11/12/2025
Check out this article on our Wellness board for this week!
Resolution of T4 Syndrome Following Subluxation-Based Chiropractic Care: A Case Study & Review of the Literature - Chante Newman, DC
From the article:
“The term ‘T4 syndrome’ is described in the chiropractic literature as a clinical pattern characterized by stiffness in the upper thoracic spine with associated numbness or paresthesia of the upper extremity.1 This condition was first described by Maitland and Burnell in 1957.”
Intermittent numbness, tingling, or “pins and needles” in the arms and hands can sometimes result from T4 syndrome—a condition linked to dysfunction in the upper thoracic spine, particularly around the T4 vertebra. This dysfunction may interfere with the nerves in the upper back, which helps regulate skin sensation and blood flow in the arms and hands. T4 syndrome often presents without obvious nerve damage or abnormal imaging findings, making it difficult to diagnose through conventional methods. Symptoms frequently occur at night or upon waking and may be linked to poor posture, repetitive motions, or a history of trauma.
Chiropractic care offers a conservative, drug-free approach to managing T4 syndrome and its related symptoms. Chiropractors assess the spine for vertebral subluxations, where spinal bones become misaligned or move improperly, can interfere with normal nerve function and contribute to symptoms such as intermittent paresthesia, which is numbness, tingling, or a pins-and-needles sensation—in the upper extremities, and use specific spinal adjustments to correct them.
