Your brain "talks" with the rest of your body through a vast communication system mostly made up of nerves. A shoulder chiropractor explains it this way--your nerves come out of your brain in a large bundle called the spinal cord, travel down your back inside your spinal column and then exit at different levels. Some nerves exit from your neck to go to your throat, thyroid, larynx, trachea, heart and arteries, while others exit your lower or mid-back to go to your lungs, bronchi, pancreas, intestines, spleen, adrenals, liver, legs, bladder, kidneys and other organs to help them function properly. Some nerves go straight to their destination and others first form nerve networks called a "plexus."

You have a number of these nerve plexuses in your body--the cervical plexus on each side of your neck; your brachial plexus near your shoulders; and the solar plexus near your stomach. There are many, many others, both large and small.  If you would like a more detailed explanation, a chiropractor for shoulder problems will be happy to answer your questions.

One of the most common areas of injury is to the shoulder, or the brachial plexus. Damage occurs to the nerves that make up the brachial plexus as they exit the spinal column through openings between the bones. If the openings become smaller, the nerves may become compressed or impinged (commonly called "pinched"). Many things can cause "pinched" nerve—long standing spinal stress, old injuries from childhood, new injuries from sports mishaps, car accidents, arthritis, sleeping in an awkward position, and even chronic emotional stress.  Make sure to find a shoulder chiropractor to prevent permanent damage from occuring.

Depending on which of the brachial plexus nerves are involved, different symptoms and problems may be experienced, including:

• Neck stiffness or pain that may radiate to the shoulder and elbow and down to the arm, wrist, hand or fingers.
• Clicking or extremity pain, but not neck pain.
• Numbness or feelings of heat, cold or swelling.
• Pain in one area and numbness in another;
• Feeling of "pins and needles" or muscle weakness or spasm.

Due to the complicated way nerves interrelate, conditions such as headache, migraine, facial pain, dizziness, limited and painful or stiff motion of the head and neck, throat conditions, thyroid, nasal problems, low back pain and even epilepsy have been reported as a result of brachial plexus damage.

Important Note:  Be sure to find a chiropractor for shoulder, arm, elbow, and hand problems.  This is essential to relieve nerve stress and permit the spine, as well as the rest of the body, to function normally.

To determine if chiropractic care can help you, schedule an appointment with a shoulder chiropractor at McKim Chiropractic. Call today or go to https://www.mckimchiropractic.com/ for more information. Our licensed and certified staff is committed to helping the residents of Nampa, ID, find relief and move freely without pain!