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What Causes Arm Numbness?
Numbness and tingling can affect the arm for various reasons, ranging from sitting or sleeping in the wrong position to heart disease. Treatment for persistent numbness and tingling will depend on the cause.
However, unexplained arm numbness may indicate an underlying health condition, such as nerve damage, a herniated disc, or cardiovascular disease. Severe causes of arm numbness include heart attacks and stroke.
This article reviews nine possible causes of arm numbness and their treatments.
Blocked or compressed blood vessels can interfere with blood circulation to and from the heart. Poor circulation can cause numbness and tingling in the arms, hands, legs, and feet.
Reduced blood flow can cause other symptoms, such as:
Poor circulation is not a medical condition in itself, but it can happen if a person does not move enough during the day. It can also be a symptom of other conditions, including:
Treatment for poor circulation depends on the underlying cause. Wearing compression wraps can help reduce swelling in the limbs. Exercising can also help improve circulation.
People who have large blood clots or several blocked arteries may require surgery. Doctors can prescribe medications to treat underlying health conditions that may contribute to poor circulation.
Peripheral neuropathy includes multiple conditions that damage the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The PNS carries information between the central nervous system — the brain and spinal cord — and the rest of the body.
Peripheral neuropathy causes a range of symptoms, depending on which nerves it affects. In general, people who have peripheral neuropathy may experience:
Several conditions can contribute to peripheral neuropathy, including:
Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) refers to a group of conditions that compress the nerves and blood vessels that pass between the collarbone and the first rib. The most common form is TOS.
People who have TOS may experience numbness or tingling in a hand, as well as weakness in the neck or arm.
Physical therapy exercises that strengthen the chest and back muscles can help improve a person's posture and reduce pressure on the nerves and blood vessels that pass through the thoracic outlet.
Doctors can prescribe medication to prevent blood clots and reduce pain. They may also recommend surgery if a person's symptoms do not improve with physical therapy or medication.
Cervical spinal stenosis occurs when the hollow space of the spinal canal narrows, compressing the spinal cord. This compression can cause numbness or weakness in the arms or feet. It can also cause neck and back pain.
People can develop this condition if they have cervical spondylosis, which is arthritis that affects the part of the spine in the neck. Neck or back injuries and tumors in the spine can also contribute to cervical spinal stenosis.
Doctors treat this condition with medication, back braces, physical therapy, and surgery.
A herniated disk occurs when the soft nucleus of the disk slips through a crack in its outer portion.
A herniated disk can press against surrounding nerves, which may cause numbness or pain in the arm.
Treatment options for herniated disks include pain medication, physical therapy, and surgery.
People who have hemiplegic migraine experience a migraine headache along with temporary weakness or paralysis on one side of the body. This symptom can appear before or alongside a headache. People may feel numbness or tingling in the leg, arm, or side of the face.
Migraine also causes intense, throbbing headaches that can affect one or both sides of the head.
The symptoms of hemiplegic migraine vary from mild to severe. A severe hemiplegic migraine episode can cause additional symptoms, such as:
Doctors may prescribe pain relievers and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat migraine.
According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), doctors have not established standard treatment protocols for hemiplegic migraine due to being rare.
A heart attack occurs when the heart does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood. A blood clot or plaque buildup can create a partial or complete blockage in one or more of the blood vessels that supply the heart, causing a heart attack.
In rare cases, a heart attack can also happen when the coronary artery spasms, which tightens the vessel and restricts blood flow to the heart. The heart muscle may become damaged or stop functioning altogether if it does not receive enough oxygen.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the most common symptoms of a heart attack include:
Other symptoms to look for include:
A heart attack is a serious medical emergency. People should call 911 immediately if they think that they or someone else is having a heart attack.
Doctors will attempt to open the blocked artery and restore blood flow to the heart. The exact type of treatment will depend on the location of the blockage, the person's overall health status, and the amount of time that has elapsed since the heart attack began.
A stroke occurs when something restricts or completely blocks blood flow to part of the brain.
