posted by Dr. Ron Nusbaum, Back Clinics of Canada
This week a patient asked about the connection between neck pain and arm pain.
I am receiving care from Dr. Nusbaum at Back Clinics of Canada for neck pain, but I also have numbness and tingling in my arms. Do I have to see another doctor for that?
There is often a direct connection between neck pain and arm pain/discomfort. When the primary cause of neck pain is healed, the secondary symptoms often reduce or disappear.
The Connection: Neck pain may be caused by vertebrae (bones) that are out of alignment, muscle spasms, or injured spinal discs.
Misaligned vertebrae or injured spinal discs can put unnatural pressure on nerves. If the nerves that branch from the neck and go down the arms are compressed or compromised, then there can be symptoms of tingling, numbness, burning, achiness, weakness and heaviness in the arms down to the hands and fingers.
Often, when the root cause of neck pain is healed, pressure on the nerves is also alleviated and healing of nerve tissue can begin. The nerves become healthy again, and secondary symptoms felt in the arms can disappear on their own. This is a common experience of many patients at Back Clinics of Canada.
In particular, patients who suffer from bulging or herniated discs, or degenerative disc disease causing stenosis, can have this kind of nerve pressure and resultant described symptoms. Back Clinics of Canada’s High Performance Healing SystemTM has offered excellent results with the majority of these patients.
Added note: It’s a great idea for patients suffering with neck pain to sleep with either a contoured cervical pillow or a cervical water pillow for best neck support.