Neck Shoulder And Arm Pain, Numbness Or Tingling
Few disorders of the spine rival the frequency of low back pain. One such disorder, however, is neck pain. Just as low back pain often is accompanied by numbness or tingling in one or both legs, neck pain is often accompanied by these sensations in the arms. While many persons attribute these sensations to "circulation", they most often result from pinching or irritation of a spinal nerve.
What Causes This?
Several causes of numbness and tingling to the arms originate in the neck. Perhaps the most common is restriction of movement of a spinal joint. This may cause direct friction to the nerve root as it exits the spine or secondary muscle tightness, which can also produce nerve friction. Factors such as disc bulging, herniation or rupture, degeneration or thinning of the spinal discs narrow the nerve openings in the spine and predispose to nerve irritation. Those with disc injury or degeneration, however, respond to treatment well if normal joint movement can be restored with manipulation.
Best Treatment For This…
Dr. J. K. Paterson, a medical doctor from Great Britain, performed a large study on patients with spinal pain syndromes. Of the 364 patients studied with cervical spine or neck disorders, 115 reported numbness, tingling or pain in one or both arms. A complete relief of symptoms was obtained in 90 percent of the patients with neck disorders using chiropractic manipulation. Interestingly, although Dr. Paterson had a high rate of success with pain disorders in the lower spine, the success rate for neck pain and numbness to the arms was even higher. This group of patients seems ideally suited to chiropractic manipulation.
We Help These Pinched Nerves Everyday
Numbness or tingling in one or both arms is usually the result of a pinched or irritated nerve in the neck. An examination in our office will reveal the cause and rule out "poor circulation." Our approach is most often successful in resolving this condition and should be considered by anyone with these symptoms prior to any consideration of surgery or other invasive procedures. We also provide cervical spine decompression to help correct disc related problems and prevent patients from having unnecessary surgeries.