Strokes often cause numbness in one arm, leg, or side of the face. Other symptoms of a stroke include:
There are two main types of stroke:
A stroke is a serious condition that requires emergency medical treatment. People should call 911 for rapid emergency services.
A doctor can treat an ischemic stroke with thrombolytic medications that dissolve blood clots. If a person has a hemorrhagic stroke, a doctor may need to stop the bleeding or reduce pressure in the brain with surgical intervention, depending on the cause, location, and size of the bleed in the brain.
In cases of both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, it is important that a person and their doctor take care to manage their
carefully.
Dehydration can cause a variety of symptoms based on how severe the case is. Though it is not likely to lead to arm numbness directly, moderate to advanced cases of dehydration can cause drops in blood pressure, muscle spasms, and dizziness.
A drop in blood pressure may cause numbness in the arms.
Arm numbness is a common symptom of many minor issues, such as temporarily cutting off the circulation, but it can also be a sign of a heart attack or stroke.
People who have a high risk or history of cardiovascular disease should seek immediate medical attention if they experience unexplained numbness or tingling in their arm.
Persistent numbness in the arm without an apparent cause suggests an underlying medical problem that may require physical therapy, surgery, or emergency medical care.
Here are some questions people often ask about arm numbness.
When should I worry about arm numbness?Anyone who experiences sudden or unexplained arm numbness may consider seeking medical advice. Often, the cause is minor, but arm numbness can also be a sign of a more serious condition, such as a heart attack or stroke. A heart attack will more likely to cause symptoms in the left arm, but not always.
What can numbness in the arms mean?Possible causes of arm numbness include a herniated disk, poor circulation, nerve damage, and dehydration. However, a heart attack or stroke can also involve arm numbness.
How do I get rid of numbness in my arm?Treatments for arm numbness will depend on the cause. A doctor can recommend a treatment plan if arm numbness stems from cervical spinal stenosis, migraine, or other conditions. Ways to soothe arm numbness include physical therapy, exercise, and wearing a pressure wrap.
Many people experience occasional numbness in an arm. Arm numbness can occur for several reasons that range from mild causes, such as sleeping in the wrong position, to a severe medical condition, such as a heart attack.
Sudden numbness in one or both arms may be a sign of a heart attack, stroke, or nerve damage, especially if a person has other symptoms.
People who experience arm numbness and weakness on one side of the body that precedes a severe headache may have a rare type of migraine called hemiplegic migraine.
Anyone who has arm numbness without an obvious cause should contact their doctor, especially if they have a history or increased risk of cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
Read this article in Spanish.
5 Myths About Mental Illness
This article is part of the 5 Myths series.
A Loaded TermMental illness. For many, that is a scary term.
"You have a mental illness." This statement borders on terrifying! It brings up many unsettling thoughts and complicated fears in our hearts and minds. This subject is further confused by the many differing opinions swirling around the internet. Moreover, in the post-Christian era in which we live, Christians may wonder if the advice they find is true, scientific, or Biblical? These are the common myths I have encountered.
Myth #1: If I am diagnosed with a mental illness, I am doomed to live out the rest of my days here on earth in a miserable existence.Feeling hopeless and helpless is a feeling that we all have encountered at various times in our lives. This feeling or thought is the most painful part of all mental illness. The diagnosis seems like being stuck at the end of a dead-end street. The truth, however, is that mental illness attacks our ability to think clearly and to experience feelings accurately.
When in the midst of hardship, a normal reaction is impatience and even a lack of being able to see past the pain. Mental illness, like many other afflictions, can endure longer than anticipated and inflict a great deal of pain. However, the reality is that, with proper care, recovery is possible and sustainable.
David Murray, Tom KarelThis accessible resource answers 30 commonly asked questions about mental health from a Christian perspective, providing caregivers with the biblical wisdom necessary to care for those with mental illnesses.
