Massage for Arm Pain, Numbness, and Tingling: What You Need to Know About Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- Molly Reuss
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Feeling Numbness, Tingling, or Pain in Your Arms? Massage Can Help.
If you’ve ever woken up with a numb arm, experienced tingling in your fingers, or felt dull, aching pain radiating from your shoulder down your arm—you’re not alone. And more importantly, you’re not crazy.
These symptoms are incredibly common, and one possible cause is something called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS)—a nerve compression issue that can often be relieved with targeted massage and bodywork.
What Is Thoracic Outlet Syndrome?
TOS occurs when the brachial plexus, a bundle of nerves that runs from your neck through your chest and down into your arms, becomes compressed or irritated. This can happen for a variety of reasons:
Tight chest and neck muscles (like the scalenes or pectorals)
Poor posture, especially with rounded shoulders or a forward head
Long hours at a desk or behind the wheel
Repetitive motion injuries (think typing, lifting, or carrying a child on one side)
Sleeping in curled-up or compressed positions
When these nerves don’t have enough space, they start sending out distress signals—numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain in your arm, hand, or fingers.
How Massage Can Help Relieve Nerve Compression
Massage therapy doesn’t just feel good—it can create real space in the body and restore function to affected nerves.
Here at Align Therapeutic Bodywork, we take a whole-body approach to arm pain and nerve symptoms. That means we don’t just massage the arm—we assess and work on the chest, shoulders, neck, and even your posture and breath.
Some of the techniques we use for TOS and nerve-related arm pain include:
SMRT (Spontaneous Muscle Release Technique) to gently release fascial restrictions
Anterior neck and chest massage to relieve compression around the brachial plexus
Targeted arm and shoulder work to increase circulation and reduce muscular tension
Postural education and stretches you can do at home to stay aligned between sessions
Try This Stretch at Home
One of the simplest ways to relieve compression is to do a gentle chest-opening stretch daily.
How to do it:
Grab a foam roller, bolster, or a few pillows.
Lay on them widthwise across your upper back, just below the shoulder blades.
Let your arms fall out to the side and your head rest back comfortably.
Your chest should feel like the tallest point of your body.
Stay here for 3–5 minutes, breathing deeply.
This helps open up the thoracic outlet and gives your nerves the room they need to relax.
When to Seek Help
If your symptoms are occasional and mild, this type of bodywork may be all you need to feel better.
If your numbness or pain is frequent, affecting sleep, or getting worse over time, it’s a good idea to pair massage with chiropractic care, physical therapy, or an evaluation from a medical professional.
Book a Massage for Numbness or Arm Pain
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start feeling better, we’d love to help.
We specialize in therapeutic deep tissue massage that’s tailored to your symptoms—not a generic one-size-fits-all session. We’ll listen, assess, and create a plan that helps you feel like yourself again.
Comments