Neck Related Elbow Pain - Role of Triceps and Finger Extensor Muscles
By Jennifer Chu

Neck pain - elbow pain - triceps
Neck pain due to C7 nerve root irritation is second only to C6 nerve root irritation. Those with elbow pain commonly have C6 and C7 nerve root irritation.

Triceps is supplied by the C6-C7 nerve roots, especially C7 root carried through the radial nerve. Pain and spasm in the triceps together with pain and spasm in the wad of three supplied by the C5 and C6 nerve roots (brachioradialis, extensor carpi radialis longus and extensor carpi radialis brevis) will give rise to significant elbow pain commonly known as tennis elbow.

Triceps muscle has three heads namely the long head, lateral head and the medial head. The lateral head and the medial head arise from the posterior aspect of the arm bone (humerus). The long head is the only part of triceps that crosses the shoulder joint since it arises from the tubercle on the shoulder blade bone just below the shoulder joint.

It inserts into an area called the olecranon on the back of the ulnar bone.
It acts to straighten the elbow. The long head however can bring the arm toward the body when it is spread away from the body.

Due to the constant exposure to lengthening contractions, triceps is weak in most people especially in the presence of a C7 nerve root involvement.

Neck pain - elbow pain - hand pain - extensor digitorum
Neck pain due to C7 nerve root irritation will cause pain and spasm in the extensor digitorum and the other muscles on the back of the forearm causing elbow pain and hand pain also. The posterior interosseous nerve carries the C7 nerve root fibers to these muscles.

This muscle arises from the lower most portion of the arm bone (humerus) known as the lateral epicondyle. It inserts into the back of all the finger tips (distal phalanges) except for the thumb. It acts to straighten the fingers (extension) and also helps in picking up the wrist (dorsiflexion).

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Jennifer Chu, M.D. emeritus professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, pioneered eToims Twitch Relief Method that utilizes surface electrical stimulation to locate motor points (trigger points). The motor points are then stimulated to induce strong local muscle contractions, termed twitches. This results in reduced muscle pain and discomfort in the areas that were stimulated. The involved pain/discomfort-relieving mechanism is thought to include local muscle exercise and stretch effects. eToims Soft Tissue Comfort Center® specializes in diagnosis and treatment which ends muscle discomfort and pain.

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