Myth #2: Having a mental illness is a sign of a moral failure.Many Christians that have come to me for counseling live with the misperception that it must be sin that has caused a mental illness to occur, that it has arisen from unconfessed, undealt with sin in their (or another's) life. In some cases, it is true that confession of sin is necessary in order to know true peace of mind and heart. In Psalm 32, David reflected on his experience of unconfessed sin with Bathsheba:
For when I kept silent, bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night, your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
During a time of unconfessed sin, David was emotionally, physically, and spiritually miserable. He was a wreck! All the while he knew (by his own knowledge of the Scriptures, by the pricking of his conscience, by the convicting work of the Holy Spirit) that the root of his distress was unconfessed sin.
In situations where a person is living in known sin, we do right to pray for and plead with them to forsake their sin and turn to God in faith and repentance. However, we do a vast disservice to a person suffering from mental illness by suggesting that sinful rebellion against God is the only possible reason for depression or anxiety.
Many of the hardships we experience are a result of being fallen human beings living in a fallen world. The fall of man not only produced sin but also brokenness in all of creation: illness and death. We understand that we have a sinful nature and therefore even our best works are tainted by sin (Isa. 64:6). We know that we have actual sin: sins of omission and commission.1 As sinful human beings, we are sinful, but not everything that occurs in life is a direct result of actual sin.
In every life situation, whether pleasant or painful, we have the opportunity for sinful rebellion against God (Isa. 45:9) or for childlike trust, humble obedience, and rejoicing in the God of our salvation (Hab. 3:17–18, Rom. 5: 3–4, 12:12).
Myth #3: Mental illness is a sign of weakness.The prophet Elijah was powerfully used by God. In the face of fierce opposition and even threat of death, he delivered God's message with clarity and authority. I suspect there would be no one stepping forward to accuse Elijah of being weak! Yet, after a tremendous victory at Mount Carmel, he found himself discouraged and despairing of life and of future ministry. He was in the depths of a depressive episode (1 Kings 19).
We live in bodies that are susceptible to many maladies. Given the wrong circumstances, broken bones and mental illnesses can happen and are both included in the list of afflictions that we may suffer in this life. In the case of a broken leg, we do not debate whether the femur should have been stronger; rather we provide care for the hurting part.
Myth #4: If I encounter someone with a mental illness, I should keep my distance.All of us, having gone through cold and flu season (or through the COVID pandemic) are well conditioned to "keep your distance" from someone who could potentially pass on a life-threatening illness to ourselves or our family members. If you have worked in a healthcare setting, you well understand the need for "universal precautions" to protect from contagious diseases being passed on.
Sadly, I have treated many people over the years who have felt like societal outcasts. Like the unclean lepers in the Bible, people seem to keep their distance from those with depression, anxiety, or any other mental health disorder.
Perhaps the fear is contamination: If I get too close, I, too, might get ill. Perhaps the fear is awkwardness: I will not know what to say. Perhaps the fear is making a mistake: If I say the wrong thing, I might make the situation worse.
In most cases, the worst mistake is to avoid the individual struggling with the mental illness; this communicates that they don't matter, that they are not valued, and that they have no place in our lives or the life of our congregation. Another closely related mistake is to ignore the elephant in the room, to pretend to be completely oblivious to the illness. This communicates a lack of attunement to those hurting.
To approach and to care for those in affliction is to act as the body of Christ was designed to function: one member valuing and caring for the other member (1 Cor. 12:18–27). As a psychologist, I do not have the knowledge or training to do heart surgery or to provide care for a broken leg. When someone is struggling with an illness, I am able to visit and to talk with them, to pray over and for them, to ask how I may be able to help them in time of need. In the same way, we are able to minister to those afflicted with a mental illness: visit, talk, pray, comfort, help.
To approach and to care for those in affliction is to act as the body of Christ was designed to function: one member valuing and caring for the other member.
Myth #5: Ignoring a mental illness is the best way to make it go away.Those of us who have seen the comedy movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail will well remember the battle scene between King Arthur and the Black Knight. During the sword fight, King Arthur chops off the Black Knight's left arm. The knight refuses defeat and tries to dismiss the wound as merely a scratch. After his right arm is severed, he attempts to convince King Arthur that this was only a "flesh wound." While the ridiculousness of this scene may appear humorous, trying this strategy in real life will only produce tragic results!
