07/09/2024
"Why should I get my neck treated by a Chiropractor if I have shoulder pain?"
Chiropractic can help a large variety of conditions and symptoms that are not explicitly located at the spine. An example of this would be shoulder pain. Patients with chronic shoulder pain or acute injury could benefit from chiropractic treatment of the neck. Some reasons are as follows:
1. Neurologically, all the muscles of the upper extremities (arm/forearm/hands/etc) are innervated by nerves stemming from the neck. All motor activity and sensation of the upper extremity involve signals traveling up/down the spinal cord and passing outward or towards the neck before reaching the signals destination. If someone is in frequent to constant shoulder pain, signals are consistently traveling to the spinal cord, at the neck level, which then travels to the brain to be interpreted as pain. This is to illustrate that the shoulder is an extension of the neural pathway of the neck.
2. Anatomically, the “shoulder” has multiple muscles and bones that are involved in its movement. The shoulder joint is made up of the Humerus (the arm) and the scapula (the shoulder blade) touching. Thus the shoulder can be influenced by any issues involving the scapula, such as muscles that move it. These muscles include the Trapezius muscle, and the Levator Scapulae muscle. These muscles also attach to the spine in the neck region, thus influencing strength, tightness, and/or possibly pain.
These are only a few examples. Remember to see a medical professional if you have any questions about an injury or condition that you want information on. If your interested to find out what else Chiropractic can help with, or if it is the appropriate care for you, don’t hesitate to contact AHC. Have a great day!
