The Relationship with Pain in your Neck and Shoulder

Posted on March 11, 2021

When you stop to think about it, your neck and your shoulder are so close anatomically that it would make sense that the pain you might feel is so intimately related to one or the other. But when you stop to think about the posture we have at the computer, when we are driving, texting, or even everyday stress triggers, where does the pain truly stem from, your neck or your shoulders?

The neck has 8 sets of nerves, your middle back (or thoracic spine) has 12, your low back (or lumbar spine) controls 6 sets, and your sacrum has 5 sets. All of these nerves travel to different areas of your body. This is why when we have patients come into our office we ask specific questions such as if the pain is traveling to another area, is it dull, sharp, etc. This helps us identify which nerve is pinched or irritated and which area in your body is subluxated, or misaligned causing you this sensation.

After an auto accident at home or in an automobile, you may not think about the negative effects you had from minor whiplash with a fender bender until you are trying to open a jar, lift your arm, or even button your shirt and it’s not as easy. This is why even though you feel fine and are “a little sore” we urge you to come in so we can identify if there is an issue through thorough exams before it negatively impacts your quality of life.

If you have a shoulder injury such as a rotator cuff being torn it sends a signal to your brain starting at your nerve endings transmitting impulses between your shoulder and your neck. This signal will create muscle spasms to protect the area that’s injured causing it to be sore or achy. Again something that our chiropractors in Tacoma can assess and find the root cause of your neck pain.

If you find yourself overcompensating and favoring different areas of your body or using the phrase, “it’s just old age”, that might not be the case. Our Chiropractors are experts in finding subluxations, or misalignments to help treat what you may deem as untreatable with our in-house x-ray machine, thorough examinations, specific adjustments, in-house rehabilitative exercises, and exercises you can do from home to help the healing process quicker. Visit Accident and Injury Chiropractic office in Tacoma, Washington. You can also call (253) 215-8350 to book a complimentary consultation today.