Nerve Pain in Throwing Athletes: What That Tingling in Your Fingers Really Means

By Dr. Carmen Jansante, PT, DPT, CSCS

Undefeated Physical Therapy & Performance

If you’re a baseball or softball player and you’ve ever felt numbness, tingling, pins and needles, or burning in your forearm or fingers during or after throwing, this is something you should not ignore.

Nerve pain is common in throwing athletes, but it is not normal—and it’s one of the most misunderstood sources of arm symptoms I see in my practice.

Let’s break it down.

How Nerve Pain Happens in Throwing Athletes

The nerves that supply your arm originate from the spinal cord in your neck and travel all the way down into your hand. As they pass through the shoulder, elbow, forearm, and wrist, they weave through muscles, fascia, and connective tissue.

There are three major nerves we pay close attention to in throwing athletes:

1. Median Nerve

• Runs down the middle of the arm and forearm

• Commonly associated with carpal tunnel syndrome

• Can cause numbness or tingling in the thumb, index, and middle fingers

2. Radial Nerve

• Travels down the back of the arm and forearm

• Often involved with symptoms on the backside of the forearm and hand

3. Ulnar Nerve (Most Common in Throwers)

• Runs along the inside of the elbow

• Continues down into the ring finger and pinky

• Frequently irritated in baseball and softball players

If you’re getting numbness or tingling in the last two fingers after throwing, that’s when we start strongly suspecting ulnar nerve involvement.

Why Throwing Irritates the Nerves

When you throw, your arm experiences traction forces up to 1–1.5 times your body weight. Essentially, your arm is being pulled away from the socket at extremely high speeds.

That traction doesn’t just affect muscles and joints—it affects nerves too.

Here’s the key difference:

• Muscles contract and relax

• Nerves do not

Nerves don’t like repetitive tension, compression, or friction. Over time, repeated pulling and poor mechanics can lead to irritation, especially when tissues around the nerve become stiff or overloaded.

This is why nerve symptoms are:

• Common in throwers

• Never something to “just throw through”

Finding the True Source of the Problem

One of the most important parts of treating nerve pain is figuring out where the irritation is coming from.

Is the pressure originating from:

• The neck

• The shoulder

• The elbow

• The wrist or forearm

During our evaluation, we place the nerves in specific positions to see which nerve is being provoked and where along its pathway the restriction exists.

I tell my patients all the time:

“I’m not an MRI machine—but with a thorough exam, we can get a very good idea whether this is nerve pain, muscle pain, or joint-related.”

That distinction matters because treatment is completely different for each.

How We Treat Nerve Pain at Undefeated PT

Once we identify nerve involvement, treatment focuses on reducing tension, improving tissue mobility, and strengthening the system around it.

Nerve Glides (Nerve Flossing)

Think of this like gently pulling a string through your body.

We’re not stretching the nerve—but improving its ability to move freely through surrounding tissue.

Yes, it can lightly reproduce symptoms at first—but when done correctly, athletes respond extremely well.

Soft Tissue & Fascial Work

Nerves are surrounded by fascia and muscle. When those tissues get stiff, they compress the nerve.

We address this through:

• Instrument-assisted soft tissue work

• Manual therapy

• Targeted mobility work

Dry Needling for Nerve Pain

Dry needling helps reduce tone and tension in tissues lying over the nerve, often providing significant symptom relief.

Cupping Along the Nerve Pathway

We often combine cupping with nerve glides to improve tissue extensibility.

(The image shown in this article is an example of that approach.)

Strengthening the Entire Chain

We then address weaknesses up and down the chain—neck, shoulder, scapula, trunk—based on your individual assessment.

When to Seek Help

If you’re experiencing:

• Tingling or numbness in the fingers

• Burning sensations while throwing

• Symptoms that linger after throwing

• Loss of grip strength or control

👉 This is not normal soreness.

The earlier nerve issues are addressed, the easier they are to resolve—and the faster you can get back to throwing pain-free.

Ready to Get Answers?

If you’re dealing with nerve pain, hand tingling, or elbow symptoms related to throwing:

📱 Text us: 412-627-2131

📸 Instagram: @undefeated_pt

📍 Undefeated Physical Therapy & Performance

We specialize in working with baseball and softball players to keep arms healthy, strong, and performing at a high level.