Arm Pain Relief with Chiropractic Care

Arm Pain Management

As one of the leading health problems in the United States, pain affects millions of people each year. Arm pain, including the shoulders and hands, can be quite a common condition linked to a variety of causes. These varying types of arm pain may become chronic and hard to manage for many people. Chiropractic care and treatment offers patients suffering from these types of arm pain an option in order to improve overall mobility through effectively targeting specific areas of arm pain and concern.

Chiropractic therapy and care targets specific areas of arm pain while thoroughly investigating individual causes of arm, hand, or shoulder pain. Among other healthy recommendations, such as stretching at home, chiropractors will often use adjustments and/or compressions to help patients reduce many types of arm pain. Chiropractic care offers therapeutically based intervention techniques to reduce arm pain and increase comfortable movement levels for each patient.

Chiropractic treatments have been shown to improve a variety of conditions related to arm pain and discomfort. Research presented in a study published in The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association showed evidence of the success of chiropractic practices in the reduction and overall improvement of arm pain.

Chiropractic Care for Arm Pain

When seeking chiropractic care and treatment for arm pain, patients should expect chiropractic care providers to assess the needs of each individual based on a variety of factors. These factors may include documented health history, injury, and physical examination. Each patient is evaluated as a whole and chiropractic care for arm pain is put into place based on a goal of overall health and well being based on individual needs. This includes identifying the source of pain, factors contributing to specific arm pain, and directly treating root causes.

Upon identification of specific arm pain problems, chiropractors frequently incorporate adjustment techniques alongside encouragement of appropriate exercise strategies, stretching, and maintenance of proper diet. After arm pain has been relieved, proper maintenance and chiropractic care is often encouraged and carried out in order to prevent similar pain and/or injury in the future. Chiropractic care for arm pain ultimately works towards an overall health restoration for each patient.

Chiropractic treatment goals may be short-term, long-term, or both in order to reduce pain and restore normal body functionality. Improvement of daily living and activity levels should be expected as a part of an overall assessment and implementation of a chiropractic care plan for arm pain

References and Investigative Studies

https://www.chironexus.net/2014/03/chiropractic-sports-related-elbow-pain/

Bronfort G, Haas M, Evans R, Leininger B, Triano J. Effectiveness of manual therapies: the UK evidence report. Chiropr Osteopat. 2010 Feb 25;18:3. doi: 10.1186/1746-1340-18-3.

The purpose of this report is to provide a succinct but comprehensive summary of the scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of manual treatment for the management of a variety of musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal conditions.

The conclusions are based on the results of systematic reviews of randomized clinical trials (RCTs), widely accepted and primarily UK and United States evidence-based clinical guidelines, plus the results of all RCTs not yet included in the first three categories. The strength/quality of the evidence regarding effectiveness was based on an adapted version of the grading system developed by the US Preventive Services Task Force and a study risk of bias assessment tool for the recent RCTs.

By September 2009, 26 categories of conditions were located containing RCT evidence for the use of manual therapy: 13 musculoskeletal conditions, four types of chronic headache and nine non-musculoskeletal conditions. We identified 49 recent relevant systematic reviews and 16 evidence-based clinical guidelines plus an additional 46 RCTs not yet included in systematic reviews and guidelines. Additionally, brief references are made to other effective non-pharmacological, non-invasive physical treatments.

Spinal manipulation/mobilization is effective in adults for: acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain; migraine and cervicogenic headache; cervicogenic dizziness; manipulation/mobilization is effective for several extremity joint conditions; and thoracic manipulation/mobilization is effective for acute/subacute neck pain.

Gliedt JA, Daniels CJ. Chiropractic management of elbow tendinopathy following a sports related trauma. The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association. 2014;58(1):52-57.

This report describes chiropractic management of a case of sub-acute elbow pain and swelling with Active Release Technique® and acupuncture.

A 41-year-old male presented to a chiropractic clinic with a primary complaint of elbow pain and swelling following a fall while playing basketball five weeks prior.

Treatment consisted of two sessions of needle acupuncture and one treatment of Active Release Techniques® (ART) applied to the left elbow region.

The patient’s outcomes indicated a quick resolution of subjective complaints and objective findings with the chosen treatment. Further research is needed to demonstrate safety, clinical effectiveness, and cost effectiveness when compared to other treatments.

Forearm extensor tendinopathy is commonly seen between the fourth and fifth decades of life, with higher incidence in men than women, and more commonly of the dominant arm. The onset of symptoms predominately arises from repetitive movement with wrist extension and alternating pronation and supination of the forearm. It is likely to be a self-limiting pathology and approximately 80% of patients newly diagnosed report improvement at one year. An estimated 4–25% of patients are non-responsive to conservative management and will require surgical intervention. Recognized poor prognostic factors for non-operative care include manual labor, dominant arm involvement, long duration of symptoms with high baseline pain levels, and poor coping strategies.

Pathology of the extensor tendon is thought to originate with the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) and may additionally incorporate the extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL), and extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) muscles. Upon suffering a tendinopathy injury, these tendons appear to undergo a degenerative process characterized by immature fibroblasts, the appearance of nonfunctional vascular buds and the presence of disorganized collagen.

The purpose of this report is to describe the successful chiropractic management of a case of elbow pain and swelling. This case appears to be the result of a sports related trauma as opposed to an overuse mechanism.

Hains G. Chiropractic management of shoulder pain and dysfunction of myofascial origin using ischemic compression techniques. The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association. 2002;46(3):192-200.