Neuritis, bursitis, neuralgia, rheumatism, frozen shoulder, fibrositis, sprain and strains are common terms that refer to neck, shoulder and arm conditions. The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the human body. The main controller behind your shoulders, arms and hands is the brain. The brain communicates to the rest of your body through billions of nerves that make up your nervous system. Some nerves go straight to their destination point, but others mix with other nerves to form complicated nerve networks called a ‘plexus.’ The brachial plexus is made up of nerves that come out of the middle and upper back that supply information to the shoulders, arm, elbows, wrists, hands and fingers.
The nerves that make up the brachial plexus may become irritated as they leave the spinal column. This can occur when the spinal bones in the neck and upper back are misaligned or do not have the range of motion they typically should and damage the very nerves they are supposed to protect. Any injury or trauma can cause the bones to become misaligned or lock down, decreasing the range of motion. Things as serious as an accident or falling down from an accident, or even as simple as sleeping in an awkward position can create the vertebrae to become misaligned or not work the way they were designed.
Muscles and joints throughout the chest wall and shoulder can also contribute to tightness around the brachial plexus, causing similar symptoms. This can be caused be structural deformities (such as previously shoulder injuries or anatomic variations) or created by lifestyle (such as sitting at a desk or having a sedentary workplace). The pressure placed on the nerves and blood vessels can create numbness, tingling and pain down the arm. This can also be known as “thoracic outlet syndrome”.
Symptoms from damage to the brachial plexus can differ depending on location of the trauma. Common symptoms to the shoulder, arm, wrist or hand are Muscle weakness, Muscle numbness, Neck pain, Neck stiffness, Decreased range of motion in the neck, shoulder, elbow or wrist. In addition to pain and symptoms in your arm or neck, it is not uncommon to experience headaches, facial pain, dizziness, thyroid or nasal problems as a result of brachial plexus nerve irritation. In many cases the shoulder pain is in part due to irritation of the neck facet joints giving referred pain down across the shoulder. It is also very commonly the result of a sporting injury or due to general long-term postural changes and wear and tear. Listed below are the common causes of shoulder pain with further information. The root cause of most shoulder pain is poor muscle function. This results in the ball of the shoulder riding up and trapping structures. The more this happens the more you get irritation and it becomes a vicious circle.
Frozen shoulder
Frozen Shoulder Syndrome - also referred to as Adhesive Capsulitis - is a painful condition characterized by stiffness, pain, and restriction of movement in the shoulder joint.
Frozen Shoulder Syndrome is commonly misdiagnosed and usually starts with a slight pain when you sleep on, or move, your shoulder. It can then progress to difficulty with everyday tasks, problems sleeping, restricted movement, coupled with tremendous pain and cramping. Frozen Shoulder can also lead to problems in the neck and back, because the body is trying to compensate for the painful shoulder’s reduced motion.
You might be surprised to know that your shoulder may not be the whole issue. The problem could be originating from the base of your skull and upper neck, even if you do not have any neck pain. The scenario of events that triggers Frozen Shoulder Syndrome appears to begin with the skull’s movement becoming restricted on top of the neck, irritating the nerve and interfering with the function of the middle trapezius muscle. This alters the function of the stabilizers and rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder, which causes inflammation.
Three (3) Phases
The process of this syndrome occurs in 3 phases, which may occur over several years.
- The first is the “Freezing” stage, which can last anywhere from 6 weeks to 9 months. The patient will experience a slow onset of pain that worsens as the shoulder loses motion.
- 2. The second stage is called the “Frozen” stage. Here pain may diminish but the shoulder will become stiffer and range of motion will be greatly hindered. This stage may last 4 to 9 months.
- 3. Lastly, is the “Thawing” stage. Shoulder movement begins to improve again during this phase; however, many people do not experience this stage, which can take a few years to resolve.
In the initial stages frozen shoulder can cause pain on reaching and is usually very tender at night. It can be relieved with intervention aimed at restoring the balance between the various muscles that control shoulder movement
IMPINGEMENT SYNDROME : Impingement syndrome describes the trapping of structures in the shoulder. The pain is usually quite sharp with a dull ache down the top and outside of the arm for a while afterwards. Usually the structures trapped are the bursa and rotator cuff tendons. This is again caused by poor movement patterns. These can start after an injury, such as fall on outstretched arm or due to repetitive movements when there is reduced space for the bursa or tendons. Wear and tear of the acromio-clavicular joint (the knobbly one at the top of the shoulder) can often be a factor and may limit the outcome.
ROTATOR CUFF TEARS : The Rotator Cuff muscles support the shoulder within the shallow depression of the socket or Glenoid fossa. These muscles can commonly have tears within them due to injury, repetitive sports strains or due to long standing irritation due to an ongoing impingement.
BURSITIS AND TENDONITIS : Bursitis is inflammation or irritation to the bursa (small sacs between bone and other moving parts, such as skin, muscles and tendons). Tendonitis is inflammation or irritation of the tendon (thick fibrous cords that connect muscles to bone). Symptoms of bursitis and tendonitis are similar and include inflamed soft tissues that replicate symptoms of joint pain. Many times it is mistaken for arthritis. For these conditions, pain and stiffness often intensifies with movement. Bursitis and Tendonitis will not cause deformity, but can limit motion.
Common causes of tendonitis and bursitis include, injury or overuse and are seen in people that have bad posture or are not in good physical condition. Avoiding overuse and repetitive physical stress to the affected area is suggested to help with these conditions. A chiropractor can help alleviate the problem by correcting the joint position.
symptoms include tingling and numbness in the hand. The pain is described as incredibly intense and has been reported to awaken sufferers at night. This pain is often caused by the swelling in the wrist. Often times people confuse nerves that are disrupted by the spine, muscles or joints as carpal tunnel syndrome, however, this has a completely different approach that a chiropractor would take. This misdiagnosed conditions can sometimes lead to unnecessary injections or surgery which could have otherwise been treated with conservative chiropractic care .
There continues to be an increase in people suffering from pain and neurologic symptoms in their shoulders, arms and hands, seeking help from chiropractors. The chiropractic approach analyzes the body’s structure to locate and correct the nerve-damaging structural condition known as subluxations.
If you are experiencing any of the signs or symptoms listed above, don’t hesitate to reach out to Pain Killer Hands Back Pain Center to be evaluated to see if chiropractic is right for your condition.