Pins and needles in my fingers when lifting heavy...

nz_deevaa
nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
Sometimes when I'm lifting I get pins and needs in my fingers, mostly in my little finger/ring finger on both hands.

I noticed it yesterday when I was doing deadlifts and also earlier in the week when doing bicep curls and arm raisers? (Macraes? not sure of the name of them?).

Am I holding the weights too tight? Pinching something? Anyone got any idea?

Replies

  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    Any other symptoms? Do you have problems with your wrists? hands when typing? any numbness in the hands/fingers at all after lifting?

    My guess... and it's just a guess since I'm not an MD and even if I was, I couldn't know without testing :D... but my best guess is something akin to carpal tunnel syndrome. Maybe some inflamed tendons pinching some nerves. Something like that.

    Wrist braces might help. Take ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation.
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    Nope, nope and nope.

    I'm a graphic designer so I spend a good deal of time on the computer during the day and I don't have any issues with that.

    I don't wear any rings or anything when I lift.

    When I noticed it I pointed it out to my trainer and he had me squeeze his hands and I still had strength... I do have problems with my grip when I'm deadlifting, so maybe I'm just over compensating and gripping too tightly or something.
  • salxtai
    salxtai Posts: 341 Member
    You are putting your wrists (and hence your nerves, tendons, ligaments) on stretch when you hold barbells, especially for overhead/squats, its not unusual. I get altered sensation on the outer part of my palm on my right hand, for example.

    Like labrat said, unless you're noticing pins and needles in other things in life (you can get carpal tunnel syndrome from excessive computer use, btw), then I wouldn't worry about it from a pathology point of view.

    If it bothers you a lot, switch grips or try wrist braces. Wrist strengthening may also be an idea if you think you're prone to gripping hard to maintain control. But that's something you'd need checked out by your personal trainer or physio...
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    Sounds like a pinched nerve to me. This happened to me 6 years ago. It went away in about 6 months with out any thing other than the exercises my ortho taught me to do for it.
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    Thanks for the input everyone, I've been laying low (been sick), but I wanted to let you know I appreciate you took the time. :)

    I talked to my trainer about it, and he thinks it's a grip issue, so we are going to work on that.
  • KukuDan
    KukuDan Posts: 76 Member
    Carpal tunnel causes numbness in the thumb, index and middle finger. The ring finger and pinky are on the ulna nerve which is what causes pain when you hit your funny bone. So it may be caused by elbow movement or inflamation.
  • NPetrakis
    NPetrakis Posts: 164 Member
    Can also be due to poor circulation, blood deprivation. If it's most commonly felt when your lifting weight and your palm is UP as with a bench press, military press, or a curl you may be pinching off the blood supply to your finger via pressure to the palm of your hand. Even more likely if your hands are thin or delicate. Gloves or trying a new grip might help. just be aware with varying the grip that you either are in control of the weight or you are not, there is no in between. So be safe first. Gloves can be very helpful in that case.
  • 5Aday
    5Aday Posts: 1 Member
    I've just moved a lot of heavy boxes after a house move. Visited weight lifting forums and it's most likely due to trapping nerves. My worst times are waking and going to sleep. Once I get going the sensation wains to 10-20%
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    nz_deevaa wrote: »
    Pinching something? Anyone got any idea?

    probably only a physio would be able to answer for sure. or your trainer, who might have made this response redundant already.

    but it occurs to me that you're doing a lot of 'in front of you' stuff, so i'll throw it in. i did have a little of that and it seemed to be related to me overdoing the anterior work. pec minor, pec major and my anterior delts being overactive/too short, and yup, i would sometimes find myself with that ring-and-pinkie tingle. it went away for me when i went back to being more serious about the upper back and doing my rows, external rotations, scapular retraction/stabilization etc.

    gl with yours. i can't remember for sure but i think it was releasing pec minor trigger points with a lacrosse ball that turned the tide for me. and then after that making sure that i was doing all that posterior stuff to keep my shoulder girdle more open and stop the problem from coming back.

  • GemstoneofHeart
    GemstoneofHeart Posts: 865 Member
    Zombie thread
  • rummyqueen
    rummyqueen Posts: 150 Member
    I get it all the time. I went to the doctors to get check out , it’s s pinched nerve
This discussion has been closed.