“What causes pain in the shoulder and down the arm?”

The most common cause of pain in the shoulder radiating down the arm is pinched nerves in the lower neck or upper back. The brachial plexus is nexus of nerve fibers located in the area of lower cervical and upper thoracic spine. When one or more of the vertebrae becomes fixated or subluxated the associated nerves get inflamed which causes shoulder pain that can radiate down the arm. In addition, the discs of the vertebrae can bulge causing pressure on the nerves which does the same thing. Of course, cardiac problems should also be ruled out in these cases as heart attacks can also cause these symptoms. Chiropractors are skilled in locating the cause of radiating nerve pain and fixing these conditions through spinal adjustments and other natural remedies.

Several things come to mind. Shoulder pain with radiation down the arm could be caused by a subluxation. This is a spinal condition that causes irritation to the nerve that exits the spinal cord. A similar condition is caused by a bulging disk, which puts direct pressure on the nerve. The nerves in the neck go to the arms. Thus, you will feel pain in the arm related to the nerve or nerves that are injured. Sometimes these symptoms are caused by a muscle trigger point or an injury to the shoulder joint itself. The history of this condition along with a physical and X-ray exam should reveal which of these is the cause. Chiropractic care is very good at handling this kind of problem or referring you to someone who can help you if we cannot.

Dr. Neill H. Payne

There multiple origins for this type of pain. It can be a problem in the shoulder itself or could come from the cervical spine. We usually always rule out gall bladder and also heart conditions as they can refer pain to the shoulder area and down the arm. I recommend being diagnosed as soon as possible to find the cause of this pain.

There are several possibilities. It could be a muscle spasm in the neck, a bulged disc in the neck, a shoulder joint problem, a rotator cuff problem, the list goes on. If it's the left arm, it could be a problem with your heart (it is unlikely for a 22 year old to have this problem, but it can't be ruled out based on symptoms alone). If you are experiencing pain in the shoulder and arm, you seek help from a health care practitioner that will take a good history and do a comprehensive examination to discover the underlying cause of your problem, make a proper diagnosis, and recommend the appropriate treatment.

This can be caused by a cervical disc bulge or herniation. This can also be caused by impingement of nerves in the shoulder region. I recommend getting a Chiropractic Examination to determine the cause of your shoulder and arm pain.