If you’ve ever experienced pain radiating down your shoulder, arm, or even into your forearm, your first thought might be: “Something’s wrong with my shoulder or elbow.” Surprisingly, many cases of arm pain don’t actually start in the arm at all — they begin in the neck.
At Highland Spine and Sport in Roanoke, VA, we often see patients who come in thinking they have a shoulder injury, only to discover that the true culprit is nerve irritation or impingement in the cervical spine.
The nerves that control your shoulders, arms, and hands all branch out from the neck. When one of these nerves is irritated — from a disc issue, muscle tension, or joint dysfunction — it can cause pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness that mimics an arm problem.
That’s why simply treating the shoulder or elbow won’t fix the issue long-term if the root cause is in the neck.
We take a detailed approach to make sure we’re not just chasing symptoms. Our process includes:
If you’re in Roanoke, Salem, or the surrounding area, and you’re experiencing unexplained arm or shoulder pain, don’t ignore it. What feels like a shoulder problem may actually be a neck problem — and the sooner it’s addressed, the faster you can get back to doing what you love.