There could be many causes of pain in your shoulders and arms, including physical injury, muscle strain, a pinched nerve or problems in the cervical spine. The nerves that run from the spine in your neck, through the shoulders and down your arms can cause pain that radiates from the shoulders and down your arms – but the problem itself may be localized in the nerves in your spine. To diagnose your pain, Dr. K. V. Shivanand Reddy and his team may perform imaging procedures to look at the muscles and nerves in your arms, shoulders and spine.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN CAUSES OF NECK AND ARM PAIN?
Potential causes of neck and arm pain include:
- Aging
- Accidents
- Simple daily strain
- Injury to the neck or head
- Prolonged neck problems
- Problems in the cervical spine, or the section of the spine in your neck, can cause pain in the neck as well as numbness and weakness in the arms
- Whiplash injuries
More complicated causes of neck and arm pain include:
HERNIATED AND BULGING DISCS:
- Wear on a disc can cause the outer layer to rupture, creating a hernia.
- The herniated disc can push on the spinal canal and nerve roots, causing pain, numbness, and weakness.
- A bulging disc can also put pressure on the nerve, but the disc does not actually rupture as with a herniated disc.
BONE SPURS:
- Wear on the vertebrae can cause bone spurs, which are bony malformations that can put pressure on discs and inflame the nerves, causing pain.
- Since bone spurs can put pressure on discs, the discs can flatten, dehydrate, and become degenerate.
CERVICAL SPINAL STENOSIS (AKA “PINCHED NERVE”):
- Cervical spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal column or foramen due to bone spurs or disc protrusion. It is sometimes referred to as a “pinched nerve”.
- Central stenosis can pinch the spinal cord, and foraminal stenosis can pinch the nerve roots that exit through the foramen.
- This pinching can cause back, shoulder, and arm pain. It can also cause numbness and weakness in the arms and hands.
HOW IS NECK AND ARM PAIN DIAGNOSED?
A medical history, coupled with a physical examination can give Dr. K. V. Shivanand Reddy a good background of your symptoms. Imaging, such as x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or a computed tomography (CT) scans may be necessary to help visualize the vertebrae in your neck and spine.
Dr. K. V. Shivanand Reddy and staff perform radiological procedures at The Brain and Spine Imaging Center, our state-of-the-art imaging facility in Franklin, Wisconsin.
