Frozen shoulder, medically known
as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition categorized as shoulder pain and stiffness that can significantly disrupt
your activities of daily living. When this condition is linked
to cervical spinal stenosis, the tenderness can be even more challenging.
Luckily, chiropractic care offers a viable solution
to manage and alleviate these symptoms.
Understanding the Connection: Cervical Spine & Shoulder
What is Cervical Spinal Stenosis? Cervical spinal stenosis
is an issue in which the spaces within the spine narrow,
putting pressure on the nerves that move
through the spine. This can relate to symptoms such
as neck pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the shoulders
and arms.
How Does It Cause Frozen Shoulder? The connection between
cervical spinal stenosis and frozen shoulder lies in the joint
nerve pathways. When the nerves in the cervical region
are compressed, referred pain and restricted movement in the shoulder may result.
This is reinforced by research, including a study
by Russo et al., which found a significant link
between cervical foraminal stenosis and adhesive capsulitis. (1) Sitka
chiropractic care offers itself for relief!
Benefits of Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care focuses on diagnosing and treating
musculoskeletal disorders, particularly those concerning
the spine. Here’s how it can benefit
patients with frozen shoulder associated with cervical spinal
stenosis:
Cervical Spine Stenosis Relief - Chiropractors use
various techniques to relieve the symptoms of
cervical spinal stenosis. Flexion distraction spinal manipulation aka Cox
Technic has
been shown to effectively decrease foraminal stenosis and
radiculopathy. (2) This method assists in decompressing
the spinal discs and widen the spaces within the spine, lessening
pressure on the nerves.
Cervical Spine Disc Herniation Foraminal Narrowing and Frozen
Shoulder Pain Relief - Chiropractic adjustments can also directly help
the shoulder. Techniques such as the Cox® cervical
flexion-distraction technique have proven to be efficacious in dealing
with conditions like disc herniation with foraminal narrowing. (3).
These treatments help regain mobility to the
shoulder joint and lower pain.
Steps to Effective Chiropractic Treatment
The first step in Sitka chiropractic care is an
in-depth examination to understand the root cause of symptoms. This consists of
physical tests and imaging studies, if necessary. Based on
the diagnosis, a chiropractor will develop a
personalized treatment plan. This plan may include spinal
adjustments, physical therapy exercises, and lifestyle recommendations to encourage
overall spinal health. Regular monitoring and treatments ensure
that progress is being made and that any necessary changes
to the treatment plan are employed. Further, many
studies support the efficacy of chiropractic care for conditions
like cervical spinal stenosis and thereby possibly frozen
shoulder. For example, Wu et al. (4) presented
the cross-talk between shoulder and neck pain, further supporting
the role of Sitka chiropractic care in managing
these interlinked conditions.
CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Sarah Murrow on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she
describes a case of neck and shoulder pain relieved and
managed via The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
If you’re struggling
with the dual challenges of cervical spinal stenosis and frozen
shoulder, Sitka chiropractic care could be the intervention
you need. By getting to the root causes of your pain and providing
targeted relief, your Sitka chiropractor may well help
you get back mobility and improve your quality of
life. Book a consultation with Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka today and begin
your journey to pain relief!