Chiropractic Treatment of Elbow and Wrist Pain

Elbow and wrist pain frequently benefit from treatment to associated spine levels and connected muscles. Treatment that focuses on these affiliated areas effectively reduces pain and restores mobility quickly while reducing likelihood of recurrence. Chiropractic care is a great treatment option because it not only treats the elbow and wrist locally, but chiropractors also treat the spinal regions and muscles.

Nerve Flow Distribution

The chiropractic adjustment benefits elbow and wrist pain because vertebral mobilization affects nerve flow distribution to these important body areas. These upper extremity regions directly receive nerve input from spinal nerves coming from the cervical spine and the spinal mobilization to these areas improves nerve transmission. Irritated spinal nerves from spinal misalignment mean irritated distal body parts. When there is pain and subluxation in the neck or problems in the shoulder, elbow and wrist pain can ensue. Problems like carpal tunnel syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, and tennis elbow respond to chiropractic care because the spinal adjustment affects the source of the problem — the spine.

Soft Tissue Work and Mobilizing the Spine

Muscles and ligaments in vertebral regions below the cervical spine can affect the wrist and elbow. Chiropractors mobilize the lower thoracic and lumbar regions and perform soft tissue massage on these areas. The large trapezius and latissimus muscles cross the thoracic and lumbar regions and connect with the shoulder, elbow and wrist complex. Adjustments to the more caudal lumbar and thoracic regions of the spine affect the wrist and elbow because of their connections to those major shoulder movers. Additionally, the paraspinal muscles cross from the neck to the lower back; spinal adjustments at all back levels influence the full paraspinal muscle and influence shoulder elbow wrist pain.

Home Remedies for Pain

Nerves from the lower neck bundle to form the brachial plexus that passes below the clavicle en route to the elbow and wrist. Additionally, the clavicle is the attachment point of several important muscles of respiration and neck movement. Pain, tenderness and lack of proper motion of this s-shaped shoulder bone are the source of many elbow and wrist problems. A chiropractor, like a chiropractor in Chapel Hill, NC, will assess this important point of nerve transmission and adjust it as needed. He or she can provide home remedies to support good shoulder-neck posture to help ease symptoms on an ongoing basis as well.

Carpal Pain

Bones in the wrist can suffer subluxation and be the source of wrist pain. The eight small carpal bones of each wrist allow exquisite wrist flexibility and finesse, but small irritations at any of their multifaceted joint surfaces will cause painful motion. Writing, typing, doing yoga, or any activity that involves the wrist will suffer when the carpal bones hurt. Chiropractors assess the wrist bones to discover where joint irritation lies and to make delicate adjustments as needed using hands on techniques or with an instrument called an “activator.” They will provide soothing therapy to the wrist, arm, elbow, and forearm muscles as well to heal the full kinetic chain. 

Chiropractic care of wrist and elbow pain gets to the source of the problem and can be a helpful treatment option. Call a chiropractor today for more information. 

Thanks to Acupractic Natural Healing Center for their insight into treating elbow and wrist pain.