Leading Arm and Leg Pain Chiropractic

Common Causes of Arm and Leg Pain

Since the arm contains three bones, 24 muscles, 48 tendons, and eight ligaments, it is very complex. The leg is similarly complicated, boasting four bones, seven muscles, 14 tendons, and eight ligaments. As a result, limb pain can have a variety of causes. Sometimes, an arm or leg is in pain due to multiple factors.

Since the limbs are vital to walking, reaching, and many other movements, overuse injuries are a common cause of arm and leg pain. Problematic posture can also cause limb pain. This is especially true when the posture causes spinal misalignment or nerve compression.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that causes pain in the elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles. Painful joints can make it hard to move and cause pain in other areas of the arms and legs. Much of this pain is due to changes in posture of movement we make to compensate for painful joints.

Other medical conditions such as electrolyte imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, and dehydration can cause limb pain. As a result, here at Health From Within, we perform a comprehensive nutrition evaluation on every patient to ensure they get the nutrients their bodies need to function optimally.

Symptoms of Arm Pain

Arm pain takes a variety of forms. We've had arm pain chiropractic patients describe pain that felt more like tingling. Many of our Health From Within patients have pain that moves from the neck down into the upper arm or elbow.

Most patients with arm pain experience weakness in the arm. Many have difficulty moving their hands, neck, or other body parts. Since the arms and hands are so crucial to everyday life, arm pain treatment should begin as soon as possible to reduce any impact on daily activities.

Symptoms of Leg Pain

Like arm pain, leg pain can also significantly limit everyday life. Since the legs power walking, even getting out of the house can become complicated, limiting social activities. Typical household cleaning and maintenance tasks are challenging without the ability to bend, stoop, or lunge.

Since the legs are responsible for carrying the body, early leg pain treatment is essential. We've had patients in tears due to sciatica or zapping pain that shoots down the legs. Knee and foot pain has caused other patients unbearable burning, tingling, or stabbing pain when they try to move.

While arm and leg pain can have many causes, not all respond well to chiropractic care. Broken arms or legs need emergency care for an x-ray, to set the bone properly, and apply a cast. Heart attacks can also cause arm pain and require a hospital visit for treatment.

After the medical crisis, coming to see us is an excellent way to support healing through optimizing nerve health, muscular or cardiac rehabilitation, and strategic nutrition. The following sections highlight some conditions that respond particularly well to chiropractic for arm and leg pain.

Osteoarthritis

Everyone over age 18 has some degree of osteoarthritis. This condition results from the joints' normal wear and tear, making them unstable. Osteoarthritis instability is particularly noticeable in the knee, typically accompanied by a grinding sensation as bone rubs against bone. Over time, joints affected by osteoarthritis become swollen, painful, and difficult to move. Osteoarthritis of the knees, hips, wrists, hands, and thumbs is responsible for most of the arm and leg pain our chiropractor sees.

Overuse Injuries

Repetitive strain injuries encompass more than carpal tunnel syndrome, although that is a common finding among our patients who work in offices. Whether it's musical instrument performance, excessive smartphone use, or certain sports, performing the same movements on a daily basis can cause microscopic tears in the muscles and tendons. Although most people don't quickly notice this damage, such microtrauma can become chronic pain and dysfunction over time.

Poor Posture

Slouching or distorted posture doesn't just look bad. It's terrible for your health. When we see new arm pain chiropractic patients in our waiting room hunched over their smartphones, it makes us cringe. Craning their heads forward and sloping their shoulders down toward the phone creates upper crossed syndrome, a condition that doubles the muscular tension in their necks and shoulders. Since the body is a unit, pain in the neck and shoulders can cause arm, back, or even hip and leg pain.

Regional Pain

On a related note, pain throughout the body can easily cause pain elsewhere. This can be due to sharing nerves, muscles, or other structures. It can also be the result of compensatory movement. An example of this is using the less painful arm more frequently or walking with an altered gait to keep the weight off an ailing knee.

Here at Health From Within, our chiropractic for arm and leg pain begins with a comprehensive health evaluation. When patients come to our office, they are amazed at some of the questions we ask. While gaining an understanding of your home situation or social life might seem a bit invasive, it helps us pinpoint areas that are critical for health. This allows us to equip you with the strategies and skills needed to build excellent health.

After a thorough health interview, we perform a complete physical. This includes a range of movement and nerve tests. Since nerves carry the signals that tell the brain what's happening in the body as well as commands from the brain to the body, keeping nerves in optimal condition is critical for good health.

Subluxation is a term at the heart of chiropractic medicine. A subluxation is a misalignment of the bones. While such misalignments can happen anywhere in the body, treating spinal subluxations is vital to ensuring proper nerve function throughout the body. Since every nerve in the body is connected to the spinal cord, anything that happens to the spinal cord profoundly impacts overall health.

Arm pain treatment in our office often focuses on correcting such subluxations in the spine's cervical or neck region. There are five nerves crucial to arm function that begin in the neck. Correcting alignment helps communication flow freely from the arm to the brain, optimizing arm health.

Leg pain chiropractic treatment frequently follows a similar course. Realigning the spine helps restore communication between the brain and legs. This results in increased muscular strength, improved blood flow, and enhanced coordination.

Here at Health From Within, we continually focus on alleviating pain and improving function with the minimum amount of disruption to our patients' bodies and lives. As a result, we favor a conservative approach that can include:

• Hands-on spinal and other chiropractic adjustments

• Strategic stretching

• Targeted nutritional recommendations

• Therapeutic massage

• Spinal Decompression (*available at our Bettendorf location)

One of the most challenging aspects of arm and leg pain is that the limbs are constantly used. If a limb is in pain, additional movement can worsen any underlying injury or, at the very least, prolong or worsen the pain. Therefore, you need to get treatment for arm and leg pain as soon as possible. Calling Health From Within for a consultation with our arm and leg pain chiropractor can help restore excellent limb health.