Arm and Leg Pain

Suffering from Arm and Leg Pain?

What Is Causing My Pain?

Sometimes people enter Leigh Brain & Spine completely aware of what caused their pain, such as a new mother who held her baby for hours the night before or an athlete who over extended over the weekend. Typically, these situations cause almost an immediate pain or discomfort as a result of muscle, bone, or nervous system damage and irritation. However, many people develop arm and leg pain gradually overtime, and are relatively unaware of what may have caused it. When the patient is perplexed of what may have caused the pain, spinal misalignments, arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, and frozen shoulder become likely suspects. In addition to these sources of pain, switching or taking new medications such as; antibiotics, birth control, and anxiety medications has been shown to contribute to development of insidious arm and leg pain.

Frequently, Dr. Cosmas Leigh at Leigh Brain & Spine sees patients who present with arm and leg pain that is being referred from nerve irritation that begins at the spine. If the spaces where the nerves leave the spine become narrowed due to the vertebrae or disc being out of position, the nerve can become irritated, and often produces pain down its entire path. Many patients are surprised when they see that the nerves in our body travel from the spine all the way to the ends of our finger tips and toes. As a result, injuries to the vertebrae in the spine can create the sensation of pain anywhere along our arms and legs.

Due to the complexity of the joints, and the vast number of possible causes, it is important that you see someone who is trained in these areas. Typically, our office will use a combination of a thorough history, physical examination, and advanced imaging to get to the root cause of your problems. Experience allows Dr. Cosmas Leigh to be able to use the location of the pain, aggravating or alleviating factors, type of pain sensation, and other symptoms such as swelling, skin changes, and bruising as other tools to assist in the diagnosis.

Spine Conditions

Chronic Spine Conditions

Injuries

Pain

Chiropractors FAQ

Do Chiropractors adjust all patients the same way?

No. The chiropractor evaluates each patient’s unique spinal problem and develops an individual course of care. In fact, there are many different chiropractic techniques and the chiropractor will decide which is best for each patient. The recommendations made by a chiropractor are based upon years of training and experience. Each patient’s care is uniquely different from every other patient.

Can a person who had back surgery see a chiropractor?

Yes. It’s an unfortunate fact that up to half of those who had spinal surgery discover a return of their original symptoms months or years later. They then face the prospect of additional surgery. This too common occurrence is known as “Failed Back Surgery Syndrome.” Chiropractors may help prevent repeated back surgeries. In fact, if chiropractic care is initially utilized back surgery can often be avoided in the first place. Some chiropractors specialize in serving those people who have had previous back surgeries and are still in pain. Spinal Decompression Therapy can be the most effective course of treatment for such a person.

Can I adjust myself?

No. Since a chiropractic adjustment is a specific force, applied in a specific direction to a specific joint, it is virtually impossible to adjust oneself correctly and accurately. It is possible to turn or bend or twist in certain ways to create a “popping” sound that sometimes accompanies a chiropractic adjustment. Unfortunately, this type of joint manipulation is usually counterproductive, often making an already unstable spine even more unstable, and can sometimes be dangerous. Adjusting the spine is not for amateurs.

Can I tell if my spine is out of alignment?

Not always. A misalignment is like a dental cavity–you may have it for a long time before symptoms appear. That’s why periodic spinal checkups are so important. Although it may be possible to know you have a misalignment, it is rarely possible to be sure you don’t. Regular spinal checkups are always a good idea, and they promote good health from the inside out.

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About Dr. Cosmas Leigh

Chiropractic Physician

Dr. Cosmas Leigh, D.C. is a pioneer in Spinal Decompression to treat spinal stenosis, herniated discs, bulging discs, and disc degeneration. Dr. Leigh was the first in his region to include the state-of-the-art DRX 9000c Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression system to his practice to reduce pain and restore function for people of all ages.

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