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Chiropractic and arm
pain
Chiropractors often find that in cases of arm pain, injuries
to muscles, joints and ligaments in the neck are often
overlooked. It is very common to have referred pain from
these structures causing pain in the arm. Here we will
cover some conditions that are often seen by a chiropractor
that also relate directly with the structur es of the
arm.
There are thirty bones, over forty muscles and fourteen
major nerves making your arm more diligent, dexterous
and adaptable than any tool mankind can emulate. Arm pain
is a warning signal and should not be ignored. Often arm
pain is caused by injury to the area of pain but it can
also be an indication of a more serious underlying problem.
Positions that strain muscles repetitively are likely
to result in an insidious onset of wrist or forear m pain
such as carpal tunnel syndrome or lateral epicondylitis
(tennis elbow).
Carpal Tunnel/Tennis Elbow
Carpal Tunnel is the number one reason people seek chiropractic
care for arm pain. However, most people are suffering
from tennis elbow and not carpa l tunnel. They share almost
the same injuries and pain sensation but are treated differently.
Tennis Elbow is a repetitive stress injury and is extremely
common in any job where you are doing repetitive motions.
Constant overuse or micro trauma can go unnoticed on a
daily basis. If you go to the gym, play racket sports,
use a computer, play musical instruments or even text
on a mobile phone enough, then overuse is a likely cause
of pain.
Arthritis
Arthritis is the body's way of trying to stabilise unstable
joints. Joints can become unstable for many reasons from
trauma to overuse. If joints are allowed to remain unstable,
they start to fuse stopping you from carrying on with
everyday activities. The wrist and hands are often the
first place arthritis attacks.
Arm Pain due to poor posture.
One of the most common postural distortions is that of
forward head and forward shoulders. This shift of posture
causes muscular tension in the shoulders and the neck
having to cope with the weight of the head (the average
head weighs as much as a bowling ball!) Muscular tension
can cause pain to be referred into the arm causing a deep
ache that often gets worse as the day goes on.
A Pain in the Neck.
When neck pain is caused by muscle strain, you may have
aches and stiffness that spread to the upper arm and forearm.
Shooting pain that spreads down the arm into the hand
and fingers can be a symptom of a pinch nerve in the neck.
When a nerve has been pinched in the neck, numbness and
weakness of the hands or arms, as well as pain, may occur.
Chiropractic Treatment
Your Chiropractor will examine you and conduct diagnostic
tests to determine exactly what is causing your arm pain.
Once the problem has been pinpointed, the appropriate
chiropractic treatment will begin. Through treatment and
with a few modifications to your lifestyle, your Chiropractor
will correct the cause of your pain.
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