One day, an older gentleman came into Dr. Hansen’s office saying he had pain that traveled from his neck into his upper shoulder. During the consultation, Dr. Hansen noticed the gentleman did not have good mobility of his right shoulder. She asked him “how long has it been since you could throw a baseball?” Amazed at the question, he said “it has been about 20 years, but Dr. Liz, how did you know I could not throw a baseball?" It all had to do with the mechanics of the body.
Dr. Hansen began treatment that day and he left with some relief from his neck pain. Even though his shoulder did not hurt, it was a contributing factor of his neck pain. In fact, if the shoulder was not working correctly for more than 20 years, the neck is affected because some of the muscles that support the shoulder start in the neck.
Over time, the treatments allowed both his spine and shoulder to move more evenly with degenerative changes and arthritis in both the spine and the shoulder. He was eventually able to play catch with his grandson that spring. An activity he wanted to do but could not until he was treated by Dr. Hansen.
