Relief from radiating arm pain

Relief from radiating arm pain

Many people suffer from excruciating arm pain that begins in the neck or upper shoulder and then radiates to the arm, forearm, hand and fingers. You are desperate for relief from arm pain. This article looks at pain that radiates to the arm, its causes and treatment options.

Pain radiating to the arm can be severe pain, burning pain, numbness or tingling, or a variety of other symptoms. The pain can be occasional, fairly frequent, or constant. Some people find it a mild annoyance, for others it can be all-consuming. Regardless of the intensity or frequency, most, if not all, would prefer to get rid of the discomfort.

The first step to relieving referred arm pain is to determine what is causing the condition. The most common reason why people get arm pain is a pinched nerve caused by a disc problem in the neck.

Let's explore this further. We all know that there are bones of the spine in the neck. They are called cervical vertebrae. There are seven cervical vertebrae. There are intervertebral discs between the cervical vertebrae that act like cushions or shock absorbers. The spinal canal is located within the vertebrae. It is like a tube that transmits nerves that run from the brain to the rest of the body. Between each cervical vertebra there is an opening on the right and left from which spinal nerves emerge and travel to the rest of the body. Five spinal nerves leave the lower cervical spine and travel into the arm.

Normally there is no influence on these nerves and therefore no pain. However, sometimes the discs can become irritated, bulging, bulging, or herniated. This is simply a part of the disc that comes into contact with a cervical spinal nerve, causing physical, mechanical contact that irritates the spinal nerve.

When this occurs, it causes pain of varying nature, frequency and intensity. A layman may refer to this as a “pinched nerve.”

A very effective treatment for pain that radiates to the arm is chiropractic. A 2013 research study involving 50 patients who had arm pain originating from a cervical disc were treated with chiropractic therapy. After two weeks, 50% said they were “better” or “much better.” After one month, 69% reported improvement and that percentage increased to 85% after three months. This study recognizes that most referred arm pain can be successfully treated with conservative treatment. Research also shows that chiropractic care to relieve referred arm pain should be tried before surgery.

Chiropractors are healthcare providers who specialize in relieving neck pain and radiating arm pain. Chiropractors are the only professionals trained in diagnosing and treating physical, mechanical alignment problems of spinal pain. Most patients who visit a chiropractor find that chiropractic treatment is a safe and pleasant experience because it relieves pinched nerves by correcting spinal misalignment of the cervical vertebrae and correcting disc impingement. Chiropractic care is a very safe and gentle method of pain relief.

If someone is experiencing referred pain that travels from the neck to the arm, it is certainly advisable to see a chiropractor to determine if they can achieve relief from referred arm pain.

Inspired by James Schofield