My left index finger "falls asleep" after playing flute. Why

[nature1563]

For the past couple of days, after playing flute, my left index finger would "fall asleep". I've been playing flute for 2 years and have never had this problem until now. Sometimes for longs songs my finger would hurt but never actually "fall asleep" When I say fall asleep I mean the tingly feeling that people often get in their legs from sitting cross legged or sleeping weird. It's not my whole finger that falls asleep only the part near the nail, which is weird, cause I don't press hard and I also have a red mark right below my index finger knuckle. So to me it would make more sense for it to "fall asleep" there, not at my nail. Once I stop playing flute it stays tingly for about an hour. Usually when a part of my body falls asleep it's for a minute or so, but this is a hour. After that hour my index finger feels weird for quite a long time, often reaching half a day. Now as I'm typing this my finger still feels that way after playing flute 5 hours ago. It's a weird feeling I can't really explain. I'll try. Won't make sense though. I can move my finger perfectly. It just feels weird. It doesn't hurt at all but when I rub the end part(nail part) of my finger across any surface, it doesn't feel right. It still doesn't hurt but it feels different than all my other fingers. I tried searching up other answers on yahoo answers but they're all about hurting index fingers. My fingers is not hurting...it's just feeling weird for long periods of time. An explanation as well as advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

[pied_piper]

Most likely, you are pressing the flute too hard with your left index finger. Be careful. You can cause nerve damage to your finger if you allow that to go on for a long time. Don't press so hard.

In the meanwhile, you might consider getting a Bo-Pep Flute Finger Saddle. Here's a link on Amazon, but most good music stores carry them, so you may be able to get one from a store near you.

http://www.amazon.com/Bo-Pep-A13-BP601- ... B0002F5IJ6

[Bo]

If you never had this problem before you might also consider going to the doctor in case there is a real physical problem that is emerging.

[goldenflute]

Usually that "tingly feeling" is because you are not getting circulation to a certain part of your anatomy, in this case, your fingertip. I would also consider that perhaps you are pressing thye key down too hard, or your finger position is incorrect, possibly bent, rather than curved. I would suggest having a flute teacher or very experienced flutist examine your finger position. If that's not the case, then I too would recommend a trip to the doctor before you do irreparable damage.