Is My Arm Pain coming from my neck?September 20, 2017

Bottom Line:

Cervical radiculopathy is the medical term for when a spinal disc in your neck is irritating or compressing a nerve root causing pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arm and hand. Specific neck movements, like twisting or bending, may increase the pain. This can happen because of injury, or degenerative changes in the spine as we age. Fortunately, most people do not require risky surgery or dangerous drugs to find relief. Over 95% of people get well with natural healthcare such as chiropractic.

Why it Matters:

A pinched nerve in your neck can cause a lot of pain, and it can be tempting to reach for medications to find relief. But research shows us you may want to contact your chiropractor before reaching for any pills. The Annals of Internal Medicine found that chiropractic adjustments provided more pain relief than medications for people suffering with neck pain. And the relief was long-lasting. The patients in the study experienced “statistically significant” relief up to 1 year after the initial treatment!

– Discs in your neck can compress or irritate your nerves causing pain, numbness, or weakness

– Research showed adjustments were more effective than medication in the short and long-term

– Chronic neck pain was reduced by up to 75% after chiropractic adjustments

Next Steps:

Research has shown chiropractic to be an extremely safe, and effective healthcare option to take care of neck pain or pinched nerves. Additionally, chiropractors are trained to help you pro-actively combat neck pain, and hopefully even prevent it from showing up in the first place. Ask us about some simple stretches and exercises you can perform to help improve your range of motion while keeping your discs and nerves healthy and happy.

Science Source:

Spinal Manipulation, Medication, or Home Exercise With Advice for Acute and Subacute Neck Pain- A Randomized Trial. Annals of Internal Medicine, Volume 156, 2012

Safety of Chiropractic Manipulation of the Cervical Spine. SPINE, Volume 32, 2007

Evidence-Based Guidelines for the Chiropractic Treatment of Adults with Neck Pain. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. Volume 37. 2014

Outcomes from Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Confirmed Symptomatic Cervical Disk Herniation Patients Treated with High-Velocity, Low-Amplitude Spinal Manipulative Therapy. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2013