Why does my left arm and left leg hurt

What Causes Leg and Arm Pain

With the volume of information on the internet, it’s more common than ever to self diagnose our health problems. However, sometimes it can be difficult to diagnose something that seems like it should be simple.

It’s common for leg and arm pain to begin with an injury caused by an accident. For example, a car accident or a rough athletic experience. In these cases, it may be easy to guess what is causing your pain.

Often, the problem is less easy to figure out. Perhaps you have been sleeping in odd positions. With so many people at their computers all day, poor posture is often the cause of health problems.

Repetitive motions that seem like a small thing can cause stress on the body that leads to injuries causing leg and arm pain. In these cases, the problem has developed slowly over time and becomes more difficult for the patient to notice and self diagnose.

Fortunately, chiropractors are experienced. They know the right questions to ask and combined with a thorough examination, can work to find the source of your pain.

While the pain in your arms and legs may be caused by a chronic condition like arthritis, tendinitis, or bursitis, subluxations (misalignments of the spine) are a common problem for neck and lower back problems that can lead to leg and arm pain.

Your spinal column is a vertical structure traveling from your hips up through your neck. There are thirty-three bones inside the spinal column, known as vertebrae, which combined with discs, keep your spine safe. In this same region, there are nerve bundles that travel throughout your body.

Sometimes, the vertebrae or the discs will come out of alignment. When this misalignment happens, nerves can become irritated, causing pain at the source of the problem or referring it to wherever the nerves travel to. Nerves in your body travel from your spine to the ends of your fingers and toes, so the pain can happen anywhere.

Sciatica is a common example of how misalignments in the spine can cause pain elsewhere in the body. In this condition, the sciatic nerve has become irritated by a misalignment in the lower back. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It ranges from the lower back, down the backs of both legs, and into the feet. It is common for sciatica patients to feel pain, numbness, or pins and needles feeling anywhere along the sciatic nerve.

A Solution for Arm and Leg Pain

Chiropractors work to keep a body in alignment. They are experts in recognizing the source of a problem and building short and long term solutions. This means meeting with a patient, performing an examination, and then creating a treatment plan that involves adjusting the bones in the body so they are back in alignment.

This will lead to short term relief, as the misalignment is immediately corrected, and long term relief as you build a treatment plan with your chiropractor to prevent future problems.

When the pain goes untreated for a long period of time, it can often lead to further damage and worsening symptoms. Contacting a professional for help as soon as possible is an important part of the healing process.

While the pain may manifest itself in the arm or leg, it often originates in the spine. The anatomy of the spine includes both the bony vertebrae and the compressible intervertebral disk. Over time, the disks can develop degeneration, leading to loss of the disk’s internal water content and compromising it’s integrity. All of the innervation in the body’s extremities–your arms and legs–comes from the nerves that exit the cervical spine. This can result in a bulging or herniated (slipped) disk. Because of the spinal anatomy, the close proximity of the spinal nerves can result in pain along the course of the nerve, in the case of the cervical spine typically pain down the arm, and in the case of the lumbar spine pain running down the leg.

When people irritate a nerve in the neck or low back, it often sends a signal down to the hand or leg. It continues to cause pain in the arms and legs until freed from its irritation. Then the nerve heals, and the arm and leg pain go away. Nerves in the neck can be compressed by bones, discs, or muscles. Same thing in the low back. Macomb Spine Care and Dr. Clark can identify the root cause of the arm and leg pain. Through exam and investigation, we can then effectively treat the problem.

Symptoms

Arm or leg radiating pain, burning, numbness, tingling, or weakness are common symptoms associated with nerve compression and inflammation. In the cervical spine, problems dropping objects or with functional dexterity also may occur causing impairment of the delicate functions of the hand. In the lumbar spine, weakness in the foot and ankle can lead to problems where weakness can cause trips and falls.

SCHEDULE APPOINTMENT:

Call today at 586-228-1500 or fill out our online contact form to schedule an appointment with Dr. Clark at Macomb Spine Care. We look forward to helping you achieve optimum wellness, eliminate pain and feel better.

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