Stingers and Shoulder Pain

The nerves that lead to our limbs emerge from our spinal cords, and pain, numbness, and tingling in the limbs can often be traced to or near the point of emergence. At Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield, we offer a variety of non-addictive, non-surgical pain relief techniques based on recognizing the interactions between the peripheral nerves and the spinal cord. Among the most common injuries we deal with are stingers, also known as burners, which can become a serious problem if they’re not cared for properly. Since the symptoms of stingers are usually fleeting, athletes often don’t pay them much mind, but we’re hoping to change that.

Stingers are shocks along the shoulder and arm. The nerves to the arm emerge from the cervical vertebrae in the lower part of the neck, near the back side, and bundle together in the shoulder before dividing again. When a person’s head is pushed to the side or their shoulder is pushed down, the nerves between the neck and shoulder can be stretched, resulting in an electrical discharge. Most of the time this is painful but only lasts a few seconds, and rarely more than a few minutes. However, suffering one stinger puts a person at risk for incurring more. The muscles being stretched can become frayed, and the spinal column may be damaged, resulting in herniated discs or subluxations. The displaced cervical tissue could impinge a nerve root, and the weakened shoulder muscles could be more easily injured by subsequent impacts.

Athletes shouldn’t return to play while they are experiencing stinger symptoms. If they feel recurring pain or numbness, they should have imaging tests done to help determine whether there is an impingement. If there is, we can perform safe spinal adjustments on the neck and put the shoulder in the optimal position to recover full stability. We can also provide therapeutic massage therapy to people with muscle soreness and provide them with custom-fitted braces. Therapeutic exercise is an important part of recovery, but football players dealing with recurring stingers may need to wear specialized padding to continue to play.

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

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Our Location

1252 Travis Blvd. Suite G | Fairfield, CA 94533

Office Hours

Our General Schedule

Monday:

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

2:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Tuesday:

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

2:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Wednesday:

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

2:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Thursday:

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Friday:

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

2:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed