Pinched nerve in the neck causing shooting stabbing arm pain NYC

Pinched nerve in the neck causing shooting stabbing arm pain-NYC

Pinched nerve treatment nyc
I wanted to post a brief discussion about a “pinched nerves” and “slipped discs”.
The last several weeks I have seen an influx of patients that can hardly move their neck comfortably in any range of motion and describe their arm pain as stabbing and or shooting.
If the symptoms are in the left arm the patient is concerned that it could be a sign of a heart condition and usually get it checked out by their medical doctor, once it is confirmed that it is not the heart almost always it points to a cervical disc (neck)involvement.
What that means is the disc in the neck is misplaced and can causes pressure or irritation to the very delicate nerves that innervate the hand and arms.
Hence the term” slipped discs”. So the disc themselves don’t necessarily slip they can and do move out of their normal position and the proper medical terminology for a “slipped disc” is either a bulging or herniated disc. To better understand the disc I wanted to go a bit into the disc biomechanics.
Cervical Herniated disc treatment discussion
In people between the ages of 30 and 40 years, their nucleus has a water content of 80% which decreases with age. The average person is 1% shorter in height at the end of the day than on first arising in the morning. This difference is attributed to decreasing water content in the disc, which occurs with advancing age.

The nucleus pulposus, which occupies about half the disc surface area, bears the vertical load, whereas the annulus or outer bands bear the tangential load.
Two terms are used to describe disc degenerative change allowing nuclear herniation. “contained disc” and “noncontained disc” They refer to the state of the annulus fibrosus, that is whether it is intact and restraining the nucleus pulposus ( a contained disc) or whether it has completely radially torn to allow the nuclear material to sequester or free-fragment into the vertebral canal.



Once you start to understand the anatomy of the region it starts to really make sense that the most effective way to not only reduce the pain but correct the problem is to Unload or decompress the area.

In our NYC Physical therapy clinic we utilize a multi pronged approach.
Our first treatment involves the Cox cervical flexion distraction technique.
This is a very gentle movement that allows the doctor to guide the patient’s neck into freeing restricted movement and reducing pressure on discs and spinal nerves.
We also use cervical spinal decompression to reduce intradiscal pressure and help to return disc material back. Cervical spinal decompression is fantastic for patients suffering with cervical herniated disc and arm pain.
The Graston technique is tremendously effective in dealing with “soft tissue” fascia and tight muscles that usually accompany a cervical disc herniation.
Putting together the most effective non-surgical methods to deal with pinched nerves and herniated discs allows us to get our NYC patients back to doing the things enjoy without pain.
Give us a call today if you are suffering with a pinched nerve or have a slipped disc in NYC @ (212)645-8151

What Is Making My Neck Hurt?

The other day I woke up with a little pain in my neck, so it occurred to me to write a little bit about neck pain.

Right next to back problems, neck pain is one of the biggest problems for Americans every year. It's true that little pains are likely to creep into our lives little by little as we get older; unfortunately, it's often a part of the normal aging process. However, that isn't always the way it goes. Acute pain that shoots right through you and chronic pain that hangs around for long periods of time are both indications of a dysfunction. Pain is the physical signal that tells us to stop our activity because of potential physical damage we have experienced. On the other hand, as complicated as our bodies are, sometimes the pain we feel isn't actually related to the place where damage has occurred.

Let's cover a few of the more common reasons for neck pain, all of which we routinely treat at Living Well Medical in NYC.

Neck Muscle Strain: Overusing the muscles that support the head and neck can result in muscle pain. Poor posture, whiplash injuries, and poor ergonomics often contribute to muscle strains in the neck. For less serious strains, deep tissue massage can be beneficial, especially when coupled with physical therapy to strengthen those muscles and prevent future problems. Your treatment might be different depending on the type of muscle strain.

Facet Joint Syndrome: Each of the bones in the spine contain four facet joints, and when they work properly, they are responsible for a lot of movement and flexibility of the spine. Trauma, deterioration of intervertebral discs, and poor posture are among the more common causes of pain related to the facet joints. Physical therapy and non-surgical spinal decompression can be effective in treating facet joint syndrome, but individual needs will vary

Cervical Disc Herniation: The spongy structures between the spinal bones can sometimes bulge out and herniate, compressing the nearby nerves in the spinal canal. The pain can range from irritating to completely debilitating, and some patients opt for spinal surgery as a result. Our treatment programs incorporates a number of different therapies (determined by the initial evaluation), often including spinal disc decompression and physical rehabilitation.

This only scratches the surface of the reasons we experience pain in the neck. If the pain is bad enough that it's affecting the way that you live each day, give us a call at Living Well Medical in NYC at (212) 645-8151.