Pain and tingling from jaw to fingers

by Sherri Jackson
(Calgary, Alberta)

Which fingers are affected?

Which fingers are affected?

About two months ago I had a nasty Novocaine shot that zapped my tongue. Afterwards I had two issues. The first was a frozen jaw, but that went away in under two weeks. The second persists and as of today has gotten worse. My right hand tingles constantly, but actually buzzes if I really extend that arm (reaching for something, for example). Not painful but very annoying. I also have pain in my upper right arm, sort of between the bicep and tricep.


Today I twisted my arm to pull a window open and felt a huge pain in my shoulder and mid-upper arm. It felt like something snapped, or stretched and is stuck. I can feel a buzzing up to my jaw and some pain beside my shoulder blade. I cannot move that arm much now without pain and I cannot press down on anything without pain in the shoulder and down the right arm. If I forget and make any kind of twisting motion, much worse with pressure behind the movement like cutting or chopping, the pain is bad and the buzzing appears in hand and up to jaw.

I have a good chiropractor but have had people tell me that it will go away in time. Well, time's up as far as I am concerned. Is this something my chiropractor would be able to help with? I am a bit fearful of getting an adjustment when it feels like something is trapped in there!

Thank you for your help.

Hello Sherri,
There's no need to be fearful; the very thing you are anxious about, a trapped or irritated nerve, is the very reason why you should be consulting your chiropractor.

I'm not convinced the novocaine, tongue and jaw issues are related; the nerve supply to the arm and the face is quite apart.

Start to take note of exactly which part of your hand is affected, and which movements of the shoulder provoke the pain in your arm.

And whether any movements of your head and neck provoke either neck pain, or that buzz in your hand.

I'm speculating of course, but I suspect the irritated nerve in your neck is causing both the sensory change in your hand and has weakened one or more shoulder muscles; consequently you have now pulled a muscle in the shoulder; it sounds like a rotator cuff strain, but your chiropractor will examine you and confirm what is, and isn't going on.

Perhaps print this out and take it with you.

I hope this contributes.

Dr B

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Sep 04, 2017
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by: Anonymous

Thank you for the info. The thumb and adjacent two fingers plus part of the ring finger are affected. I can start the buzz by really extending my right arm (to pick something up off the ground, for example) or by tipping my head all the way back. I will go see my chiropractor about this. Cheers!

It's following the median nerve distribution, so either in the wrist, elbow, shoulder or in the interscalene triangle there's an entrapment.

Extension of your neck means it's probably in your spine too; what we call a double entrapment syndrome; both areas need to be addressed.

Dr B

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