What could cause a pinching feeling under my left armpit?

Sometimes you might feel a pinching sensation in your left armpit because a nerve in that area got irritated or injured. This can happen after a small procedure, such as having an IV placed, where a needle might touch a nerve.

On other occasions, you could develop axillary web syndrome. This condition happens when thin, string-like bands form under the skin in your armpit after an injury or overuse of your arm. These bands can pull on the skin and cause a sudden, pinching feeling.

Both of these reasons are usually not very serious and the pain may go away by itself with time and rest. You can try to ease the discomfort by resting your arm and doing gentle movements to keep the area from getting stiff. However, if the pinching feeling lasts a long time or you start to feel more pain, it is best to talk with a doctor. To help identify what might be causing your symptoms, you can use a free AI symptom checker to get personalized insights before your appointment. They can check your armpit, ask you more questions, and make sure everything is okay.