How to Prevent Radiating Pain from Getting on your Nerves

          Chronic pain can create a tremendous amount of stress on the nervous system. Unfortunately a lot of sufferers will mask symptoms with medication for too long before the true source of the problem is corrected. Many people experience radiating pain down the arms and legs as a component of neck or low back pain.  A person experiencing neck pain might have pain that radiates all the way down the arm and possibly into the hand. While a person with low back pain might have accompanying leg pain, possibly traveling into the foot. This type of arm/hand pain or leg/foot pain can represent a serious underlying health problem. However, not all types of radiating pain are of equal importance. The key is to be able to identify which patterns require prompt attention and which merely appear to be significant but are not.

          Authentic radiating pain is most often caused by pressure and/or irritation of a spinal nerve root. The spinal nerve becomes irritated and inflamed and sends pain signals to the brain that are interpreted as pain in the region of the body supplied by that nerve. Inflammation of a specific spinal nerve in the neck can result in the experience of pain down the outside of the arm and forearm and into the thumb. Inflammation of a specific spinal nerve in the low back can cause pain traveling along the back of the thigh and calf and into the fifth toe known as "sciatica".

            Specific patterns of radiating pain are associated with irritation of specific spinal nerves mostly from old traumas or chronic postural faults. Such inflammation may be typically caused by pressure from misalignment of bones (subluxations) in the spine that if uncorrected can lead to a herniated intervertebral disc. Other disorders which may create local space-occupying pressure need to be considered as well. A thorough history, physical examination, and possibly x-rays can help to identify the cause of the problem.

            As part of our monthly Health and Vitality Workshops we teach proactive ways to correct everyday postural habits. Pain patterns involving the arm/hand or leg/foot can be caused by normal, everyday aches and pains from poor sleeping, working and computer posture. Run-of-the-mill physical problems involve relatively large muscles such as the trapezius (overlying the upper back, shoulder, and mid back) and small muscles such as those that overlay the spinal bones themselves and help move the spinal column. Ligaments that hold bones together and tendons that attach muscles to bones may also be involved in these everyday ailments.

            A proactive approach to setting up the habits of your daily lifestyle can often alleviate the reoccurrence of these ongoing problems. Simply evaluating your regular postures throughout day can be enlightening as to why your condition is chronic. Start by evaluating your posture while driving, watching television, sitting at your computer station, playing video games and reading. Then take a deeper look at how you’re sleeping, including your pillow, mattress and furniture. Attending our monthly Health and Vitality Workshop is vital to learn correct postures for your daily activities and what techniques are best to prevent ongoing radiating pain.

            The bottom line is that a Chiropractor is the best trained professional to locate and detect misalignments (subluxations) and correct such problems without drugs or surgery. At Chiropractic USA we have all the diagnostic tools and experience to be able to determine if your radiating pain is associated with muscles, ligaments, tendons or if it is related to pressure on a specific spinal nerve. Determining the actual root of the problem and then recommending specific care to address the chronic pain allows us to guide you in the process of returning to vital health and maintain your wellness lifestyle.

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Magrinelli F, et al: Neuropathic pain: diagnosis and treatment. Pract Neurol 2013 Apr 16 [Epub ahead of print]

Mena J, Sherman AL: Imaging in radiculopathy. Phys Med Rehabil Clin North Am 22(1):42-57, 2011