About all

Tingling in neck and shoulder: Chiropractic Care for Tingling in the Neck and Shoulders

Chiropractic Care for Tingling in the Neck and Shoulders

Pain isn’t the only thing that drives people to seek chiropractic care. A tingling sensation can also be very alarming. Many people use chiropractic care to get to the bottom of tingling that’s centralized in the neck and shoulders. What’s the cause for this strange symptom? Take a look at what you should know about tingling in your neck and shoulders.

The Two Types of Tingling

Tingling sensations aren’t universal. Most people describe tingling as an unpleasant or unusual sensation. It can either be persistent or intermittent. Generally, there are two types of tingling. Here’s a look:

  • Paresthesia: This is often described as a feeling of “pins and needles.” It can mimic the sensation of a foot falling sleeping that most of us are familiar with. While you’re technically experiencing something that can be described as numbness, pain and sharpness are also present.
  • Dysesthesia: This is the less common of the two. Dysesthesia can actually take on several different forms. Many people feel sensations of itching or burning on the skin. It can even feel like the area is tightening. In some cases, patients report an “electric shock” feeling.
  • Primary tingling is often accompanied by numbness. While there is pain, there is often a certain “dullness” to the area.
  • Muscle weakness is also common with tingling.

Both paresthesia and dysesthesia are technically “harmless” in the short term if they are caused by common injuries and strains. However, it is important to seek immediate medial attention if you experience sudden numbness or tingling anywhere on your body for more than a few minutes. This can be a symptom of a very serious event like a stroke. While most people who experience numbness and tingling won’t need to worry about a serious health emergency, they still shouldn’t ignore the issue. It’s important to get to the bottom of why numbness and tingling are occurring. In many cases, ignoring the problem allows an ongoing injury to get worse.

What Causes Numbness and Tingling?

The most common answer is a nerve impingement. Commonly referred to as a “pinched” nerve, a nerve impingement happens when too much pressure is forced on a nerve. Typically, it is the surrounding bone, muscle or cartilage creating the pressure. Some common conditions that are known to create nerve impingements include herniated discs, spinal stenosis and arthritis. There are some telltale signs that your tingling sensation is caused by a pinched nerve. Here’s a look at the common symptoms of a pinched nerve other than tingling:

  • Pain that radiates throughout your spinal area.
  • Headaches and migraines.
  • Neck pain.
  • Pain in the low back.
  • Trouble sitting for long periods of time without pain.
  • Reduced mobility caused by pain, discomfort or reduced range of motion.
  • Muscle spasms.

A pinched nerve isn’t something that’s waiting to resolve itself. In fact, waiting around for a pinched nerve to heal can make you miserable. When you have a pinched nerve, the body is truly in “panic mode.” This is why people often experience painful spasms. All of the distress signals and inflammation being conveyed at the site of the compressed nerve actually make it hard for your body’s other systems to function properly. As a result, people with undiagnosed nerve compression often experience slow healing, aches and pain, inflammation and reduced immune function. The big takeaway on why a pinched nerve is so serious is that it actually reduces your body’s own ability to heal itself.

While a pinched nerve is the most obvious answer, there are actually dozens of other potential causes for tingling in the neck and shoulders. While some are related to spine and tissue health, others are linked to everything from lifestyle to chronic disease. Here’s a look at some of the causes that chiropractors commonly address:

  • Sciatica.
  • Spinal trauma.
  • Myofascial adhesions.
  • Trigger points in the muscles.
  • Thoracic outlet syndrome.
  • Scar tissue.
  • Spondylosis.
  • Spinal-disc lesions.

In some cases, tingling can be related to diet and nutrition. Calcium deficiencies are notorious for causing tingling and numbness in the body. The same goes for a vitamin B12 deficiency. Of course, the idea that tingling is caused by a neurological or progressive disease should be discussed if no obvious cause is found. Tingling is often one of the first symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

How Is Tingling in the Neck and Shoulders Treated?

Once you’ve ruled out any serious or life-threatening conditions that could be causing tingling in your neck and shoulders, it’s time to get to the root of the problem. When you see a chiropractor, the goal is to determine the cause of the tingling sensation. This often includes an examination that could include some muscle tests, range-of-motion tests and imaging.

If an underlying issue is detected, the first course of action is to try to get rid of the cause of irritation or pressure that is causing tingling. This often includes correcting any misalignments or blockages that are impeding normal nerve function. The most important thing is often to relieve pressure from your nerves to restore oxygen and blood flow to the area. Of course, each treatment plan is tailored based on the specific cause of irritation or pressure.

