In everyday life, pinching of the brachial nerve is of a compressive nature; the condition stabilizes quite quickly after eliminating the traumatic factor. It manifests itself as a feeling of numbness in the thumb, index and middle fingers, tingling in the forearm, and small convulsive muscle twitches.
This pinched nerve in the shoulder joint is not a consequence of pathological changes in the structure of the tissues of the bone articulation. It can be caused by tight clothing, the use of crutches, compression of the shoulder tissues during sleep when choosing the wrong position, etc. Symptoms in this case disappear literally 2-3 hours after restoration of nerve fiber patency.
What to do if the symptoms of a pinched brachial nerve do not go away, what treatment can be used to restore normal innervation of the upper limb? To answer this question, you must first conduct a detailed diagnosis. the fact is that a pinched nerve in the shoulder joint can be a consequence of numerous pathologies, ranging from osteochondrosis of the cervical spine with radicular syndrome, to tenosynovitis or sprain with habitual shoulder dislocation. Only an experienced doctor can determine the exact cause of pinching and inflammation of the brachial nerve.
We invite you to a free consultation with a doctor at our manual therapy clinic. During your appointment, you will be given an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment will be prescribed. You can make an appointment by calling the number listed on the website.
Causes of inflammation and pinching of the nerve of the shoulder joint
Inflammation of the brachial nerve is a serious illness that develops as a compensatory reaction of the body in response to long-term compression (squeezing). To release the nerve fiber tissue, the body in the area of pressure provokes aseptic inflammation with swelling and increased blood supply to the soft tissues. Due to this, the compression is partially relieved, but inflammation begins with its typical symptoms (pain, redness of the skin, local increase in temperature, loss of sensitivity, etc.).
In order to successfully treat inflammation of the nerve of the shoulder joint, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the cause of its compression. Otherwise, rapid progression of the underlying disease is possible. Thus, with developing arthrosis of the shoulder joint, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs certainly relieves pain. But this happens only at an early stage. Then, to block the unpleasant sensations, patients need to either significantly increase the dose of the drug or switch to intra-articular injections of potent corticosteroid drugs. This further accelerates the process of tissue destruction.
The main causes of brachial nerve entrapment are the following conditions (including pathological ones):
- wearing clothing that puts pressure on the shoulder and armpit;
- walking on crutches for a long time;
- “wedding night” syndrome - when a woman’s head rests on a man’s shoulder for a long time (or vice versa);
- shoulder injury, including sprain of the ligamentous apparatus with subsequent scar changes against the background of habitual dislocation;
- excessive physical stress on the muscles of the shoulder and collar area, which can provoke their spastic contraction and compression of the radial and brachial nerves (usually in this condition, pinching is observed symmetrically on both sides);
- deformation of bone and cartilage tissue due to osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint;
- tenosynovitis, bursitis, and other inflammatory processes of surrounding tissues;
- damage to the acromial joint;
- bruises, fractures, carpal tunnel syndrome.
Sometimes the cause of infringement is incorrect posture, the habit of slouching, and even wearing a handbag on a long strap. Therefore, at the first appointment, the doctor conducts a complete survey of the patient to collect anamnesis. By comparing the information received with the existing clinical signs, the doctor will determine the cause of the development of inflammation and pinching of the brachial nerve. Therefore, this specialist will be able to develop an effective course of treatment.
Prevention
Brachial plexus neuropathy is not always treatable. Therefore, to avoid the development of pathology, it is recommended:
- evenly distribute the load on the shoulder joints;
- avoid injury;
- do warm-up exercises before physical activity;
- exercise regularly;
- watch your posture;
- If you have a sedentary lifestyle, take periodic five-minute breaks, during which you should perform simple exercises.
If a nerve in the shoulder is pinched, it is necessary to avoid hypothermia and not take medications without consulting your doctor. The last recommendation is due to the fact that a number of medications provoke intoxication, which contributes to the development of neuralgia.
Symptoms of a pinched nerve in the shoulder joint
Clinical manifestations are divided into acute, subacute and chronic. Acute symptoms of brachial nerve pinching are characteristic of compression resulting from traumatic influence. They may accompany a fracture or dislocation, sprain or rupture of ligamentous tendon tissue.
Subacute manifestations are typical of progressive diseases of the musculoskeletal system. This may be deforming osteoarthritis, glenohumeral periatritis, instability of the head of the humerus, etc.
Chronic manifestations usually occur with cervical osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome, deforming osteoarthritis, and tunnel syndrome. They are characterized by the fact that the pain is dull, not expressed, is constantly present, and due to limited mobility the patient gets used to not noticing these signs.
In general, symptoms of a pinched nerve in the shoulder joint include the following signs of trouble:
- pain of varying intensity (it can be localized in the shoulder, forearm and shoulder blade);
- a crawling sensation on the arm and the area between the shoulder blades;
- decreased range of motion in the elbow and shoulder joints;
- impaired motor activity (innovative or spastic contractures may develop in response to a strong pain reaction);
- inability to spread the fingers in different directions;
- feeling of numbness in the thumb, index and middle fingers.
