Neck pain that travels into your upper arm may not be a disc injury

Neck pain that shoots in to the arm is more common than you think.  Doroski Chiropractic Neurology in Woodbridge VA sees it on a weekly basis.  The good news is it can be fixed sometimes without surgery. 

Pain into the arm or shoulder area with associated neck pain may not be the dreaded disk injury everyone is afraid of.  It could be an injury called thoracic outlet syndrome.  It sounds scary but it is quite common and can be fixed with the proper non-surgical treatments.  At Doroski Chiropractic Neurology we can quickly and properly diagnose this injury

The thoracic outlet is a passageway for the nerves and blood vessels into your arm.  It is located in the upper chest area.  It is made of a boney and muscular opening.  So anything that causes anyone of those structures to become enlarged can compromise the opening.  The most common and most treatable is a muscle spasm that caused the muscle to swell.

If this is the case most patients complain of the neck and upper arm pain but they also have a very sharp at the top medial corner of their shoulder blade.  This is the attachement of the Levator Scapulae muscle.  This muscle also passes behind the thoracic outlet area and it can swell pushing into the opening and compressing a nerve.

Since we are not hollow creatures everything is touching everything.  So a spasm of the neck support musculature can push the tissue forward which then pushes in to the opening.  This spasm is most notable by neck pain and upper shoulder blade pain.  It can be associated with pain in the neck and arm when turning the head towards the side of the pain.  Sometimes turning away from the painful side can actually decrease the neck pain and the referral. 

A chiropractor can diagnose this injury from a disk injury and apply the proper treatment.  The treatment usually involves heat, electrical stimulation, stretching and trigger point therapy.  Once the muscle is relaxed manipulation of the spine can also help.

+scottdoroski3122/posts

+doroskichiropractic3122/posts

Doroski Chiropractic Neurology

3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102

Woodbridge VA 22192

703 730 9588

Map link

Low back pain and Neck pain and your office chair... how are they related?

Low back pain and neck pain can be prevented by properly adjusting your office chair.   At Doroski Chiropractic Neurology in Woodbridge VA we see tons of people complaining of back pain.  Most of them sit in improperly adjusted chairs.  These tips should help you prevent some general low back issues that lots of people experience.  Visit us at Doroskichiropractic.com for other blog tips and to schedule an appointment.

The first step in setting up an office chair is to establish the desired height of the individual’s desk or workstation. This decision is determined primarily by the type of work to be done and by the height of the person using the office chair. The height of the desk or workstation itself can vary greatly and will require different positioning of the office chair, or a different type of ergonomic chair altogether.

Once the workstation has been situated, then the user can adjust the office chair according to his or her physical proportions. Here are the most important guidelines - distilled into a quick checklist - to help make sure that the office chair and work area are as comfortable as possible and will cause the least amount of stress to the spine:

Elbow measure

First, begin by sitting comfortably as close as possible to your desk so that your upper arms are parallel to your spine. Rest your hands on your work surface (e.g. desktop, computer keyboard). If your elbows are not at a 90-degree angle, adjust your office chair height either up or down.

Thigh measure

Check that you can easily slide your fingers under your thigh at the leading edge of the office chair. If it is too tight, you need to prop your feet up with an adjustable footrest. If you are unusually tall and there is more than a finger width between your thigh and the chair, you need to raise the desk or work surface so that you can raise the height of your office chair.

Calf measure

With your bottom pushed against the chair back, try to pass your clenched fist between the back of your calf and the front of your office chair. If you can’t do that easily, then the office chair is too deep. You will need to adjust the backrest forward, insert a low back support (such as a lumbar support cushion, a pillow or rolled up towel), or get a new office chair.

Low back support

Your bottom should be pressed against the back of your chair, and there should be a cushion that causes your lower back to arch slightly so that you don’t slump forward or slouch down in the chair as you tire over time. This low back support in the office chair is essential to minimize the load (strain) on your back. Never slump or slouch forward in the office chair, as that places extra stress on the structures in the low back, and in particular, on the lumbar discs.

Resting eye level

Close your eyes while sitting comfortably with your head facing forward. Slowly open your eyes. Your gaze should be aimed at the center of your computer screen. If your computer screen is higher or lower than your gaze, you need to either raise or lower it to reduce strain on the upper spine.

Armrest

Adjust the armrest of the office chair so that it just slightly lifts your arms at the shoulders. Use of an armrest on your office chair is important to take some of the strain off your upper spine and shoulders, and it should make you less likely to slouch forward in your chair.

+scottdoroski3122/posts

+doroskichiropractic3122/posts

Doroski Chiropractic Neurology

3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102

Woodbridge VA 22192

703 730 9588

Maplink