Chiropractic adjustments often provide substantial relief. In addition, a chiropractor will go over your lifestyle and habits with you. It may be necessary to do some strengthening exercises or posture correction if your daily habits caused the impingement that produced tingling. In many cases, spending long hours “hunched” over a computer is responsible for nerve dysfunction. Repetitive movements, lifting heavy objects incorrectly and sports injuries can also contribute to nerve dysfunction.

Chiropractic care is widely regarded as an effective treatment for tingling in the body. In fact, this is the only way that many people eventually find relief. A study published on the chiropractic management of a patient with ulnar nerve compression symptoms shows results that are very typical. In this study, a 41-year-old women experienced telltale signs of weakness and numbness in her forearm and fingers. The care providers were able to detect protracted shoulders and moderate forward head carriage that pointed to nerve compression. Once the determination was made, a protocol consisting of manipulative therapy, myofascial therapy and elastic therapeutic taping was followed. The patient was also instructed on how to use better posture and workstation ergonomics to relieve pressure. Again, this is very typical of how a standard case of compression is treated.

You may be curious to know how long it takes to get relief from tingling caused by a nerve compression. In this case, the patient was given an 11-session plan to follow. The specific duration of treatment varies by patient in a real-world chiropractic setting. However, most patients begin to feel relief long before the final session regardless of how many sessions are scheduled. In fact, many patients report immediate relief after the first session before seeing more and more relief with subsequent sessions. In another published study, a 24-year-old woman with a history of intermittent right-arm paresthesia saw improvement with a short course of chiropractic care consisting of manipulation, vibration therapy and cold laser therapy. After showing improvement in paresthesia after the first visit, she was fully free of symptoms after two visits.

Another thing that the first study has in common with a typical chiropractic experience is that patient education was provided regarding better posture and workstation practices. Patient education is a hallmark of the chiropractic experience because of the whole-body connections that chiropractors encourage their patients to make when healing pain and injury. Understanding the connection between physical pain and overall health is a life-changing thing for many who seek chiropractic care!

Should You See a Chiropractor for Tingling in Your Neck and Shoulders?

First, rule out a major medical emergency. If you’re certain that your tingling is not putting you in immediate danger, it’s time to book an appointment with a chiropractor. This will be an opportunity to discover exactly what is causing your tingling sensations. Next, a treatment plan consisting of different adjustments and techniques that will relieve compression and promote tissue health will be implemented. Relief from worrisome, uncomfortable tingling is possible. Don’t let a pins-and-needles sensation let you lose your sharpness! With chiropractic care, you may be able to solve the problem quickly using natural, noninvasive treatments.

Tingling in Arms Treatment| Brain & Spine Institute

Cervical radiculopathy is an umbrella term for radiating pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness caused by irritation of the cervical nerve roots.

What is Cervical Radiculopathy?

(Tingling in Arms)

Cervical radiculopathy describes pain or tingling in the arms, hands or fingers that is the result of a condition that irritates a nerve in the spinal column — in particular, in the neck (cervical). Cervical Radiculopathy is a disease of the root of a nerve in the cervical spine, possibly from a pinched nerve or a tumor, that becomes inflamed or damaged. This results in a change in neurological function such as numbness, altered reflexes, or weakness. Pain can radiate anywhere from the neck into the shoulder, arm, hand, or fingers.

Cervical Radiculopathy (Tingling in Arms)

 
This condition is an irritation or compression of one or more nerve roots in the cervical spine. Because these nerves travel to the shoulders, arms and hands, an injury in the cervical spine can cause symptoms in these areas. Cervical radiculopathy may result from a variety of problems with the bones and tissues of the cervical spinal column.

What Are the Symptoms of Radiculopathy?

Commonly those who have a compressed nerve in the neck area experience pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the arms. The Pins-and-needles tingling and/or pain can range from achy to shock-like or burning and may also radiate from the arm to the hand.

What Causes Radiculopathy?

Typically, radiculopathy occurs when the tissues surrounding the nerve roots, like bones of the spinal vertebrae, change or shift in size. When this happens, they may narrow the spaces where the nerve roots are traveling inside the spine or exiting the spine. It can be caused by gradual degeneration of the spine or because of a spinal injury.

Cervical herniated discs (discs in your neck area) are also a common cause of radiculopathy. As a disc slips or shifts from place or becomes damaged and presses on nerves it causes the symptoms.

Other causes include bone spurs (areas of extra bone growth) due to inflammation from trauma, osteoarthritis, or other degenerative conditions such as cervical spinal stenosis. Some less common causes are spinal infections and cancerous or noncancerous growths in the spine that can press against the nerve roots.

