Why’s My Shoulder Pain Making My Hand Numb?

• Start with shoulder pain but now you’re feeling it down your arm?

• Numbness or tingling in your fingers?

• Arm waking you up because your arm or hand are feeling “dead”?

My friend, that pain might not be coming from your shoulder at all! If you are noticing the tingly feeling down your arm that is likely coming from your nerves. (This is why when people come in with pain at the shoulder I always thoroughly look at the head, spine, elbow, and wrist - so I get a good idea of where symptoms are actually coming from and make a plan best for your needs!)

You have 3 big nerves that start at your neck and travel all the way to your fingertips. These are the Median Nerve, Ulnar Nerve, and Radial Nerve. More often than not, when someone I’m seeing has nerve pain in their arm it’s coming from either the Median or Ulnar nerves, which are on the palm side of your hand. These nerves can get “stuck” or compressed near the neck or along their path in the arm. Try the nerve glides in the video below if you’re feeling any intermittent numbness, tingling, or “dead arm”. 

Tried them and not seeing much of a change? Every person is different so your symptoms might not be coming from the same spot. Click here to hop on a 15 minute call to see if an in-depth movement + performance evaluation is right for you. 

NOTE: This content is solely for informational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice.