NECK ARM PAINARM NECK PAIN(Keywords: neck arm pain, arm pit pain, arm neck pain, lower arm pain, neck shoulder arm pain, tingling in arms and hands)I present here three letters received at the Chiropractic Help desk that will outline for the gravity and seriousness of neck arm pain. It may help you to understand that you are not all alone...
NECK ARM PAIN Letter AHello, I am a 26 year-old male who has been experiencing pain and tingling in the area where my neck and shoulder meet, along with tingling in the arms and hands, wrist and fingers. This has been going on for over a year now.I did data entry at my job for 5 years and that is where I first started experiencing discomfort in my hands, though most of my issues are on the right side. I have had 2 EMGs 8 months apart, 2 MRIs (one of the neck and one of the brain), an x-ray of the neck, and cortisone injections in my wrists. The tests have all come back fine and I have seen many different doctors who can't seem to pinpoint an issue or come up with a diagnosis. The symptoms used to be only lower arm pain - in my hands and wrists so they thought it was CTS, but over time my symptoms have changed and worsened. I have experienced tingling in all of my fingers. My arms feel easily fatigued. I feel it is difficult to sit up straight, I can't sleep on my side anymore because my arm (from my armpit all around) and neck feel pain and tingling sensation, where it feels like I need to move to relieve it but no matter what way I move the arm it doesn't feel right. I'm only able to sleep on my back, though sometimes when I do (and I am unsure if this is related) from the top of my rear down to my toes I feel an uncomfortable numbness, but it doesn't happen all the time. I have been unable to work or enjoy my hobbies such as playing guitar, because any bit of work or activity I do seems to make them worse. Particularly the spot on my wrist and an area in my neck. Up until these problems I lead an active healthy life-style and exercised every other day by doing pull-ups, push-ups and lifting 10-30lbs. dumbbells, so I have always had good body strength. However, I have been unable to do this workout routine. ARM NECK PAIN Letter B3 months ago I had a fall, down some steps at work probably fell from a height of @ 1 metre I instinctively stuck my left arm out behind me. I came down fairly hard on the arm this resulted in an intense burning sensation in the upper part of my arm lasting 10 minutes or there about.The incident was reported and I was checked by site safety officer and after 30 minutes all seemed ok and I returned to work.2 months later I started getting pain in the left arm like a dull ache in the upper part I went to my GP he said it was probably just soft tissue damage, give it a few days and see how it goes.After a week it had progressed to numbness and pins and needles sensation down the forearm across the hand and thumb and first 2 fingers and the dull ache in the upper arm which was now fairly constant. I also now have a constant twinge in my back in between my shoulder blades and the neck where it meets the shoulders. I have had x-rays of the neck done but they were inconclusive. What is it that I have most likely done to end up with these symptoms? I know the initial burning sensation I experienced was most probably related to stress on some nerve or nerves. LOWER ARM PAIN Letter 3Pins and needles starting in my finger tips and going up to my elbow in my right arm. I cannot carry anything in rt. hand without it starting.NECK ARM PAINI would say that the most challenging conditions at the Chiropractic Coalface concern neck shoulder arm pain. From the patient's point of view these conditions can be very disabling and to make matters worse they often seriously disturb sleep. Unlike a sciatica, you can't find a position to relieve the pain in the arm.Obviously lower arm pain, for example, could be a local problem like arthritis in the fingers or if you fell an injury like a sprained wrist. Or the severe pain I'm suffering from after contact with a nasty rhus tree that gave me a very painful rash two months ago and the nerve pain is now waking me at night. I doubt an adjustment of the neck would help! However, the stubborn carpal tunnel syndromes, the tennis elbows, the frozen shoulders and rotator cuff syndromes that haven't responded to medicine and physiotherapy's best efforts, I find almost always have one of two underlying causes:
NECK ARM PAIN CASE HISTORIESIn a case of left arm shoulder pain of acute onset, an impending heart attack should of course also be considered. Nausea? Sweating? Extreme anxiety? In the second case, a 6 month pain in arm, was a very stubborn case of tennis elbow. And standing behind it, a twenty year history of neck pain. Both cases have been a challenge, both are doing very nicely, but... get that neck sorted out before it starts giving you a nasty neck arm pain. That nerve pain in the arm is far worse than the pain in the neck.
