@radar614 I think you are describing the symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome as I had the same symptoms. I am not a medical professional, so you will need a knowledgeable provider for a diagnosis. That is almost the same as my story. I had a C5/C6 collapsed disc with bone spurs and compression of the spinal cord. My hand was turning blue and getting cold because I also have thoracic outlet syndrome that compresses the ulnar nerve and also the blood vessels going into the arm. Usually the best thing for TOS is physical therapy with myofascial release to loosen tight fascia. Strengthening exercises usually make it worse by tightening the muscles. Posture is very important both for TOS and spine issues. I was in PT at the time my spine issues became evident and I returned to PT after spine surgery. The symptoms of TOS got worse after cervical surgery because of inflammation very close to where the TOS tightness exists.

TOS is most often missed because they don’t spend much time on it in med school. The best specialists are usually thoracic vascular surgeons at medical centers that list TOS as a condition they treat. Mayo has a vascular lab and specialists knowledgeable with TOS. Forward slouching posture is bad for TOS. Turning your head with TOS may cut off circulation and stop the pulse in your neck. That is one of the diagnostic tests for it. A neurologist may diagnose this and usually nerve testing is normal. It may be caused by a whiplash or repetitive stress. The MayoClinic.org website has good information on this and also MSKneurology.com in the Articles pages.

Do you have a TOS specialist in your area?