Arm Numbness/Hand or Arm Feeling Tingly
Your arm has fallen asleep.
We’ve all experienced it before. Maybe it feels like ants are crawling on your arm, or perhaps it feels like somebody is sticking your arm with pins and needles. In some cases, your arm has gone completely lifeless, causing you to have to struggle to regain control of it. All of these are very common complaints that we see in our office daily. The truth is, there are plenty of reasons why these symptoms, including arm and hand numbness and tingling, can happen. Before you rush to the emergency room thinking you are seeing stroke signs, we’d like to break down a couple common ways that these symptoms, which fall under the blanket term known as radiculopathy, can occur.
Why is this happening?
To better understand why these symptoms can happen, perhaps it is best to take a step back and look at the general anatomy of how nerves branch from your brain and extend all the way to your fingertips. Your central nervous system consists of your brain and spinal cord. Messages or activity travel from the brain, down the spinal cord, and away from the spinal cord via spinal nerves. Spinal nerves are formed from roots that branch from your spinal cord. They exit holes in each of your vertebrae, known as foramina, and travel to different areas of your body, some via the peripheral nervous system. In the cervical spine, you have 16 spinal nerves in total (8 exiting on each side). The cervical nerves are particularly important because they form into a bundle of nerves, known as the brachial plexus. The brachial plexus extends into your shoulder, extending into your arm and hand. From the brachial plexus, you have other nerves branching into your arm, which connect to your muscles and skin.
When working properly, your brachial plexus is responsible for controlling activity involving your shoulder and arm, as well as transmitting sensory information all of the way back to your brain. Sometimes, it is best to think of the whole system as a garden hose. Any “kinks” or “pinches” in the hose can affect the flow of water- or in this case, neurological activity that is transmitted through the bundle causing that uncomfortable arm numbness or other tingling in the extremities. It is our job as chiropractors to locate these problem areas and address them using a variety of techniques.
My arm falls asleep while I’m sleeping!
Perhaps the most common version of this complain is: “I woke up in the middle of the night and my arm was asleep”. Nearly everyone has experienced this at some point or another. Why? Well there are two common culprits of why patients experience this. As previously mentioned, you have nerves that branch from the brachial plexus extending into your arm. Two nerves, the radial nerve and the ulnar nerve, can usually be involved in this scenario. The radial nerve travels in a groove in your arm bone, known as the spiral groove. The ulnar nerve travels through a groove known as the cubital tunnel of the inner elbow. When you lie on your side, you can cause compression of these nerves in their respective locations. This compression- known as entrapment, can directly affect the transmission of flow in both nerves, causing the symptoms mentioned above. Another common ailment involves compression in the carpal tunnel which causes carpal tunnel syndrome, generally affecting the wrist.
Causes of Entrapment
There are plenty of other anatomical structures that are known to cause entrapment of the brachial plexus. Let’s dive into a few:
Common tight muscles:
As the brachial plexus travels from your neck to your arm, it travels directly underneath some muscles. If any of these muscles are tight, they can cause impingement of the brachial plexus causing arm numbness. Here are some common muscles that can be involved.
Scalenes- set of three muscles located at the base of either side of your neck. Brachial plexus runs directly between the anterior and middle scalene.
Pectoralis minor- the smaller of the pectoralis muscles in chest, brachial plexus runs right underneath it.
Brachialis/Biceps Brachii tendon- the brachialis muscle in your arm and even a tendon of the biceps can entrap certain nerves on the brachial plexus and cause arm numbness.
Pronator Teres- muscle in forearm, can entrap things such as median nerve causing arm numbness and tingling.
Osteoarthritis of the spine:
Osteoarthritis of the spine can cause irritation or compression of the nerves as they exit the spine. Osteoarthritis occurs as a process of aging. While it is very common, some people experience negative effects of it, while others do not. As you age, certain areas of your spine such as joints and your discs undergo wear and tear. The overall effect of the breakdown of these structures is that it causes compression in your spine. This becomes particularly problematic for the nerves that exit them. This can cause irritation both at the site of compression, as well as into the arm and hand.
Other common causes of entrapment:
Costoclavicular space- small space between your collarbone and first rib where brachial plexus travels through. Things such as poor posture, tight bra strap, heavy backpack can cause entrapment in this area.
Cervical rib- typically ribs are only found in the thoracic spine. A cervical rib is a common anomaly which can also cause entrapment of the brachial plexus.
How can I make this arm numbness and tingling go away for good?
As you can see, there are quite a few reasons why you may be experiencing these pesky symptoms in your neck, shoulder, arm, or hand. Chiropractors are trained to not only assess where your problem is, but what may have caused the problem to start. After compiling your patient history, we will conduct an extensive orthopedic and neurological examination that will aid us finding the root of your problem. Some common techniques that we use for this problem are:
Stretching- If you have tight muscles, one of the first things that we do in office is manual stretching. Additionally, we may show you stretches at the end of each session that you can do on your own to manage your problem.
Manual Therapy- this is somewhat of a blanket term for treatment that may involve manual or instrument-assisted massage, cupping, or muscle release techniques.
Spinal Manipulation Therapy (SMT)- increases mobility in restricted joints of the neck, shoulder, or arm which restores proper biomechanical function.
Traction- decompressive style of therapy which can help in taking pressure off spinal nerves, in this case in the cervical spine.
If you find yourself experiencing any of these symptoms or have any questions, feel free to contact our office. As always, we are happy to help where we can!