Numbness and Tingling in Your Arm? Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Could Be a Factor
Have you noticed numbness or tingling traveling down your arm into your hand or fingers? Maybe it becomes more noticeable when your arms are overhead, while driving, or during certain everyday activities. While these symptoms can have several possible causes, one condition worth considering is thoracic outlet syndrome, commonly called TOS.
Thoracic outlet syndrome occurs when nerves or blood vessels traveling from the neck and shoulder into the arm become compressed. Because nerves are sensitive to excessive compression and tension, irritation in this area can contribute to symptoms farther down the arm, including tingling, numbness, discomfort, or other unusual sensations in the hands and fingers.
Importance of Thorough Evaluation
One of the challenges is that these symptoms aren’t always caused by thoracic outlet syndrome. Similar sensations can originate from the neck, shoulder, elbow, or wrist. That’s why a thorough evaluation is so important.
When someone experiences persistent numbness or tingling, evaluating the neck is often an important starting point. A pinched or irritated nerve in the neck can produce symptoms that travel into the shoulder, arm, hand, and fingers. If the neck doesn’t appear to be the primary source, the evaluation can then look at other areas along the path of the nerves, including the shoulder.
If you’ve been experiencing recurring numbness or tingling in your arm, hand, or fingers, watch the attached video to learn more about thoracic outlet syndrome, why these symptoms can occur, and how a thorough evaluation can help identify the underlying cause.