Introduction
If you have pain radiating into your shoulder or arm, one of the first areas to evaluate is the cervical spine. Unless you have actually hurt your shoulder or arm, pain from these areas is mostly caused by irritation to the C6 nerve.
Other symptoms that can occur from C6 nerve irritation are a stiff neck, pain and weakness in the upper arm and forearm, tonsillitis, chronic cough, and croup.
A Linwood chiropractor can evaluate the C6 vertebrae in your spine to determine if it is the cause of your symptoms and what you can do to get relief.
ALERT!!! If you have heart issues or concerns your heart may be involved, get emergency help first. NOW! Especially if the pain is down your left arm.
Muscles of the Shoulder and Arm Controlled by C6
Neck, shoulder, arm, and forearm movement and muscle strength depends on C6 nerve intervention. When the C6 nerve is protected the muscles have the ability to perform all their normal movements at full strength.
When the C6 nerve is irritated it weakens the muscles and negatively impacts the ability to move through a full range of motion.
Heart, Lungs, and Tonsils Impacted by C6 Nerve Irritation
C6 nerves also innervate the heart, lungs, and tonsils. This means that the C6 nerves ability to transmit normal messages, designed to promote health and healing, depends on the nerves being protected by the spine.
Majority of Sensory information from the Forearm Travel along the C6 Nerve
The majority of C6 sensory nerves are in the forearm, thumb, and first digit. A change in sensation of this area is an indication that the C6 nerve is involved and part of the underlying problems.
What Does a C6 Adjustment Look Like
This is an illustration of where a Linwood chiropractor would apply an adjustment to restore health to a C6 vertebrae. This would ultimately allow the C6 nerve to be better protected. A better protected C6 nerve will be better able to perform all the functions and feelings associated with the C6 nerve.
Conclusion
As you can see C6 nerve problems can lead to a number of different symptoms in areas controlled by the C6 nerves. When you have neck, shoulder, arm, forearm, heart, or lung problems and you have had those areas evaluated, without finding answers to those problems, then it is time to have your C6 vertebrae and nerves evaluated.
This will help you determine if irritation to the C6 nerve is the cause of the symptoms you are experiencing. However, you don’t need to wait, unless it is an emergency situation, to have your C6 vertebrae evaluated. Many times this is a great place to start because if it is a C6 problem, restoring health the the C6 nerve will restore health to all the areas the C6 nerve innervates.
In turn, treating the different areas, when it is a C6 problem, will not bring you the relief you are looking for until you address the health of the C6 vertebrae and nerve.
A Linwood chiropractor at Fresh Start Chiropractic 609-926-8900 can give you a C6 cervical evaluation and if necessary provide you with the care needed to improve the health of the C6 vertebrae and disc. This will provide you with relief for C6 nerve irritation problems.