numbing in the fretting hand

numbing in the fretting hand is my biggest problem right now. I've played for years but just recently (last few weeks) my frettign fingers have become numb at the edges. I think i'm going to start stretching out my arms before playing now I think that seems to help but does anyone know some tricks to keep that from happening?

I also suggest the luke warm water thing, I used to do that when my hand got stiff. You might want to consider taking a week off, and if it doesn't get better after that maybe see a doctor (if you have good insurance).

Has anything else changed with the way you're playing? Are you playing more than usual? More intense than usual?

well i played pretty intensely this spring and then i took a pretty big break(3 or 4 weeks). but now i'm back on as intense as usual and i've started soloing like crazy. even though i play a lot, i think it comes down to just relaxing my fingers.

One more note, it happens frequently when I'm playing somethign like an arpeggio over and over trying to get it right