Why is My Arm Itching? | Brachioradial Pruritis Treatment

Brachioradial Pruritis And Your Neck | Brachioradial Pruritis Treatment Los Angeles | Los Angeles Chiropractor |

Are your arms itching? Do you scratch and scratch and scratch and there is no relief? Does it get worse at night? Do you have a history of head or neck injuries?  Post Concussion ? Whiplash? According to Derm Net New Zealand, "Brachioradial pruritus is a condition where itch, burning, stinging, tingling and/or changed sensation arise in the areas of skin on either or both arms. The most commonly affected area is the mid-arm, but the forearms and upper arms can also be affected. People often apply ice packs to the affected areas in an attempt to gain relief from the unpleasant symptoms."

What Does Your Neck Have To Do With Brachioradial Pruritis? In 2006 Dr. Bill Davis And Robert Basilio D.C. Published a Case Study describing a patient that recovered from Brachioradial Pruritis, vertigo, and neck pain following two and a half months of Upper Cervical Care.  The gal that underwent care was 37 years old and was suffering from brachioradial pruritus for 9 months prior to receiving care. Corrections to the atlas vertebrae in the neck were made to restore normal brain stem function. It may be possible that pruritis is caused by aberrant sensory perception of the brain due to neck injury and subsequent abnormal nerve function.

While no definitive research has been conducted that identifies the cause there have been numerous case studies with brachioradial pruritis recovering following upper cervical care.  In fact just this week one of our patients in our CARSON office was explaining that since being under care her intense arm itching episodes have gone away.  It was not why the patient sought care initially but was an added bonus following receiving upper cervical care. Next, we would like to explain what upper cervical chiropractic is and how it not can help brachioradialis pruritis and other chronic health conditions

 

What Is Upper Cervical Chiropractic?

Upper Cervical Chiropractors are specially trained to locate and correct spinal misalignments in the upper neck. They pay close attention to this region of the body as it is structurally the weakest and neurologically the most important.  The skull weighs 10-12 pounds and rests on the atlas (c-1) which weighs two ounces. This area is supported by ligaments, muscles, and soft tissue. As a result of its construction, it is a weak link to the spine. It is susceptible to injury.  Sports traumas, auto accidents, and other traumatic injury can cause structural misalignments which in turn have deleterious effects on the central nervous system.   Once injured the postural muscles throughout the spine adapt causing lower spine misalignments that are adaptive.  

This stresses the central nervous system and can cause dysfunction throughout the body.  Because the central nervous system is responsible for controlling every tissue in the body, when it is affected it can cause any part of the body to malfunction. This can explain why so many different symptoms and diseases have been known to respond to an upper neck correction. There are several research articles that have been published that go into great depth about how upper neck injury can affect disease processes throughout the body.

The goal of upper cervical care is to correct atlas and axis misalignments.  Upper cervical doctors run an objective neurological test to determine whether or not a person has an upper neck misalignment. Once located precise x-rays are taken to determine the direction of the misalignment and the angle of the joints that are involved. This information is then used to make precise corrections to the atlas or axis. Once corrected the patient is monitored over time to make sure they are maintaining the correction. If the correction has misaligned again another correction is made. 

If the tests indicate it is in alignment no correction is made on that visit. While the correction is maintained is when healing accrues. We hope that his blog has been helpful and informative and leads those who suffer in the direction of healing!