Dr. D. Jean Gibson

M.S., D.C.

“For the past 3 months, I’ve had shoulder pain and chest pain on the left that goes down my arm into my hand, making it feel numb. I went to my doctor because I was afraid it was from my heart. But, after a number of tests, he said my heart was fine. Do you think you could you help me?”

Answer:

Yes! After taking your history, I would do a thorough exam. It could be a few different things causing your pain. #1: A cervical or thoracic fixation, whereby the vertebra has lost its normal motion, thereby irritating the spinal nerve that runs from your neck down your arm; #2: A muscular trigger point that is referring symptoms down your arm, #3, a locked up shoulder blade, where the muscles around the shoulder blade are overly tight, restricting the motion of the shoulder blade. A tight muscle is a weak muscle, so it fatigues easily and you can lose strength in the arm. I have seen this condition also cause numbness/tingling down the arm into the hand #4: a bulging or ruptured disc that is causing your pain/numbness. (A disc rupture can only be diagnosed with an MRI.) Chiropractic adjustments help restore normal motion to a fixated vertebra, thereby reducing the pain and nerve irritation. No other type of treatment, including stretching, strengthening, drugs, or physical therapy can do this. I adjust using either my hands or a high speed precision instrument, which ever my patients’ prefer. I locate the trigger points in the targeted muscles that may be referring symptoms and release the muscle tension with my hands. If you want lasting relief from pain the natural way, call our office at 479-587-0227 to set an appointment. Go to www.The GibsonCenter.com for more information. Dr. Gibson is a 9 Time Winner, Favorite Chiropractor in NW Arkansas.