Stingers

 

The nervous system and the musculoskeletal system are closely linked. As chiropractors, we at the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro spend a lot of time treating nerve impingements in the back that have consequences along the nerve’s length. But the spinal column isn’t the only place where nerves can be compressed, and our practice is devoted to the entire body. A stinger, also known as a burner, is a kind of radiating pain that moves along the arm due to a nerve injury, and since our own Dr. Jay McClanahan commonly encounters them as a sports physician, we wanted our patients to understand how they work.

The nerves that run down our arms and hands emerge from the bones in our lower neck, which are called cervical vertebrae. Although they emerge separately, they bundle together in the shoulder before dividing again. A stinger is what happens when those nerves are stretched by the head being suddenly forced to the opposite side while the shoulder is being forced down. Electricity discharges from the nerves and pain radiates along the arm. Usually, stingers don’t last long, and if one occurred during a sports competition, the patient quickly returns to play. But suffering one stinger puts a person at greater risk for additional ones. Repeated stress to the nerves, neck, and shoulder tissues can accumulate into tears, and stingers may be accompanied by subluxations of the cervical vertebrae that impinge the nerve roots.

An athlete who has suffered a stinger should not return to play until their neck pain is completely gone. Even afterward, they may need to wear extra padding on their neck and shoulder. However, if a person is suffering long-term pain, we can assist them with relief and help get them in a position to play again. We provide electric muscle stimulation and therapeutic massages to reduce inflammation in the neck and shoulder and improve those muscles’ flexibility. We also perform chiropractic adjustments to the neck to reduce pressure on nerve roots and the muscles running from the head to the shoulder. Athletes will need to stay active while recovering from stingers to prevent their muscles from stiffening, so we also provide advice on physical therapy.

Dr. Jay McClanahan is the owner and chiropractor of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center. Our office is located in Nitro, WV. To schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan visit our website or call 304-776-1520. 

Lower Back Pain and Deep Muscles

 

Back pain isn’t always caused by problems in the back itself. At the J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, our experts in integrative medicine regard the musculoskeletal system holistically, and are trained to consider how each of its components interact with the others. Pain in the lower back, specifically, is often related to problems in the hips and upper legs. This week, we’re going to take a closer look at one kind of muscle dysfunction, Piriformis Syndrome, and how it relates to the spinal column.

The piriformis muscles are deep, wedge-shaped muscles that connect the lumbar vertebrae of the lower back to the tops of the femurs. There is one piriformis muscle on each side of the body. These muscles help to rotate the leg outward and stabilize the lower back when a person is walking on an incline or up stairs. The sciatic nerves, which run from the lumbar vertebrae down each leg, pass around or directly through the piriformis muscles. Swelling in the piriformis muscles could not only cause them to pull more on the lumbar vertebrae, resulting in local soreness when they are in use, but could also compress the sciatic nerves, leading to radiating pain down the lower half of the body.

Piriformis Syndrome is diagnosed largely through the process of elimination, although one tell-tale sign is that it tends to only show up on one side of the body. For immediate pain relief and removal of pressure on the sciatic nerve, we use techniques including spinal adjustments, deep tissue massages, and electric muscle stimulation. But for sustained reduction in strain on the piriformis muscles, patients will have to build up the strength and flexibility of other muscles supporting the lumbar vertebrae and femurs. This will mean doing core-strengthening exercises and hamstring stretches, as well as stretches that target the piriformis muscles themselves.

Dr. Jay McClanahan is the owner and chiropractor of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center. Our office is located in Nitro, WV. To schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan visit our website or call 304-776-1520.