Have you ever felt pain and tingling radiate down your arm? A pinched nerve in your shoulder could be the problem. It occurs when surrounding tissues, such as bones, cartilage, muscles, or tendons, exert too much pressure on a nerve. This pressure can result in pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness.
Chiropractic care is known to help with pain and a number of muscle problems. But the concern is, can chiropractor help pinched nerve in shoulder? The answer is that pinched nerves can be reduced with the help of chiropractors. That’s because they specialize in understanding and caring for the spine.
In this article, we will discuss this answer in a broader fashion. We will also discuss the causes and signs of a pinched nerve in the shoulder. If you suspect having a pinched shoulder nerve, then this is a must-read.
What Is a Pinched Nerve That Affects the Shoulder?
A lot of the time, people think they have a pinched nerve in their shoulder or shoulder blade because of the pain they feel there. Actually, a pinched nerve in the cervical spine (neck) can make you feel pain in your head, shoulder, and even arm.
In many cases, it hurts really badly when you move your neck back and forth or side to side. If you put your hands on top of your head, the pressure on the nerve is relieved, which may make the pain go away.
Causes of Pinched Nerves in the Shoulder
A pinched nerve can hurt your shoulder for a number of reasons. The most important ones are listed below:
| Condition | How it leads to a pinched nerve |
| Disc degeneration | Intervertebral discs cushion spine vertebrae. As you age, your discs change, too. Sometimes, these changes bring vertebrae closer together, reducing nerve space. |
| Herniated discs | In some cases, a disc herniates, pushing its jelly-like center into the spinal canal. This can press on sensitive nerves, causing arm pain, numbness, and weakness. |
| Pregnancy | It is possible to get pinched nerves during pregnancy because of the swelling that can happen. This swelling can put pressure on nerves and the pathways that they use. |
| Injury | An acute injury, like falling on a hand that is outstretched or getting tackled in football, can cause a pinched nerve. |
| Medical conditions | Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis damage bones and compress nerves. Diseases like tumors, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, cysts, and lupus can compress and pinch nerves. |
Symptoms of Pinched Nerves in the Shoulder
You will need a full physical exam of your neck and shoulders to find out if your shoulder pain is caused by a pinched nerve.
There are, however, some signs that could point you and your doctor in the right direction:
- Most of the time, a pinched nerve only hurts one shoulder. Also, the pain is usually very sharp, not a dull ache or strain like you might feel if you overworked your muscles.
- If you turn your head, the pain may worsen. A pinched nerve can also cause neck pain and headaches in the back of your head.
- A pinched nerve may also give you a feeling of “pins and needles” in your shoulder. The joint can also feel numb or weak when lifting something.
- In some cases, symptoms spread from the shoulder down to the arm and into the hand.
Can Chiropractor Help Pinched Nerve in Shoulder?
It is very easy for chiropractors to treat pinched nerves. They are taught how to use gentle techniques to realign the spine’s bones and relax tight muscles, which takes the pressure off of pinched nerves. Chiropractic care is safer and less risky than other types of treatment. That’s because it does not involve drugs that can be addictive or other invasive procedures.
Chiropractic treatments are typically outpatient procedures that help to relieve pain, swelling, and disability caused by a pinched nerve. There is only one visit needed for a chiropractor to know if a treatment plan will work.
Most of the time, chiropractic care is cheaper than other types of treatment. This makes it a very good choice for treating pinched nerves.
Addressing a Pinched Nerve with Chiropractic Care
When you see a chiropractor for the first time, they will carefully check out the area where you are hurting. Chiropractors use different tests to find out what is causing your pain. Then, they make a treatment plan that is just right for you. For people who have pinched nerves, there are a number of choices for treatment.
Spinal decompression without surgery is a method that uses a special table to loosen up the spine and realign the nerves and vertebrae. Your chiropractor will use gentle manipulation to take pressure off of your spine and make it more aligned.
Besides these general treatments, there are also specialized ones like using an ice pack, ultrasound, and electrotherapy. The goal of these procedures is to ease pain, lower inflammation, and lessen muscle spasms.
Neglecting a pinched nerve can lead to irreversible nerve damage. Hence, it is very important to do so right away. If you have a pinched nerve in your shoulder blade or somewhere else and are in pain and unable to do things, you should get help. To quickly get back on track, contact your chiropractor or a chiropractic clinic for an evaluation and personalized treatment plan.
FAQ
Q. How Long Does a Pinched Nerve Take to Heal?
Ans. It is possible to treat and heal a pinched nerve in about a month. But, this will depend on the person’s health condition and the treatment plan. The healing process goes a little faster when you get chiropractic care because you can get help and care right away.
Q. What’s Better for a Pinched Nerve Physical Therapy or Chiropractor?
Ans. Both are good for people with pinched nerves in different ways. Physiotherapy recovers people over a long period of time by using heat, cold, exercises, and combinations of these. Chiropractic care, on the other hand, works with the spinal cord to relieve pressure and realign it.
Medical professionals will look at the patient’s condition and recommend the best course of action after thinking about all of them.
Conclusion
A pinched nerve in the shoulder can happen for a number of reasons. Herniation and degeneration in intervertebral discs, injury, pregnancy, etc. can all contribute to this. The most common symptom is the occurrence of a sharp pain that affects one of the shoulders. Besides, a ‘pins and needles’ feeling, along with headaches and neck pain, can also indicate a pinched shoulder nerve.
Early intervention is mandatory to avoid permanent nerve damage. Getting chiropractic care allows you to receive help and treatment right away, which speeds up the healing process. However, the condition is to get help from top-class chiropractic care.
If you are in Minnesota, The Brost Clinic can help you with this. Our industry-expert chiropractors understand pinched nerves better than any other chiropractor. Their gentle touches can work wonders in giving you comfort from that sharp pain. Contact us today to book an appointment.