HOME TRACTION UNIT @ NECK ARM PAINWhen all else fails in the management of neck arm pain, think exercises, think omega-3 oil and think traction. There is no scientific evidence that traction ON ITS OWN has any benefit with pain upper arm or lower arm pain ... but combined with chiropractic care I can offer you anecdotal evidence that it does contribute. Perhaps you'd like to make a home traction unit like this innovative patient did. We couldn't find a decent traction unit in Holland. It made a big difference to a stubborn two-year upper arm muscle pain. In fact in the end, he found that the traction helped more than my treatment! or that of various doctors over the previous two years. HOME TRACTION UNIT ...ARM PIT PAIN
"The radiographer angled the screen towards me so that I could see the corolla of dark tumours spiralling through my breast." My cancer heartbreak
If you have pain in the arm pit that you can't provoke by turning your neck, or raising your arm, then I'd see your medical doctor first. Just to be sure because it might NOT be the Neck Arm pain we have been discussing. The Subscapularis, Teres Major and Latissimus dorsi muscles are the usual causes of arm pit pain, but nasty swollen lymph nodes lurk there very occasionally. Every woman, in particular, should be looking to replace some of the animal protein - eggs, cheese, meat - in her diet with vegetable protein such as tofu and hummus, green beans and lentils. Research in the Netherlands, where one in eight women will get breast cancer, the highest in the world, is that too much animal protein is the chief cause, along with post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy. CERVICAL RIBSRibs pertain normally to the Thoracic Spine, the midback, but occasionally a very large Cervical Rib, in the lower neck may interfere with the artery and nerves supplying the arm causing a mystifying array of neck arm pain signs and symptoms for the clinician. CERVICAL RIB CaseFile ...
"If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Don't be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning 'Good morning' at total strangers." Maya Angelou's mother.
Contact me directly right here.
I receive many questions about Chiropractic. It might be help with a spinal condition, but it might also be about a failed Carpal Tunnel operation, or some such thing. FROM THE GARDEN
Healthy fats come mainly from three sources: avocado, olive and fatty fish. Of course, nuts and seeds, but the quantities are small. An miniature avocado tree will be such a blessing if you have the space. Not only is avocado fat rich in momo-unsaturated fatty acids, the good stuff, zero cholesterol, but an avocado-a-day contains all the beta-sitosterol (a phytosterol) a man needs to prevent nasty benign prostate enlargement.
What are phytosterols ... ? TOFUTofu is the main source of protein in the East. It's an (unexciting) but extremely valuable source of vegetable protein, derived from the soya bean. But unlike soya bean burgers that I personally find detestable, tofu is perfectly palatable if you dickey it up with chillies, ginger and garlic. It's also a very cheap source of protein, try and eat TOFU NUTRTION at least once a week.
HUMMUSHummus is a traditional Mediterranean dish made from chickpeas. Also known as Garbanzo Beans, chickpeas are the world's favourite legume. Hummus is quite expensive to buy, and often laden with chemicals such as preservatives, flavour enhancers... instead, I make a large tub twice a week in our own kitchen. It takes me less than five minutes from start to finish. Chickpeas are very cheap.We have one to three large tablespoons almost every day with a salad, or on bread.
AUTHENTIC HUMMUS RECIPE ...
And, once you have considered this green bean and lentil soup you WILL find a sunny corner for a few pole bean plants!
USEFUL LINKS @ NECK ARM PAINReturn from this newsletter NECK ARM PAIN to ARM PAIN home page …Go from NECK ARM PAIN to CHIROPRACTIC HELP home page … MONTHLY NEWSLETTERBACK ISSUES... Issue #06: Safety on the Stairs / Ginger Issue #05: Safety in the home / Red foods Issue #04: Whiplash and the Joints of Luschka / Parsley Issue #03: How to stop falling / Danger of a low fat diet Issue #01: Tingling in the arms and hands / Apples (PS. If you find them boring or irrelevant to your needs, one click will de-list you.) NECK ARM PAINDid you find this page useful? Then perhaps forward Neck Arm pain to a suffering friend. |
BRACHIAL PLEXUS
Arm Pain
SHOULDER
"The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that originates from the spinal cord and controls muscle movements and sensation in the shoulder, arm and hand."
Mayo Clinic
Shoulder anatomy ...
Frozen shoulder ...
"My thumb, forefinger and middle finger went weak after cuff surgery."
"Hello,I take it you've been back to the surgeon.
It's probably temporary inflammation of the median nerve, but of course could be worse... I'm afraid I don't think chiropractic has anything to offer at this stage.
Once everything has healed up, if you don't get the strength back, or your fingers remain numb and tingly, then I'd consult a local chiro to see if there is also a problem in your neck or the first rib.
Dr B"
Letter from reader looking for advice.
Rotator cuff syndrome - try Chiropractic first!
Rotator Cuff strengthening
Thoracic Outlet syndrome
ELBOW
Tennis elbow
Tennis elbow exercises
WRIST
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel exercises
Carpal tunnel case file