Frozen Shoulder and Neck Pain Connection of Pain and Chiropractic Relief

October 01, 2024

Frozen shoulder, medically known as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition described as shoulder pain and stiffness that can significantly disrupt your daily activities. When this condition is related to cervical spinal stenosis, the discomfort can be even more challenging. Fortunately, chiropractic care has a viable solution to manage and reduce 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 shared nerve pathways. When the nerves in the cervical region are compressed, it can lead to referred pain and restricted movement in the shoulder. 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) Juneau chiropractic care presents itself for relief!

Benefits of Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care focuses on diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal disorders, particularly those involving the spine. Here is how it can be beneficial to patients with frozen shoulder related to cervical spinal stenosis:

Cervical Spine Stenosis Relief Chiropractors utilize a variety of techniques to relieve the symptoms of cervical spinal stenosis. Flexion distraction spinal manipulation aka Cox Technic has been shown to effectively lower foraminal stenosis and radiculopathy. (2) This method assists in decompressing the spinal discs and widen the spaces within the spine, lowering nerve pressure.

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 effective in dealing with conditions like disc herniation with foraminal narrowing. (3) These adjustments help regain mobility to the shoulder joint and reduce pain.

Steps to Effective Chiropractic Treatment

The first step in chiropractic care is an extensive assessment to understand the root cause of symptoms. This consists of physical examinations and imaging studies, if necessary. Based on the diagnosis, a chiropractor will develop an individualized treatment plan. This plan may involve spinal adjustments, physical therapy exercises, and lifestyle recommendations to encourage overall spinal health. Regular monitoring and treatments confirms that progress is being made and that any necessary modifications to the treatment plan are employed. Further, numerous 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 assisting the role of Juneau chiropractic care in managing these interlinked conditions.

CONTACT Aurora Chiropractic Center

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 with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

If you’re suffering with the twofold challenges of cervical spinal stenosis and frozen shoulder, Juneau chiropractic care could be the answer you need. By getting to the root causes of your pain and providing targeted relief, your Juneau chiropractor may well help you get back mobility and improve your quality of life. Set up a consultation with Aurora Chiropractic Center today and begin your journey to pain relief!

Juneau chiropractic care relief for frozen shoulder