What about that aching in the arm or that numbness and tingling in the hand or fingers? The cervical spine (neck) is comprised of the first seven vertebrae beneath the skull. In between the vertebrae there are a pair of nerves at each level, one to the right and one to the left. In the lower neck area there are four nerve roots that come together to form three nerves that supply the neck, shoulder, arm and hand.
Pressure on these nerves at the level of the vertebrae can cause many symptoms ranging from numbness and tingling or pain in the arm, hand and fingers to grip weakness or an actual loss of muscle size. This pressure may be caused by a misalignment in the vertebrae (subluxation), a ruptured or herniated disc, or a few other less common causes.
Chiropractors are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of this type of condition and may well be effective before more radical forms of treatment are tried.
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