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Trauma related to sports, accidents, work-related and causes as well as few other disease processes can trigger pain of the upper extremities. In many cases it is due to abnormal stress patterns that have slowly built up over years. Abnormal stress patterns start from the spine, the shoulder blade’s attachment to the body wall and the muscles that connect the arm to the shoulder. The spine houses the nerve supply that controls the movement, and sensation of the upper extremity. Nerve supply can be reduced due to subluxations (bones out of place putting pressure on nerves), decrease in bone strength and muscle elasticity, discs losing their fluid and flexibility, arthritis, degeneration. When this happens muscles get overloaded, muscle fibers tear and/or stretch, the brain neurologically de-activates the area, other muscles try to compensate, arm movements are changed and the pattern begins to take hold. Once the nerve supply has been normalized, stress patterns have the ability to diminish. Adjustments combined with proper maintenance, an exercise program and most importantly a change in poor posture habits, will often allow for a full recovery.
Chiropractic adjustments to the spine of the neck (cervical spine) can produce a significant reduction in pain associated with tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis).