If you’re feeling arm or hand numbness, weakness in the arms or hands, or radiating arm pain, the cause may actually be in your neck — without causing neck pain.

Treatment Options for

Cervical Radiculopathy

Non-Surgical Treatment Options for Cervical Radiculopathy

There are several ways to handle the numbness in your arm caused by a pinched nerve in the neck. Here are some of the most common recommendations:

  • Rest or activity modification. Sometimes the tingling in the arm will go away after a period of rest that includes limited activities such as a sports, lifting heavy objects or sitting and standing in proper positions.
  • Physical therapy. A physical therapist may be able to help you relieve tightened muscles that could be constricting the vertebrae and causing the pinched nerve.
  • Ice and/or heat. Applying an ice pack or a heated gel pack to the neck might offer pain relief for some people. For example, using an ice pack after an activity that causes pain or numbness in the arm can help reduce inflammation and pain.
  • Pain management with medication or injections. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen could likely be tried first. If they are not helping further investigation into the cause of the problem may be needed.

Surgical Treatment Options for Cervical Radiculopathy

If non-surgical treatment options aren’t helping, it may be time to see what can be done with minimally invasive surgery. It’s important that you return to a regular level of activity and a surgery may be able to provide the relief you need. The videos below give an overview of the various procedures that are available if your neck pain specialist feels it may be appropriate.

If you are in the North Houston, Conroe, The Woodlands, Spring area and believe you need to see a spine specialist for arm or hand numbness, weakness in the arms or hand or radiating arm pain, call our office at 281-880-0700 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Fayaz.

Neck pain – Avicenna Klinik

    data-vocabulary.org/#”>

  • Start page
  • Spinal diseases
  • Neck pain

What is neck pain?

The uniqueness of our neck is not only that it is (usually) so remarkably mobile, but also that the neck carries a heavy burden DAILY. Our head! The neck has many nerves, muscles, and there are seven vertebrae. Our neck is ready to bear and forgive us many mistakes of our daily life. But if you strain it too much, then the neck begins to react. And react not particularly friendly – pain.

Neck pain is very common

Nearly one in three adults experience tension-related neck pain once a year, and one in two adults at least once in their lifetime. In this case, women are affected more often than men. Often with this: stiff neck, pain in the shoulder and arm. One in 10 adults with recurring neck pain becomes chronic. Work-related neck pain is the most common.

Neck pain sometimes has a serious underlying cause

The main causes of neck pain are postural problems and overworked muscles in the back, neck and shoulders. In the long term, the muscles contract, harden – and become painful. Pain in the neck, back and lower back also have their roots in the psyche, or the psyche at some point intervenes in the process of pain formation. Neck pain after a car accident is usually the result of a whiplash injury. With a sharp blow, the head is thrown first forward and then back, as a result, the muscles and ligaments in the neck are overstretched.

Degenerative changes in the musculoskeletal system as a cause of neck pain should also not be underestimated, for example: degeneration of the intervertebral disc, wear of the spine, bulging of the intervertebral disc, herniated disc, instability, wear of small vertebral joints (arthrosis), formation of bone spurs of the vertebrae ( spondylosis) or calcification of the ligaments. The cause is also believed to be fibromyalgia syndrome (chronic muscle pain disease). This syndrome is accompanied by significant muscle pain. And here the neck is just one of the many pain zones on the body.

Infectious diseases of the head and neck, rheumatic diseases, and tumors and bone diseases are also among the causes, but are actually rare.

Neck pain often occurs with other symptoms

Neck pain is a symptom in itself, which can have different causes. Often patients suffer from a rigid stiff neck. There are other symptoms: headache, blurred vision, dizziness, tinnitus, fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, numbness and short-term tingling in the arm. The pain may worsen at night, as well as when coughing, sneezing, or turning the head. Autonomic symptoms such as sweating of the palms of the hands are also possible.

This is how a doctor makes an accurate diagnosis

What exactly does the word “diagnosis” mean? Diagnosis is the definition of a disease, the word is derived from the ancient Greek word diágnosis (difference, decision).

Uncomplicated neck pain with predominant muscle tension is diagnosed clinically by your doctor. That is, the doctor asks you questions and performs a physical examination. With his hands, he gropes for the cervical vertebrae, so that he can easily detect tension. He taps his spine, checks for pain anywhere. If the pain radiates to one or both legs, your doctor will check to see if certain nerve roots are irritated. During this neurological examination, he tests your muscle strength and your reflexes. When testing for sensation, the doctor runs a hand over the shoulders, arms, or arms to check for decreased sensation.

