Can it present on both sides? And do my symptoms sound like TOS?
 

Trying to figure out whats wrong with me, I've gotten a Dr appt scheduled, but still trying to do my own research in the meantime.

It started a few months ago. But within a day I started experiencing symptoms in both hands. When I wake up either my ring and pinky finger, or thumb and index finger are numb. Seems that it's usually my pinky side if i sleep on my back or thumb side if I sleep on my side. And like I said it happens in both hands.

Other then the morning symptoms in both hands, I recently started to have semi numb pinky fingers while awake as well. And it gets worse when I'm gripping something tightly or making a tight fist.

Also I've got persistent sore spots in my palm below thumb, doesn't hurt normally, but they are sore when I press on the area, or do something that presses hard against my palm. I sometime get similar pain in other places along my arm or between fingers, but the palm below thumb is the only persistent one.

Best way I can describe it is a sore muscle like pain, like when you just started working out after being out of shape.

TOS is the only logical conclusion I came up with, but just wanting to get an opinion to see if it indeed sounds like it, or could be something else.

Oh and I realize from reading the threads here that it people do have ToS that involves both arms, but what I mean is it feasible that I would start in both arms within a day of each other, or would that point to something else?

It certainly sounds like nerve compression. And it could certainly be TOS, or it could just be at the elbow. The showing up at the same time could just be chance. It's not like bilateral TOS sides are required to take turns. :D

Are you sleeping on your stomach? This is generally considered bad. A little web searching will provide details.

Are you sleeping with your arms above your head? Also bad for the nerves.

Other than that, see what the Dr. says. Also see if you can find a good PT or chiro to evaluate your posture, alignment, muscle tension and various suspect body parts like neck, shoulders, back, chest, etc. Early in my journey these folks were pointing things out about me that I hadn't been aware of.

Good luck.

I never sleep on my stomach, only back and side. And my arms are always below head level, but I sometimes bend them across my body at the elbow. I've tried paying attention to how I sleep and it seems it happens no matter what the arm position.

The best way I can describe it is my arms are like hyper sensitive to falling asleep. Anything from gripping too tight, to leaning my head on my hand, to pulling up my jacket sleeves to where the elastic is tight on my forearm. All cause my arms to fall hands to start tingling and getting numb quickly and easily.

My interpretation is that you have compression and/or bad circulation to your lower arms and that these other things add to that just a little which pushes you over a tipping point.

Apart from the symptoms - I would also ask, what might have changed at that time or before? Sometimes the body takes awhile to show us there is a problem.

Or any past injuries or accidents in the upper body areas?

repetitive jobs or hobbies?
past whiplash?
sports injuries?
posture changes - head forward, shoulders forward or hunched/rolled

If you can connect these sx with a time or injury it will make more sense, but if none of those things connect then other conditions need to be looked at.

I've never had any injury and nothing recent that comes to mind. I do use the computer quite a bit, but not as much as other people I know. And I'd like to think I have good posture, but maybe I'm wrong. Just doesn't seem like there is anything else that causes symptoms like mine, but guess maybe Ill find out soon

Do you suffer from cold hands? Do you have to shake out your hands during the night to relieve numbness?
Raynauds Syndrome could also be a possibilty, by itself of accompanying TOS?
My biggests issue is hands that go numb at night....... EVERY night!!!!!!:mad:
It gets abit tiring after 6 years!!!!!!!:rolleyes:
If it seems likely the best thing is to keep warm, hydrated, no smoking ( That's a BIG no-no) and sadly no alcohol......... this one I tend to ignore:D
This link may be useful?????

http://www.medicinenet.com/raynauds_...enon/page2.htm

Six years of just numb hands at night, and nothing else? Well thats a little releiving, my biggest fear is that this is just a gateway to something worse, like full on arm pain and muscle wasting. Out of all the things I could have wrong, it could certainly be worse than a numb hands when I sleep.

And I'm not sure if I'd call the feeling I get cold feeling, they just feel asleep.. and to wake them up I just make a fist a few times until the feeling comes back

Sadly..... unfortunately the numbness at night is not my only symptom, I have the WHOLE TOS package. It's just that this is the issue that disrupts my sleep.:(

Well just going through the motions with the Dr right now, they took an x-ray to rule out disc problems, came back negative, and having me back in a week to check up, and sent me home with prednisone.

Didn't just come out and say I think I have ToS.

Seems like the evidence on my part is just stacking up more though.

Until recently it had just been numbness, but now I'm having back soreness. Not like a nerve tingling, burning pain, but like tight sore muscles that feel like they need to be massaged and stretched. Right between my shoulder blades.

Is this consistent with ToS? Anything else I should be looking at to rule out or prove this is the problem I have?

*edit*
I guess I've never really noticed it till now, but since I've been paying attention I noticed I have really bad posture when I sit. And by that I mean I like poke my head out towards what I'm looking at and dont put my back against the backrest. I do keep my shoulders at a good level though, I don't droop them. But still, doesn't seem like anything that major, and I especially don't get why it could cause me a problem like this at age 25.

That's a huge no-no. It's called "forward head posture". You can search the web for it and you'll get all kinds of hits like "correcting forward head posture" and "signs of poor posture". You won't get any hits saying it's okay. :)

The problem is that your head weighs more that you realize; close to a bowling ball. You're straining your upper back side muscles and lengthening them. Meanwhile your front side muscles atrophy, shorten and therefore tighten.

You should correct this ASAP. It's never going to help you and only going to hurt you.

Another way to look at is like this: You want balanced posture so that your muscles have to work less and so that they can all participate in the balancing act of keeping that bowling ball in place.

Also, you may be jutting forward due to eyesight. If you haven't had an eye exam in awhile, get one. And if you're eyesight isn't good, you can either get the glasses/contacts/whatever or try one of those programs for improving eyesight (search amazon and the web) through exercises and nutrition.

HTH

I have bilateral TOS (venous, arterial, and neurogenic). Long story, very short (I hope) . . . I had two herniated discs in my neck, which caused tingling, numbness, and an "electric shock" feeling in my right arm. They had been giving me trouble for a very long time, and the newest MRI showed that they had worsened a lot, and were pressing into my spine. I had a fusion of my C5-C7, and literally the moment I woke up from the surgery, all the bad feelings in my right arm were gone (yes, my neck hurt, as expected). I felt great. While still in the hospital, the day after surgery, the head of the bed was not put upright when I got back into bed, and my head was flung back all the way and I had a whiplash worse than any car accident. That's when my TOS started. I just had nerve studies done and I have nerve damage on my left arm now. It also now feels numb and painful (all at the same time). My question to you is: do you remember any kind of event (falling down, twisting your neck, lifting something heavy) that occurred prior to your symptoms starting? Instead of TOS, it could be problems with your cervical disks (which is what I started out with), so you may want to look into that as well. So many of these neck, chest, and arm disorders have similar symptoms, so it can get very confusing.

Sadly, I have way too much experience with bad discs (cervical and lumbar). An X-ray is of little use in diagnosing bulging and/or herniated discs as it does not show soft tissue problems (discs) in detail, but rather bone problems. It's a good 1st step, as it can show bone spurs in the vertebrae (I had those too), but to diagnose disc problems, an MRI is called for.