingers start to curl in to the palm of the hand.

I had the surgery. It is not that bad but it leaves a scar of about six to nine inches long on the inside of the affected are from the bicep to the forearm.