If you were experiencing chest pain and numbness in the left arm, ignoring the symptoms of a heart attack and hoping that the pain would go away could prove fatal! Waiting to treat the symptoms of an ailment, no matter how serious or seemingly insignificant, allows the distress to increase in magnitude. In the same way, attempting to ignore or to minimize the seriousness of a mental illness is usually a recipe for disaster.
When symptoms of a mental illness surface, we do want to treat them seriously. Most often when people struggling with mental illness finally decide to reach out for help, they admit, I wish I had taken this step years ago rather than struggling with this pain for so long.
Reaching out for help (whether you are a sufferer or a helper to someone suffering) is a difficult step to take. It is usually fraught with doubts: Am I making too much of this? What will others think of me? However, as my primary care physician's office advised me when I called the doctor with a question about my health, It's always better to have it checked out than to ignore it. What seems like a small issue now can turn into a big issue tomorrow.
If you are concerned about your own mental health or the mental health of a loved one, talk about it! Reach out to family members, to your pastor or church elders/deacons, to your primary care physician, to a Christian mental health provider. Choose to surround yourself with other Christians who are willing to act compassionately, to guide biblically, and to support you through those dark times of life. Help and healing is possible!
Notes:
Tom Karel is the coauthor with David Murray of A Christian's Guide to Mental Illness: Answers to 30 Common Questions.
Tom Karel (MA, Wheaton College) is a psychologist at Pine Rest, a Christian mental health center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tom is involved with Faith Community Outreach, an initiative that connects Christian organizations to serve the faith community. He serves as an elder at the Free Reformed Church.
Popular Articles in This SeriesWhat Causes Pain Under My Left Breast?
Pain under the left breast can have a range of causes from digestion to heart conditions. Home remedies may be enough to treat some conditions, but others could require medical attention.
Organs in the upper left region of the body may be the source of pain under the left breast. These include the:
The most common causes of pain under the left breast are often grouped into different categories, including:
This article looks at the different causes, symptoms, and treatments of pain under the left breast.
A heart attack happens when the blood supply to the heart suddenly becomes blocked. This is often caused by a blockage in a nearby artery. As the heart is situated slightly to the left of the midline in the upper body, pain under the left breast may indicate a heart problem.
It is estimated that every 40 seconds someone has a heart attack in the United States.
Treatment options will depend on when the symptoms start and how soon the person having the attack can access the first stage of care.
If the cause of the attack is found to be a blocked coronary artery, the doctor may recommend a procedure called an angioplasty to open a blocked or severely narrowed coronary artery with a balloon and possibly place a stent.
AnginaAngina occurs when the heart muscle does not receive enough oxygen in the coronary artery blood supply. This may cause pain under the left breast or in the center of the chest, which may also:
Other symptoms of angina include:
Angina is a possible symptom of severe underlying heart disease, so anyone experiencing symptoms of angina should seek medical attention immediately.
Treatment may involve prescribed medications, such as:
PericarditisThe heart is surrounded and protected by a thin, layered, fluid-filled membrane called the pericardium. Pericarditis occurs when this becomes inflamed due to infection or a disorder where the body's immune system attacks itself.
Symptoms of acute pericarditis include:
Immediate treatment for pericarditis may include over-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen and rest until feverish symptoms decrease.
If a person experiences severe pain, a doctor may prescribe a steroid like prednisone. A person may also need to stay in the hospital for monitoring.
GastritisGastritis is when the stomach's lining becomes inflamed. Not everyone experiences symptoms, but a sharp, stabbing, or burning pain under the left breast is a potential clue that gastritis may be present.
Pain may also be accompanied by:
Treatment for gastritis will depend on its cause and whether it is acute or chronic.
