numbness, ache, tingling in hand and arm

Thank you very much for this information and service that you provide. I have mild raynaud's syndrome. Some time ago, I started feeling a slight ache in the fingers of my left hand. As time went on I noticed numbness in my fingers and wrist. The numbness doesn't seem to be in my skin, it seems to be below it. If I squeeze my fingers or wrist I feel it less than I would in my right hand. Lately I've been feeling an ache, tingles and a pinprick in varying locations higher in my forearm, elbow and upper arm. Feelings of cold are involved too. The pain is mild. I'm also noticing that my left hand is slightly darker than my right hand. I tried a carpal tunnel brace but it didn't do much. The tos test that you recommend didn't yield anything conclusive. I was in a forklift collision about 10 months ago and bruised my chest, there was no real harm done but I experienced occasional mild pain in that area for a while. Can this be tos? Thanks again for your help.


Hello Yoel,
I'd assume these symptoms are related to the Raynauds unless you had some strong signs of nerve compression:
1. Neck pain, and in particularly pain in the lower neck and arm when you turned to the left.
2. A positive Adson's test. Frankly this is a very difficult and subject test and I doubt you could do it objectively yourself. The other sign of TOS is increased tingling when you raise your arm above your head.
3. A positive upper limb tension test; that you could do yourself. Find it using the Search function at Chiropractic Help.
4. Loss of reflex and paresis.

A cervical rib is an outside possibility too. And if you are a smoker and have a chronic cough a very rare tumour in the apex of the lung. Pancoast tumour.

I've worked on a few patients with Raynauds over the years with good results, but I've seen no research, and haven't treated enough folk to come up with any conclusive findings. You might try a chiropractor too. Especially as many of the symptoms you describe are of a nerve type.

Good luck, I hope this contributes. Less us now how you get on.

Dr B

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Chiropractic help Questions (Neck pain).





Did you find this page useful? Then perhaps forward it to a suffering friend. Better still, Tweet or Face Book it.

Share this page:
Enjoy this page? Then forward it to a friend. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.