Arm Pain Chiropractic Treatments in NYC

Here at The Center For Spine Care and Mobility, our NYC chiropractors see a slew of patients with arm pain, and there is a myriad of structures that could cause such pain.

When patients enter our office complaining of pain radiating from their neck into their arm there are usually three nerves involved. Radial, Median, and Ulnar.

During the patient’s history and examination, the revelation of patient-specific signs, symptoms, and pain patterns help your practitioner determine which nerve is involved.

If you take your arm and let it hang by the side of your body with the palm facing forward the basic anatomy of nerve distribution can be explained. The radial bone runs from your elbow to your thumb. Running alongside this structure is your radial nerve. The Median nerve as the name suggests runs along the middle portion of your arm and the ulnar nerve along the ulnar side or pinky of the arm.

The Median nerve originates from the ventral roots of C5, C6, and C7 (lateral cord) as well as the medial cord of C8, and T1. Your Median nerve runs along the front of the elbow and passes in between a muscle called the pronator trees. It supplies movement to the forearm muscles and the lateral portion of the wrist, as well as the thumb and forefinger.

The Median nerve supplies sensation to the lateral three and a half fingers and the palmer side of the hand. This information is helpful during an examination as it helps the practitioner deduce where your injury is coming from.

Arm Pain Caused by Nerve Injury

Injury to the Median Nerve

1. Carpal tunnel in between the bones of the wrist.
2. It can also be injured at the elbow by fracturing the supercondylar portion of your humerus (upper arm bone).
3. The third place the Median nerve can be injured is at the lunate bone (dislocation). This is a small bone in the hand.

Injuries can result in thenar (thumb) atrophy as well as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. If someone was to experience symptoms of bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome there are a host of potential issues that should be examined by a professional.

The Radial nerve originates from the nerve roots of spinal nerves C5, C6, C7, C8 & T1. It runs along the lateral or radial side of the arm. It supplies strength or motor function to your triceps, brachioradialis, and the extensor muscles of the wrist. The Radial nerve supplies sensation to the back or posterior portion of your hand not including the fingertips.

Injury of the Radial Nerve

1. Fracture of the humerus
2. Sleeping on an outstretched arm (Saturday night palsy)
3. Compression of the nerve in the axilla
4. Improper use of crutches

The resulting injuries can cause wrist drop.

The Ulnar Nerve runs along the ulnar side of the arm or the pinky side (fifth digit). The nerve makes its way through the backside of the medial epicondyle or elbow region then pushed in front of a tendon called the flexor retinaculumn.

The Ulnar nerve supplies movement to the medial flexors of the wrist, a portion of the thumb, some of the fingers. It also supplies most of the function to the interosseous muscles of the hand.

The Ulnar nerve supplies sensation to the back (dorsal) and front (palmer) side of the hand as well as the medial 1 1/2 fingers and the medial forearm.

Injury of the Ulnar Nerve

1. Medial epicondyle fracture
2. Fracture of a bone in the hand called the hook of the hamate
   1. Injury to the Ulnar nerve can result in the inability to move the fingers out and in,
   2. thumb (hypothenar atrophy),
   3. Ulnar claw hand which is the loss of the medial lumbricals. When the patient tries to open a fist they cannot extend their 4th or 5th digits.

Our NYC-based practitioners are trained to examine, diagnose, and treat injuries of the nerves. By having an expert understanding of where your pain is coming from this gives the patient the best chance for recovery. More importantly, the patient is not subjected to unnecessary testing and delayed treatment.

Treatment options such as Active Release Technique, Glastonbury Technique, nerve flossing, PNF stretching, specific massage techniques, Acupuncture, and even bracing can all have a positive impact on the resolution of nerve pain. If this is something that is bothering you feel free to contact our facility for an evaluation from one of our trained practitioners.