Some medications may include:
Some home remedies may also help alleviate symptoms, including:
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. Acute pancreatitis has symptoms that include:
Chronic pancreatitis, where the condition worsens over time, has symptoms including:
For acute pancreatitis, immediate treatment includes:
Treatment for chronic pancreatitis ranges from pain management and using increasing strengths of medication, to surgery if pain under the left breast is still severe.
HeartburnHeartburn happens when stomach acid travels back up the food pipe and causes a burning sensation in the mid-chest and throat, and sometimes pain under the left breast.
Heartburn may be a symptom of indigestion and stomach acid issues.
Symptoms include:
Treatment for heartburn may include a combination of medications like antacids and home remedies, such as:
Pain under the left breast may also be caused by breast trauma, infection, or hormonal changes.
Breast surgeryDifferent types of breast surgeries may cause pain under the left breast, including:
Depending on the type of surgery, it may take up to 6 weeks to fully recover.
During this period, a person may feel the following symptoms:
In some cases, people may experience an infection which could cause pain, sickness, and oozing from the wound. If a person notices signs of an infection, they should get medical help immediately.
Milk duct conditionsMilk ducts carry milk from a person's mammary glands to their nipples when they are breastfeeding.
Some conditions may develop inside the left milk ducts and cause pain under the left breast, including:
A person should see a doctor if they:
A traumatic breast injury to the left breast may also cause pain. It does not, however, cause breast cancer as is commonly believed.
Common causes of breast injury include:
In some cases, traumatic breast injury may also cause a breast hematoma to develop.
A person should get medical help if they suffer a traumatic breast injury.
PleurisyThe lungs are surrounded by a layered membrane called the pleura. Pleurisy is when the pleura surrounding one or both lungs becomes inflamed due to infection or another cause, such as:
Pleurisy of the left lung may result in pain under the left breast.
The most common symptom of pleurisy is a sharp chest pain when taking a deep breath, but it can also be accompanied by:
The pain can get worse when the person walks around, coughs, or sneezes.
Treatment for pleurisy will depend on the severity of the condition and symptoms.
If a person experiences particularly severe chest pain, they should seek immediate treatment from a doctor, who may prescribe NSAIDs or other pain-relieving medications.
A doctor may also carry out further tests, such as:
Pleurisy caused by a viral infection often gets better after a few days, but a bacterial infection will require antibiotic therapy.
SpleenThe spleen can cause pain under the left breast if it is enlarged or if it bursts following an injury.
Symptoms of an enlarged spleen include:
A burst spleen will typically cause:
If a person suspects a burst spleen, they should get immediate medical help. Bleeding can be life threatening if left untreated.
A doctor will check for an enlarged spleen by feeling the abdomen and may recommend further testing through blood testing or imaging, such as an abdominal ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI scan.
Underlying conditions such as chronic liver disease and subsequent cirrhosis can affect and interact with the spleen.
A doctor will prescribe medication when medical therapy is possible to treat splenic or liver disease. Surgery is only required if underlying causes cannot be diagnosed clearly, or if complications arise from the enlarged or damaged organ.
During pregnancyPain experienced under the left breast during pregnancy may be caused by pressure from the top of the uterus as it grows, or if the baby is kicking or punching the expectant mother. The pain can be worse when leaning forward.
Muscles and other tissues will stretch as the baby grows, and this may also cause pain under the breasts.
The expectant mother's body changes during pregnancy. As the baby grows, the internal organs will be pushed and moved, the rib cage may change position, and the expectant mother may experience heartburn with acid reflux.
Some conditions can be treated at home with rest and OTC medication, but people should seek medical attention straight away if:
Pain in the left breast may go away without treatment. However, it may also be a sign of an underlying condition that needs medical treatment. A person should see a doctor if they experience:
Organs in the upper left section of the body include the:
There are numerous different causes for pain under the left breast, including:
Pain under the left breast is often frightening to experience. Early diagnosis will increase the chances that treatment and recovery will be successful.
A heart attack is not the most common reason for pain under the left breast, but it is always better to have the symptoms checked out, especially if other symptoms of a heart attack are present.
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