Arm and Leg Pain Relief

Most people don't understand how much we use our arms and legs throughout the day. In fact, our shoulder and hip joints are two of the most mobile and frequently used joints in our bodies. This combination of frequency and mobility has led to a wide range of possible injuries and sources of pain. Dr. Mark R. Pustaver is here to help.

Sometimes people enter Pustaver Chiropractic Care completely aware of what caused their pain; maybe it is a weekend warrior who overused the joint in an athletic competition, an unfortunate participant in a car accident, a person lifting too much weight at work or home, or a grandmother who fell asleep holding their grandchild in one position all night. Typically, these situations cause almost immediate pain or discomfort as a result of muscle, bone, or nervous system damage and irritation.

However, many people develop arm and leg pain gradually over time and are relatively unaware of what may have caused it. When the patient is perplexed by what may have caused the pain, vertebral subluxations, arthritis, bursitis, tendinitis, and frozen shoulder become likely suspects. In addition to these sources of pain, switching or taking new medications such as antibiotics, birth control, and anxiety medications have been shown to contribute to the development of arm and leg pain.

If this list of possible causes wasn’t confusing enough, it has also been shown that arm and leg pain is often caused by “referred pain”. This pattern of pain is often used to describe the sensation of pain down the left arm that people feel during the start of a heart attack. Another example of a referred pain pattern is the pain that an inflamed gall bladder causes under the right shoulder blade. Frequently, Dr. Mark R. Pustaver sees patients who present with arm and leg pain that is being referred from nerve irritation that begins at the spine. If the spaces where the nerves leave the spine become narrowed due to inflammation, degeneration, disc herniation, or other causes, the nerve becomes irritated and often produces pain down its entire path. The pain patterns associated with sciatica are a good example of this mechanism.

In addition to questions about what carpal tunnel syndrome feels like, patients often wonder how they developed the condition. Typically, the cause of carpal tunnel syndrome isn’t completely evident. However, some patients are able to recall an injury to the wrist that caused the symptoms to develop shortly after. Certain occupations have also been shown to contribute to the development of the condition with jobs that involve long-term use of vibrating instruments and the repetitious use of the hands and wrist topping the list. Finally, metabolic disorders involving the pituitary and thyroid gland can also contribute to its development.

Depending on the activity, carpal tunnel typically begins in a person’s dominant hand, but symptoms throughout both hands is not uncommon. While carpal tunnel is more common in the dominant hand, it is also nearly 3 times more common in women due to the size of the tunnel itself.

The shoulder complex is the most mobile joint in the body and as a result, is subject to a wide range of injuries and conditions. The causes of shoulder pain are endless, but some of the most common reasons for pain in the shoulder include, neck and upper back problems, arthritis in the shoulder complex, abnormal motor patterns causing aberrant motion, participation in athletic events, and automobile accidents.

Due to the wide range of causative factors, shoulder pain or abnormal motion in the joint may develop gradually or come on suddenly. Since the shoulder joint is used in the vast majority of activities that we engage in daily, any injury to the area should be taken seriously and treated appropriately. Even the most minor injuries should be treated early to help prevent it from worsening.

Some symptoms of a shoulder injury or condition are more pronounced than others. Therefore, all symptoms involving the shoulder should be monitored carefully. Symptoms indicating the need for an immediate evaluation of the shoulder complex include; shoulder pain that lasts for more than a week, shoulder pain that goes away and then returns frequently, a difficulty raising your arm above your head, trouble or pain when carrying objects, pain in the shoulder joint that becomes more pronounced in the evening, any obvious signs of damage to the joint such as bruising or swelling, or an unusual snapping or clicking sensation in the joint during movement.

As is true with most conditions, the most effective treatment is dependent on the exact cause of the problem. Therefore, obtaining an accurate diagnosis is a crucial step in the evaluation process. Dr. Mark R. Pustaver is fully equipped and trained in the various techniques for diagnosing the cause of shoulder pain. He will utilize the clinical information provided from your history, advanced imaging techniques, and orthopedic procedures to determine the exact cause of your shoulder pain. The correct diagnosis will then be used to develop an individualized treatment plan.