The neck houses the cervical spine, where nerves branch out and travel into your shoulders, arms, and hands. When these nerves are irritated — from a disc injury, joint restriction, or tight muscles — the brain can misinterpret the pain as coming from the elbow, forearm, or even the biceps.
This is called referred pain or radiculopathy, and it can mimic:
Treating arm pain as a local injury (with braces, creams, or isolated stretches) may bring only short-term relief if the root cause is in the neck. That’s why a thorough evaluation is so important — to determine whether it’s actually a tendon or muscle problem, or if the cervical spine is the culprit.
Dr. Matt Amos uses a comprehensive approach to figure out where your pain is really coming from. With a background in treating athletes and active individuals, he combines:
By addressing the root cause, you not only get relief faster, but you also reduce the chance of chronic pain or recurring flare-ups.
If you’re an active individual, a weekend golfer, or just someone who types a lot at work and you’ve been dealing with stubborn arm pain, don’t rule out your neck as the hidden source.
At Highland Spine + Sport in Roanoke, our mission is to help you move better, feel better, and get back to what you love — without unnecessary guesswork.
👉 If you’ve been struggling with arm pain that just won’t go away, schedule an appointment to find out what’s really going on.