In further diagnosis, the physician can (and will…) use imaging techniques. These are x-rays, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging to obtain a layered image of the (cervical) spine, possibly also the neck or head. In addition, he will prescribe blood tests, or even recommend a cardiodiagnostic procedure. With the help of these examinations, it is possible to determine the presence of an intervertebral hernia, disc protrusion, spinal canal stenosis, syringomyelia, cysts, tumors, arthrosis of the small joints of the vertebrae.

Please don’t take neck pain lightly

Pain is always an indication, an alarm. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to pain. Don’t take neck pain lightly! Pain medication taken quickly can relieve or eliminate pain. A collar splint that supports the neck area for a while can be good therapy, and physiotherapy and manual therapy are also helpful. Physical methods such as electrotherapy or ultrasound treatment may also be prescribed as treatment. They improve blood circulation and metabolic processes in tissues and have a relaxing effect. Relaxed muscles are better supplied with blood, which can relieve pain. It is highly recommended to equip the workplace in accordance with ergonomic requirements. For depression, psychotherapeutic approaches can be used. Injections, including CRT-guided injections, may also help.

Persistent persistent pain despite comprehensive pain management and/or signs of nerve damage in the cervical region, such as a herniated disc or narrowing of the spinal canal in the cervical region, often makes surgery (microsurgery) unavoidable. For certain indications, other treatments are considered, such as: thermodenervation, percutaneous nucleotomy (PN), percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD), intervertebral disc replacement, and others. This also applies to instability of the cervical spine, where an implant plate may be considered.

Love your neck! You need her…!

This is what we must fundamentally tell you on the subject of “forecast”. But of course, we also have a couple of more detailed tips to make your neck (maybe again …) please you! From our tips, find and select the ones that you think are feasible and useful!

  • Review your dream. If possible, do not sleep on your stomach. Consider a suitable mattress and buy an ergonomic pillow.
  • Warmth is a balm for a sore neck. A warm, cozy scarf will also help relax tense neck muscles. Avoid drafts and humidity, protect your neck and neck from the cold.
  • Avoid stress.
  • Very important: your workplace. Position your desk, chair, and computer so that the screen is at eye level. The so-called turtle pose – a round back and a neck stretched forward – injures the muscles. And in general, use your cell phone as little as possible. Mobile-call-check-SMS posture is poison for your neck.
  • Do not sit in a car for hours without a break, take breaks.
  • Movement is a good remedy for muscle tension. But swimming breaststroke for the neck is not the best.
  • Ask colleagues and friends if anyone knows a trusted physiotherapist, chiropractor or osteopath. True, be careful: manual therapy is allowed to be carried out only after a completed diagnosis.

If you follow these tips, you have a good chance of living without pain.

Author
Dr. honey. Munter Sabarini
Specialist, Neurosurgery

Avicenna Klinik Berlin will be happy to help you

Go to Google Maps

Since 2001, the Avicenna Klinik has been located in Berlin. Our doctors, each in their own field (neurosurgery, spinal surgery, anesthesiology, orthopedics) have at least 25 years of international experience.

If you want to contact our clinic with severe back pain, a herniated disc or a suspected hernia, use the following contact:

Avicenna Clinic
Paulsborner Str. 2
10709 Berlin

Phone: +49 30 236 08 30
Fax: +49 30 236 08 33 11
E-Mail: [email protected]

Pain in the neck. Cervicalgia | Hbp-group

None of the symptoms is described as vividly as pain. Pulling, throbbing, aching, tearing, bursting, burning, cold, sharp – such vivid characteristics were assigned to the pain syndrome so that it was possible to more accurately determine the cause of the pain and get rid of it as quickly as possible.0081 her.

With cervicalgia or cervical syndrome – this is the name of any pain in the neck – every fifth patient consults a doctor. When the neck hurts, patients come either to a professional algologist – a pain specialist, or for a consultation with a neurologist, osteopath, orthopedist, vertebrologist – those specialists who can diagnose pain and know, among other things, how to get rid of neck pain.

Neck pain. Diagnosis

The main diagnostic method of a physician is to examine the patient with palpation and a thorough history taking.

Muscle testing is mandatory: the muscle response is determined, the doctor looks at the muscle tension in the neck, arms, legs, how the tension changes during movement. It diagnoses sensory disorders, determines the degree of muscle tone and muscle strength.

One of the important diagnostic points:
definition of trigger points.

Trigger is a trigger point, trigger zone, trigger area is a focus of tissue hyper-irritation, which is detected during palpation.
The impact of drugs, physiotherapy directly on trigger points can quickly eliminate spasm, tightness, achieve muscle relaxation and relieve pain for a long time!

