White finger syndrome

Do you ever suffer from a white finger, fingers or toes?
It could be something called Raynauds syndrome. 

Raynauds syndrome is a condition where the blood vessels temporarily spasm, resticting the blood flow to the area supplied. This results in a white change in the tissues.  It is normally somthing that is very short lived and can be linked with cold temperatures or sometimes stress.  If there is no underlying reason for this phenomenun to occur it is known as 'primary' Raynauds.

The other type of Raynauds is known as 'secondary' and this is when the changes in the blood vessels occur in conjunction with another health condition.  Most of these cases are linked with immune conditions where the body attacks healthy tissue, however occaisonlly when a pateint has a trapped nerve you can get a similar change in the tissues.

There is a condition called thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) where arteries, veins and nerves can become compressed in an area located around the collar bone and 1st rib.  Tight muscles, a problem with the ribs and certain habital postures adopted by people can compress this space and lead to symtptoms.

Because the nerves are compromised with the TOS this can be a trigger for the spasm which in turn leads to Raynauds.  Twice this week in clinic we have seen this phenomenon due to TOS.