Expert: Dr. Paul Newhart - 8/6/2009

Question
For the past year I have been experiencing severe pain in my bicep as well as cramping in my tricep. The back of my neck and shoulders is extremley tender to touch. It is most painful during or after exercise. I am an international athlete and therefore train nearly every day. I also had a bout of tennis elbow which now seems to have cleared up. I was seeing a physiotherapist for about 3 months however that didn't help, so I have started visiting a chiropractor for the past month. The xray showed that I have abnormal curvature of the cervical spine and he suspected that I also have trapped nerves.

What would your diagnosis be and how long do you reckon it should take to clear up. My chiropractor only spends about 2 minutes working on me per session, which consists of cracking my neck and back. I'm not sure if its worthwhile continuing with this and would like your opinions. Thanks

Answer
First, I would like to apologize for the lateness of my reply.  I had no notifications of questions from allexperts. It is very difficult to diagnose without an actual hands on, but, if it is reversal of curvature, there is some muscle involvement in the condition that must be addressed.  Misalignment also should be corrected, and a rehab program formulated to help you heal and strengthen.  This would usually consume more than a few minutes of hands on.