Neck pain. Causes

Cervicalgia can be caused by a wide range of conditions and the cause is often not in the neck at all. The fact is that the cervical spine is the first to respond to disorders of the musculoskeletal system, for example, a flat foot or disorders in the sacroiliac region. The cervical region responds to
any overexertion, hypothermia and contraction of any muscle in our body.

Common causes of neck pain can be:

Muscle tension – holding the head in one uncomfortable, unphysiological position for a long time (for example, during improperly organized work at the computer), sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress, pillow. Muscles get used to the wrong position
, tense regularly, it is difficult to relax them. Under such conditions, constant pain in the neck is formed.

Wear and tear of the joints — age-related changes affect all joints, including those of the cervical region. Reduced production of hyaluronic acid, loss of elasticity leads to wear and tear, and neck pain becomes chronic.

Inflammation of the neck muscles (myositis) – drafts, hypothermia, not only in winter, but also under air conditioning in summer. Infectious diseases such as influenza, acute respiratory viral infections can lead to cervicalgia.0080 – often neck pain is the result of unprofessional manual methods, so modern medicine is moving away from rough influences towards soft osteopathic practices. Neck pain can also occur when playing sports, with too sharp turns of the head. It also occurs during sudden shocks, in which the head first moves forward by inertia, and then sharply leans back.

Injuries, bruises, falls – neck pain can occur shortly after injury to any part of the body. Such pain cannot be ignored, you should consult a doctor and undergo an examination. Any overexertion, hypothermia and contraction of any muscle in our body.

Neck pain. Diagnosis

Cervicalgia has various manifestations. Drawing pain in the neck, throbbing or aching – in the diagnosis, the doctor pays attention not only to the nature of the pain, but also where it gives off, what is accompanied.

Some symptoms of neck pain and diagnoses

Characteristic symptoms Possible diagnoses
Localization of pain is limited to the neck,
accompanied by muscle imbalance
, as well as functional and degenerative disorders in
cervical motor segments. In
patients, pain is pronounced,
tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle
, mobility in these
departments is limited.
Trauma, subluxation, cervical
dystonia
The pain is localized in the neck, there is
muscle imbalance, functional
and degenerative disorders in the cervical
motor segments, severe
pain syndrome radiating to the shoulder,
shoulder blade, hand. Limited mobility
in the neck and shoulder. Complaints about
tension, swelling, pulsation in
hand (nerve root involved)
Syndrome of the superior thoracic outlet,
carpal tunnel syndrome,
peripheral neuropathy of the upper limb
, primary diseases
of the shoulder joint, Pancoast syndrome
, tendinopathy.
Severe pain in the neck,
muscle imbalance, limited
mobility of the shoulder and neck. Symptoms
accompanied by headache,
dizziness and less often – visual and
auditory disorders or
swallowing disorders.

Migraine, Meniere’s disease,
benign paroxysmal
positional vertigo, tumors
of the cerebellopontine angle.

Neck pain. Markers of dangerous diseases

In some cases, when diagnosing neck pain, a doctor can detect specific warning markers, the so-called “red flags”. They refer to such dangerous diseases as an oncological process, an acute specific infectious process (tuberculous spondylitis), ankylosing spondylitis (Bekhterev’s disease). Markers can be the result of autoimmune diseases, ailments associated with blood vessels, spinal cord injuries.

Only 1% of neck pains are caused by serious diseases and they usually do not manifest themselves openly. However, according to certain indications identified during the diagnosis, the doctor may refer the patient for additional examinations:
● Electromyography
● MRI
● X-ray

Based on the results of the examination, the patient is sent to the hospital for immediate medical care.

Neck pain. Treatment

Treatment of neck pain, like any other pain, depends on the diagnosis. Hbp clinic is a supporter of a holistic approach to treatment: we do not like to load the liver with medications and do not consider painkillers alone to be productive.

We think it’s correct:

  • to carry out complex treatment, with the improvement of all organs and systems
  • conduct a course of effective physiotherapy, relieve pain from the first sessions, acting directly on trigger points – on the area of ​​tissue hyper-irritation, places of tension and spasm
  • prescribe blockades, including the latest generation of organ preparations that will trigger natural tissue regeneration in the body
  • apply non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – remove the pathogenesis, the mechanism of pain itself
  • prescribe modern chondroprotectors, natural, well-digestible vitamin-mineral complexes
  • and most importantly – to prescribe and explain to the patient a simple but effective lifestyle change – so that the pain does not return and does not make itself felt.