Is your arm pain really coming from your neck?
A stiff neck, an ache across the shoulder, a sore elbow or pain and tingling down the arm. These often overlap, and finding where the pain really comes from is the key to fixing it.
★★★★★ 5-star Google reviews from our Hampstead Garden Suburb patients
Quick answer: Neck, shoulder and arm pain are often linked: pain down the arm can come from the neck (sometimes called a trapped nerve), from the shoulder or from the elbow tendons. Most cases improve with the right movement, hands-on treatment and exercise. Our nearest clinic to Golders Green is BOOST PHYSIO Hampstead Garden Suburb, 45 Market Place, NW11 6JT.
Neck, shoulder or elbow? How we tell the difference
Neck pain and stiffness
Often from posture, sleep or stress
Ache in the neck and across the top of the shoulders, stiffness turning your head, sometimes headaches.
Trapped nerve in the neck
Cervical radiculopathy
Pain, pins and needles or numbness travelling down the arm, often into specific fingers. Usually settles over weeks to months.
Shoulder pain
Usually the rotator cuff
Pain on the outside of the upper arm when lifting or lying on it, rather than pain from the neck.
Elbow pain
Tennis or golfer’s elbow
Pain on the outside or inside of the elbow with gripping, lifting a kettle or using a mouse.
Many people come to us convinced the problem is their shoulder or elbow, when the neck is part of the story, and vice versa. Pain that changes when you move your neck, or that comes with tingling into the hand, points towards the neck. Pain that is worse with gripping points towards the elbow tendons.
At your assessment we check all three, because treating the wrong area is the most common reason arm pain lingers.
Hands-on treatment options for a trapped nerve in the neck
Book a neck and arm pain assessment
At our Hampstead Garden Suburb clinic, close to Golders Green and Temple Fortune.
What helps
- Keep your neck moving gently; a soft collar or long periods of rest usually slow recovery
- Short movement breaks every 30 to 45 minutes if you work at a desk or on a laptop
- Hands-on treatment such as joint mobilisation and soft tissue work to ease pain and stiffness
- Specific strengthening for the neck, shoulder blade and forearm, progressed over weeks
- For a trapped nerve, positions and exercises that ease the arm symptoms, and patience: most improve without surgery
Arm pain can feel worrying, especially with tingling. The reassuring news is that most nerve-related arm pain settles with the right care.
Most
people with a trapped nerve in the neck improve without surgery, often over weeks to a few months
NICE CKS, Neck pain: cervical radiculopathy
Exercise
for the neck, shoulders and upper back is one of the best-supported treatments for ongoing neck pain
Gross et al, Cochrane Review 2015
~5
sessions is typical for our patients to reach their goals
BOOST PHYSIO patient data
When to seek urgent medical help
- Weakness in both arms or legs, clumsiness with your hands or problems with walking or balance
- Neck pain after a significant fall or accident
- Neck pain with fever, a severe headache or feeling very unwell
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
Call 111 or go to A&E for any of these.
Meet your Hampstead Garden Suburb physios
Soma Fershi
Chartered Physiotherapist
Soma treats sports and gym injuries at our Hendon and Hampstead Garden Suburb clinics, with a strong focus on getting you back to training safely.
Finlay McDonald
Senior Physiotherapist
Finlay treats sports injuries and rehab after surgery, and sees patients in Hampstead Garden Suburb as well as Crouch End and East Finchley.
Rebecca Mulvey
Chartered Physiotherapist
Rebecca treats sports injuries and rehab after surgery, including ACL reconstruction, at our Hampstead Garden Suburb and Muswell Hill clinics.
Harry Fountain
Senior Physiotherapist
Harry treats sports injuries at our Hampstead Garden Suburb and Borehamwood clinics, using acupuncture alongside hands-on treatment and exercise where it helps.
What our patients say
★★★★★
“I was referred to Rebecca by a doctor who is a consultant specialist in arms/shoulders following fractures in both my arms (bilateral proximal humeral fractures).”
★★★★★
“I had such a lovely experience with Soma! I’ve been struggling with sciatic pain, and she made me feel so comfortable and welcome from the moment I arrived.”
★★★★★
“Rebecca was great, very professional and gave me exercises and stretches to do during my treatment and to continue afterwards.”
Watch: neck, shoulder and elbow rehab
Short videos from our physios on the problems in this guide.
Hands-on treatment for neck pain
Shoulder pain might not be from your shoulder
Tennis elbow: pain on the outside of the elbow
Pain on the inside of the elbow
One clinic, the experience of a whole team
Something our patients don’t always realise is how much support sits behind each physio. Our team trains together twice a month and every physio has a dedicated mentor who reviews cases with them, so when you see us in Hampstead Garden Suburb you get the experience of the whole BOOST PHYSIO group.
- Same day appointments, seven days a week across our clinics
- No GP referral needed
- Recognised by Bupa, AXA Health, Vitality, WPA and Aviva
Prefer another clinic? Book at BOOST PHYSIO Hendon, East Finchley or West Hampstead, or read more about our Hampstead Garden Suburb clinic.
Ease your neck, shoulder or arm pain
Book at Hampstead Garden Suburb, our closest clinic to Golders Green.
Related reading
Neck pain physio
Shoulder pain physio
Tennis elbow physioPinched nerve treatment
Physio near Golders Green and Temple Fortune
Elbow and arm pain: tennis elbow or your neck?Your questions answered
Can neck problems cause arm pain?
Yes. Irritation of a nerve root in the neck can cause pain, pins and needles or numbness down the arm. This is often called a trapped nerve.
How long does a trapped nerve in the neck take to heal?
Most people improve over weeks to a few months. Physio helps ease symptoms, keep you moving and speed up a return to normal activity.
Is it tennis elbow or something else?
Tennis elbow causes pain on the outside of the elbow when gripping or lifting. If you also have neck pain or tingling into the hand, the neck may be involved, so we check both.
Do I need an MRI scan?
Usually not. Scans are considered if symptoms are severe, getting worse or not improving, or if there are signs of nerve weakness.
Do I need a GP referral?
No. You can book directly online, by phone or on WhatsApp. If you are claiming on health insurance, check whether your insurer needs a GP referral first.
Can I use my health insurance?
Yes. We are recognised by Bupa, AXA Health, Vitality, WPA and Aviva. Bring your authorisation code to your first appointment.
Written and clinically reviewed by Steven Berkman, BSc Physiotherapy (University of Cape Town), HCPC-registered chartered physiotherapist, MCSP, founder of BOOST PHYSIO in 2008, with Soma Fershi, Finlay McDonald, Rebecca Mulvey and Harry Fountain at BOOST PHYSIO Hampstead Garden Suburb. Last reviewed 12 November 2026.
References
- NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries. Neck pain: cervical radiculopathy. cks.nice.org.uk.
- Gross A et al. Exercises for mechanical neck disorders. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015;1:CD004250.
- Coombes BK et al. Management of lateral elbow tendinopathy: one size does not fit all. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2015;45:938-949.
This article is general information, not a diagnosis. If you are unsure what is causing your symptoms, book an assessment or speak to your GP. If you have severe or rapidly worsening symptoms, call 111 or 999.
