Q: Dear Dr. Mao,
I’m losing circulation in the pointer finger and pinky of my left hand. They become numb and turn white when the temperature reaches the 50-degree range and below. Can you tell me why this happens?
A: The fingers of the hand are innervated through the cervical nerves. I suggest you check with your primary physician to determine if there are vertebral problems in your cervical spine. It is also possible that you are developing repetitive injury to the median nerve at the base of your wrist; you can have a test done to determine if this is the cause.
Once you rule these serious pathologies out, give acupuncture a try because sometimes energy pathways may be blocked and acupuncture can assist in unblocking them.
