Alright…About 10 days ago, I jammed my middle finger of my left hand between a garbage can and its metal door. It jammed right on the fingernail, a small amount of blood pooled under the nail, and it hurt like nobody’s business, but I figured hey, it’s just a slammed finger. But the next day, the tips of my ring and pinky finger felt numb. Actually, not so much numb as they felt asleep. For the past 10 days I’ve felt it on and off in them. I do NOT remember slamming them in the garbage can door. However, it is possible that they got slammed and not hit as badly, and I remember the middle finger because it hurt more. The middle finger has not felt asleep like the others.
Is it safe to assume that they did get slammed, and the nerves were damaged, but that it just takes a bit of time for the nerves to heal?
IANADs with experience welcome, neurologists preferred.
Nerves do funny things when damaged. I had inflamation in a shoulder once that had a similar effect to what you are experiencing. The nerve was getting pinched, so it felt like my finger tips were numb, even though the real problem lay an arm length away. I’d guess you’re getting something similar.
But, as they always say, IMNAD. See your doctor if it concerns you. I did, and he knew exactly what was going on almost straight off.
Thanks…does anyone know if time matters? It’s not really convenient for me to see a doctor for another week. If I wait, that’ll be about 3 weeks after the incident…am I doing myself a disservice by waiting? (I mean, obviously, w/medical concerns, sooner is generally better, but if I’m not doing further damage, is it ok to wait?)
IANAMD, but this appears to be self-limiting. The nerves will heal in time. Give it a little while. It never hurts to see a doctor, except in your pocketbook, but certainly if it’s nerve damage or blood vessel damage, the body is very resilient and it will heal by itself. Standard disclaimer re medical advise.