Acute pain in the shoulder area forces you to unload your arm physically and refuse to use it when performing various operations. Gradually, during a chronic process, plegia and flaccid paralysis are formed, accompanied by muscle weakness and tissue degeneration.
In order to restore normal functioning of the upper limb, efforts must be made as quickly as possible to eliminate compression from the brachial and radial nerves.
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What to do if the brachial nerve is pinched?
A situation where the brachial nerve is pinched requires immediate intervention by medical personnel. Don't try to help yourself. It will likely be necessary to use special techniques to restore the normal position of the humeral head in the joint cavity. Therefore, the first thing to do if the brachial nerve is pinched is to seek medical help.
We are ready to provide assistance with almost any pathology of the musculoskeletal system associated with compression of the nerve fiber. Our manual therapy techniques allow you to quickly and effectively relieve pressure and restore the process of tissue innervation.
What to do at home before seeing a doctor? Calm down and remember what preceded the onset of acute pain. If there was an unnatural movement of the arm and you suspect a dislocation of the joint, then you should immediately seek help at the nearest emergency room or call an emergency medical team. If there was no traumatic impact, then it is advisable to make an appointment with an orthopedist.
Before visiting a doctor, you can only use external non-steroidal anti-inflammatory ointments (Dolgoit, Ortofen, Ketorol, etc.). We recommend avoiding ointments with a warming effect. If there is tissue microtrauma, the warming effect can provoke increased internal bleeding. This will lead to the formation of a hematoma of impressive size.
Be sure to provide complete physical rest to your hand. You should not try to “develop” the joint on your own or make movements that cause pain and discomfort. This should only be done under the guidance of an experienced physical therapist. Otherwise, you risk shoulder dislocation or bone destruction.
Before treating a pinched nerve in the shoulder joint
Before treating the brachial nerve, it is necessary to find out the cause of its damage. Consistently eliminating all potential causes will result in the compression of the nerve fiber being eliminated. This will lead to a gradual restoration of dystrophically altered fibers. But in some cases, regeneration will require longer treatment.
It is important, before treating a pinched brachial nerve, to conduct a full differential diagnosis. In the case of a traumatic, inflammatory and degenerative process of tissue change, the symptoms will be similar to each other, but treatment methods can differ radically.
Therefore, before treating a pinched nerve in the shoulder joint, you need to consult an experienced doctor. You may also need to take x-rays of your shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints. If this does not allow for an accurate diagnosis, then it is recommended to do an MRI or CT scan. In complex diagnostic cases, as well as in the presence of sufficient indications for surgical intervention, arthroscopy of the shoulder joint is performed. During this endoscopic operation, manipulations can be performed to restore the integrity of damaged tissue.
Diagnostics
A neurologist deals with the problem of pinched nerves. You need to contact a specialist as soon as the first symptoms appear, even if they are quite mild. Hoping that everything will go away on its own, or self-medicating in such cases is very dangerous, because vital structures can be affected. Due to the characteristic symptoms, the neurologist diagnoses pinching already during the initial examination of the patient, but in order to determine the specific area of compression and the degree of nerve damage, the doctor must prescribe additional studies.
The simplest diagnostic method is radiography.
X-ray of the cervical spine
The image clearly shows any pathology of the spine, which makes it possible to establish not only the location of the problem, but also the cause of the pinching.
Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging provide more accurate results, but at the same time they have a number of contraindications, so they are not prescribed to all patients.
MRI of the cervical spine and neck vessels
To analyze the work of nerve roots and muscles, electromyography is used - a study using electrodes, a safe and very effective method.
The study can be carried out both in a hospital setting and on an outpatient basis. During it, the patient is in a comfortable position sitting, half-sitting or lying down
Treatment of a pinched nerve in the shoulder joint
To treat a pinched brachial nerve, both conservative and surgical methods can be used. In any case, treatment for a pinched nerve in the shoulder joint should begin as soon as possible after the onset of typical clinical symptoms; the longer the compression of the nerve fiber continues, the higher the chances of starting atrophic processes. This will lead to the limb losing the ability to perform certain actions. Both the first three fingers of the hand and the arm as a whole may be paralyzed.
Manual therapy allows the use of techniques in the treatment of the nerve of the shoulder joint that, without pharmacological or surgical effects, trigger regeneration processes and completely eliminate pain. In order to eliminate pain, you need to eliminate pressure. This can be done using traction, osteopathy, massage and manual therapy.
Then, techniques are used to provide complete treatment for the underlying disease of the shoulder joint that causes compression of the nerves. For this purpose, kinesitherapy, therapeutic exercises, osteopathy, reflexology, laser therapy and much more are prescribed.
The course of treatment is developed individually. So if you are experiencing shoulder or forearm pain, schedule a free consultation with our manual therapy clinic. After the examination and diagnosis, you will be given individual recommendations for treatment.