Throbbing Hand Pain:Can it be Caused By The Neck?

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

I have been helping patients with neck, arm, and hand pain in downtown San Francisco for many years now. I can tell you this...sometimes hand pain is not what it seems. What I mean by that is...we are conditioned to think the cause of pain (when we feel it) is at the site of the pain...and it usually is...but not necessarily when it comes to the spine.

Here's the deal...the nerves that exit from the spine control all the body parts. The nerves that exit from in-between the bones in the neck travel down the arm and into the hand. The nerves that exit from the low back travel down the leg. If one of these nerve roots has any pressure on it from a bone out of place (subluxation), which is very common...it can cause pain to be perceived at the target cells...the hands or the feet.

Now if you work on the computer a lot using your hands...and all of the sudden your hands start to throb with pain...the first thing you are going to think is do I have carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) or a problem in my hand, and you might. But chances are...you are not going to think, Gee...I wonder if I have Cervical Radiculopathy (radiating pain from nerve root compression) from the neck?...especially if there is no neck pain...and there doesn't need to be. 

Seems strange...but it's true. In fact...my 17 years treating back, neck, and wrist pain has taught me that...more often than not...hand pain is from the neck...especially with office workers...and they make up the majority of our patient base in the SF Financial District.

So the moral of the story is this...If you have hand pain, and you spend a lot of time on the computer...don't just assume the problem is in the hand...because it might be in the neck. Find yourself a good chiropractor and get checked out.

To find out if you are a candidate for care at Executive Express Chiropractic at the SF Embarcadero Center...call 415-392-2225 or request an appointment online.  

Comments

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Regardless of what the results are from that, if the pain continues to reappear, it's worth running it by a doctor in case it signals a more serious problem. And definitely see a doctor if there is any numbness or tingling.