Frozen Shoulder and Neck Pain Connection of Pain and Chiropractic Relief
Frozen shoulder, medically known as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition described as shoulder pain and stiffness that can significantly impair your activities of daily living. When this condition is related to cervical spinal stenosis, the discomfort can be even more challenging. Fortunately, chiropractic care has a viable solution to manage and reduce these symptoms.
Understanding the Connection: Cervical Spine & Shoulder
What is Cervical Spinal Stenosis? Cervical spinal stenosis is an issue in which the spaces within the spine narrow, putting pressure on the nerves that move through the spine. This can lead to symptoms such as neck pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness affecting the shoulders and arms.
How Does It Cause Frozen Shoulder? The connection between cervical spinal stenosis and frozen shoulder lies in the joint nerve pathways. When the nerves in the cervical region are compressed, referred pain and restricted movement in the shoulder may result. This is reinforced by researchlike a study by Russo et al., which found a significant association between cervical foraminal stenosis and adhesive capsulitis. (1) Oxford chiropractic care presents itself for relief!
Benefits of Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care focuses on diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal disorders, especially those that involve the spine. Here is how it can benefit patients with frozen shoulder associated with cervical spinal stenosis:
Cervical Spine Stenosis Relief Chiropractors utilize various techniques to relieve the symptoms of cervical spinal stenosis. One such technique is flexion distraction manipulation, which has been shown to effectively reduce foraminal stenosis and radiculopathy. (2) This method assists in decompressing the spinal discs and widen the spaces within the spine, lowering pressure on the nerves.
Cervical Spine Disc Herniation Foraminal Narrowing and Frozen Shoulder Pain Relief Chiropractic adjustments can also directly help the shoulder. Techniques like the Cox® cervical flexion-distraction technique have proven to be efficacious in dealing with conditions like disc herniation with foraminal narrowing. (3) These adjustments help restore mobility to the shoulder joint and lower pain.
Steps to Effective Chiropractic Treatment
The first step in chiropractic care is an extensive assessment to identify the root cause of symptoms. This consists of physical examinations and imaging studies, if necessary. Based on the diagnosis, a chiropractor will develop an individualized treatment plan. This plan may involve spinal adjustments, physical therapy exercises, and lifestyle recommendations to encourage overall spinal health. Regular monitoring and treatments ensure that progress is being made and that any necessary modifications to the treatment plan are employed. Further, many studies support the efficacy of chiropractic care for conditions like cervical spinal stenosis and thereby potentially frozen shoulder. For example, Wu et al. (4) highlighted the cross-talk between shoulder and neck pain, further assisting the role of Oxford chiropractic care in overseeing these interconnected conditions.
CONTACT Satterwhite Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Sarah Murrow on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she illustrates a case of neck and shoulder pain relieved and managed with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
If you are suffering with the twofold challenges of cervical spinal stenosis and frozen shoulder, Oxford chiropractic care could be the solution you need. By getting to the root causes of your pain and delivering targeted relief, your Oxford chiropractor can help you get back mobility and improve your quality of life. Book a consultation with Satterwhite Chiropractic today and start your journey to pain relief!
