If you experience tingling in your arms and/or hands, you are probably experiencing neck pain. There are a number of reasons why tingling can occur to a patient’s arms with neck pain. The first step to solving this problem is understanding why it is happening and the cause of the issue so that safe recovery is made possible.

Top 5 causes of hand and arm tingles

Think of a time that you sat on your leg funny or leaned on your hand for too long. It usually results in a pins or needles sensation you had to shake out in order to stop. This needles sensation is also caused by dysfunction in the neck. Tingling caused by an issue in the neck is most often attributed to daily habits that do more harm than good. In many cases, patients don’t realize the impact their daily posture has on the body. The examples below are the most common causes of neck issues, and thus hand and arm tingles.

1. Working on a computer from a couch or while in bed:

Ergonomics is so important during the use of computers, or any screen for that matter. Bodies become slouched and scrunched with no support while working on a soft, plush piece of furniture. Set up your laptop at a desk or table with the screen at eye level to prevent straining of the neck. Sit-to-stand desks are also a great option.

2. Untreated neck injuries that have continued to progress overtime:

Please see a chiropractor if pain does not subside after several days following an injury. Your body needs care and attention to prevent further issues down the road. While more treatments may be needed in order to feel your best, it is still possible to overcome old injuries.

3. Spending hours on a screen with your face pointing to the ground:

Did you know? The neck bent at a 45° angle adds an extra 50 to 60 pounds of pressure to the neck muscles! The suboccipital muscles, or muscles on the back of the neck, are small and extra pressure on this area causes headaches, migraines, and in some cases nerve problems. Raise your screen so the head and neck are in a neutral position.

4. Chronic high stress:

Believe it or not, chronic stress triggers a physical response in the body. It’s often felt as tension in the neck or upper back. Managing stress is imperative for overall health as well as injury prevention.

5. Sedentary lifestyle:

Inactivity contributes to stiffness in muscles and joints, ultimately causing pain. The neck is a complex system of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles. The neck provides support for the head and allows us to look up, down, side to side, and rotate our heads. When you exercise regularly, you strengthen your muscles and improve their flexibility. This helps decrease the chance of injury when engaged in physical activity or daily activities. Regular movement as simple as walking for 30 minutes each day engages muscles, increases blood flow, and reduces stress. Get up and move!

How to stop arm and hand tingling

The first step to correcting this inconvenience is awareness. You must be aware of daily habits that contribute to pain or tingling. This may start out as tension through the neck or into the upper back. The pins and needles sensation is the indication that something isn’t quite right in another area of the body. Also make notes of details such as the intensity during the day vs. at night, as well as how long the sensation lasts. Next, evaluate the top 5 causes of tingling as listed above. Do you have chronic stress? Could you be more active? How is your workspace set up? Do you take posture breaks throughout the day? Identifying areas of improvement and making the necessary changes is empowering to your overall health and wellbeing. Take responsibility for what needs to be better in order to feel better.

Treatment options

Finally, visit a chiropractor if you still experience neck pain or the pins and needles feeling after a self-evaluation. A chiropractor will treat any misalignment as well as provide safe exercises to do at home to assist with healing. The treatments that we see the most success with include chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue therapies such as ART and IASTM, cupping, deep tissue laser therapy, nerve glides and nerve flossing, and McKenzie exercises. The point is there are many ways to treat these injuries and you don’t have to suffer with your hands and arms falling asleep- it is such a distracting and irritating sensation! You and your chiropractor will work as a team to overcome the challenges you face and achieve your wellness goals.

Take action

As we’ve seen, there are a number of possible causes and fixes for tingling arms and hands. So if you’re having this problem, take a moment to think about what might be the cause, and follow some of these tips to get things back to normal. The key with any of these solutions is to remember that tingling in the arms and hands isn’t something to be scared off or ignored. If you’re having problems, try to find a way to fix them instead of continuing to suffer—your body will thank you.