Address

5035 W W.T.Harris Blvd A Charlotte, NC 28269

Office Phone                     

704 461-1836

Office Hours

9:00am – 1:00pm 3:00pm – 6:00pm (Mon-Thurs) Closed (Fri-Sun)

Shoulders, Elbows, Wrist and Hand Pain

Shoulders, Elbows, Wrist and Hand Pain

Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain is a very common condition of arm pain in chiropractic care. The sooner you get the treatment, the faster the symptoms will go.  If you seek treatment as soon as the pain presents itself, you are less likely to get a chronic problem.

Arm pain can be one of the great mysteries of the human body. A simple pain in the shoulder can have a multitude of causes. The same goes for the elbow and the hand. Your arms and shoulders are miraculous machines made up of muscles, tendons, bones, and nerves. A problem in any of these structures can have distinct pain related to it. And if there is a problem in one of those structures, it may cause a problem in one of the adjacent structures. To make it even more complex this tends to happen on a progressive time frame.

For example, many people come to our office complaining of shoulder pain. They are surprised when they realize that the pain is actually coming from their neck and that their shoulder is perfectly fine. Many times this is after they’ve been treating their own shoulder or taking pain medication for their shoulder for an extended amount of time without seeing any positive effects.

Often patients have had surgery or have gone through an extended period of physical therapy without a decrease in pain or function. In order to understand how this could be you need to understand how the body works.

If the problem is coming from your neck for example, destruction in the normal nervous flow of energy to the muscles in the shoulder can cause one muscle to become very tight or spasm. The muscles in your shoulders rely on each other to perform, almost like a delicate dance, movement for your everyday activities. So imagine you have to perform the waltz but your leg is in a cast. You’ll definitely find yourself stepping on other’s toes. The same goes for the shoulder. There is a muscle in the shoulder known as the supraspinatus it has a counteracting muscle. The same goes for the other muscles in the shoulder. In order to have a stabilized joint there needs to be an Agonist and an antagonist muscle. And if something’s wrong with either of them they will affect the other. So many times with shoulder injuries or injuries in the arm we find a direct trauma to one of these muscles or strain that causes a strain in another muscle that many times will be causing these mysterious symptoms.

In order to diagnose appropriately what’s causing your pain and discomfort it’s important that the doctor gets a thorough history and physical exam. Then the doctor is able to develop a treatment care plan for that particular structure and can constantly update the treatment care plan to help meet their objectives 

What Causes Shoulder Pain

–    Bursitis and tendinitis

–    Frozen shoulder – also called “adhesive capsulitis”

–    Calcific tendinitis – a condition of calcium deposits within a tendon

–    Shoulder instability or dislocation

–    Arthritis

–    Biceps tendon rupture

–    Referred pain from internal organs

Symptoms of Shoulder Pain

–    Shoulder pain that is felt for a few days

–    Inability to carry objects or lift your arm

–    Fracture that causes joint malformation

–    Inflammation of joint or bruising

Elbow Pain

Elbow pain is caused by an injury to the tendons and muscles linking the forearm muscles to the elbow joint.  The forearm muscles include the ulna and radius. Any movement that involves the elbow joint, like tooth brushing, lifting objects and the like worsens the pain.

People who work at the computer aggravate the ulnar nerve pain.  Also, sleeping in a position that places pressure on your elbow can bring about pinching the ulnar nerve.

Symptoms of Elbow Pain

A sharp burning pain at the center of the elbow is the most common symptom. You may also feel a weakness in the area and you may unintentionally drop things.

Children are more likely to have elbow injuries because their bones are very soft.  Fortunately, children’s injury usually heals faster.

If you or your children experience pain from unexpected pain from an impact, fall or twist in your elbow, it is very important to have it evaluated as soon as possible.

Arm Pain

Arm pain should not be disregarded.  It is a warning signal of a severe condition in the body. Positions that always strain muscles are likely to result in arm pain like the carpal tunnel syndrome, lateral epicondylitis or tennis elbow.

Causes of Arm Pain

 Fractures like scaphoid often cause swelling around the area.  The scaphoid is a fracture of a small bone between your thumb and wrist. Poor posture can also cause arm pain.  When there is a shift of position, it causes a muscle tension in the shoulder and neck causing pain in the arm.

Hand and Wrist Pain

Work and hobbies that make use of your hand may cause you to develop chronic pain.  Hand pain can lead to other health issues and side effects. Chiropractic care may be able to help ease the pain and bring back the normal range of motion in your hands.

Pain in your hands can be the consequence of a bone misalignment in our neck or back.  The nerves that empower your arms, fingers, and hands are coming from the spinal cord.  A slipped disc in the back can squeeze the nerves that eventually go to your hands.  A chiropractic treatment can help you get your spine back to appropriate alignment. We can decrease the swelling in your wrists and hands by applying chiropractic techniques. When the swelling subsides, you will feel less stiffness and tension. The range of motion will also improve.

Wrist pain is often a result of a sprain or fracture. But, some people have reoccurring injuries due to repetitive stress that can be the cause of their wrist pain. Other wrist pain causes are arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Since there are many possible causes of wrist pain, it is very important to have your chiropractor determine the specific cause of your pain. This way your chiropractor can treat the root of the problem not just the symptoms.  In fact, more research is being done to further recognize the benefits of chiropractic care in patients with wrist and arm pain.

If you are looking for a natural treatment for your elbow, wrist, hand, shoulder, or any other arm pain give our office a call today.

“From my experience, personal connections and continuous care are the most important things. Therefore I always take the time to get to know my patients.”

Dr. Kevin Lyons

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