Dizziness and Tingling in the Fingers, Pulled Adductors

A 31-year-old woman has been suffering from shoulder and neck pain, dizziness, and paresthesia (tingling) in the ring finger and little finger of the left hand for about three months. In addition, she is experiencing pain in the area of the iliosacral joint. She is very active in sports as well as in her job.

The osteopathic findings showed a joint dysfunction in the first rib on the left and in the middle of the thoracic spine. The upper thoracic aperture was tense on the left due to the blockage in the rib. On the right side, I additionally found the adductors to be pulled, which could have been an old injury from playing soccer.

To treat the patient, I mobilized the rib and the thoracic spine and treated the thoracic aperture and the trigger points on the adductors. I sent the patient home with appropriate self-exercises to support the treatment and arranged for a follow-up visit after four weeks. At that time, all complaints had disappeared.

A blockage of the first rib does not have to be painful at all, or it can cause pain at a completely different spot than we might expect. Nevertheless, there is a rational explanation for the complaints: This rib is located in close vicinity to the nerves that not only supply the arm but also are connected to the vestibular system. The longer a dysfunction persists in the first rib, the more pronounced the symptoms will become.

Pulled adductors are a very common injury in soccer players. Inadequate stretching during training and insufficient stretching time are the main cause, in my opinion. The resulting pain is mainly localized in the area of the groin or on the inside of the thigh, but can also - as in this case - lead to symptoms in a different location of the locomotor system.