Started as shoulder pain, now in neck and hands? - Pain Concern

Pain Concern

38,081 members11,729 posts

Started as shoulder pain, now in neck and hands?

alexhedg profile image
11 Replies

Around november of 2013 I got this really bad right shoulder pain that went slightly up into my neck. On the 1 to 10 scale it was a 9. Doc said it was shoulder tendinitis and gave me naproxen. It helped but I was still in pain for about a week, then it slowly went away. It acted up every now and then but almost 2 weeks ago it came back like the 1st time around. But this time I have pain and a tingly numbness in my 4th and 5th finger on both hands, the back of my hands, and my wrists as well as my left shoulder is now starting to hurt like my right one. I'm 15 and do jrotc and go to a public military high school. School and jrotc starts in about 2 weeks and I can barely do 10 push ups cause it hurts. Any ideas what might be going on?

Written by
alexhedg profile image
alexhedg
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
11 Replies

Hi Alex, I am no expert bit the same thing happened to my husband. The docs said the pain in his arm and hand was all coming from his shoulder/neck.They called it referred pain and it was like trapped nerve.The best medication he founf was gabapentin.This may be what is causing your problem.It is important you see a doctor and get a diagnosis and treatment. Physio may also help.Dont do the push ups you could make it much worse best rest it and just make gentle movements until you have had medical advice.Over time my husband did get better hope you do soon best wishes ..kim

in reply to

I'm glad we are saying the same thing - painkillers will help but not solve the problem or avoid further harm from exercising hard. Physios will offer the best help. x

Hi

I have also had shoulder tendonitis with exactly the same symptoms as yours and it flares up then disappears again now. I also have the pain and numbness in myfingers at times as well as wrists and elbows sometimes.

I do think you should see the medic at your military school as doing press ups with tendonitis is not the right thing to be doing! You need to have a full examination of your shoulder - a physio is the best person as they will diagnose exactly which muscles and nerves are being affected and can give you exercises to help ease the pain. I found the exercises my physio gave me helped quite quickly even though I did not do them as often as I should have.

If you ignore seeing a medic about your shoulder and continue to do the military fitness training you are likely to do more permanent long term damage to your joints and that won't help anyone, so get medical exemption and see a physiotherapist.

Sue xx

colleen1967 profile image
colleen1967

I could be a nerve in your cervical spine. Did you hurt your neck in any way before this pain came on. I would ask the Dr. for an MRI as xray will only show the bone but MRI shows the soft tissue as well like the disc between the vertabrae.

alexhedg profile image
alexhedg in reply to colleen1967

Nothing recent that I remember. In 5th grade I had a sledding accident where I hit a log, flipped in the air, and then hit my back on somethin, but I don't remember what. I also had a bike accident the following summer where I lost control, fell on my side and rolled a few times but both of those were mid-lower back things that I got checked out so I don't think they are the culprit.

johnsmith profile image
johnsmith

See a chiropractic. You may have pressure being applied by the action of muscle on a nerve.

See your doctor as a matter of urgency. You may have indications of heart problems. This is outside my area of expertise and I may be mis-remembering the warning signs that I read a long time ago on heart problems.

Hope this helps

RibvanRey profile image
RibvanRey

Just my opinion but I am pretty sure that a Chiropractice would not touch juvenile bones and joints that have not finished forming. Your GP should be your first stop and his likely treatment is a referral to the physiotherapist. As I currently have tendonitis in my left shoulder I can empathize with you. Pain into my hand one moment like fire and next back to cold numbness. Physio has given me some gentle massage and gentle exercises which are slowly helping. As for school and your future, there is no point doing press ups now and risking permanent injury. I can promise you that you will never make it through Basic or even shoulder a Bergan without getting this sorted properly now. Do that and it should heal fine and your carer if you choose the military will still be on track. Good luck, Rib

jamessteven profile image
jamessteven

STAY STRONG

mitziblue profile image
mitziblue

Sweetheart, it sounds a lot like fibromyalgia. Please get tested as it only gets worse!!! Hope this helps. xxx Mitzi

alexhedg profile image
alexhedg

Thanks for all the replies. We figured out what it is. I have a slap tear in my right should which means the cartilage around my shoulder socket is torn. We are trying a month of physical therapy, but there is a very slim chance that it will help at all. Most likely I'll have surgery in a month. On top of all this, I have a nerve impingement in the same shoulder.

Longopongo profile image
Longopongo

It could be prolapsed disc that's what I had with those symptoms

You may also like...

Neck and shoulder pain

specialist and the shoulder specialist each saying the pain is coming from shoulder/ neck, I’ve had...

Neck/Arm/Hand Pain

your hands). My hand will swell at night waking me up. The pain radiates from my neck to my wrist...

Shoulder/Neck/Head Pain

suffer from right shoulder pain across the top and under the joint, down into my arm. My wrist is...

severe pain in Neck and Right Shoulder

For the last 3 weeks I have been experiencing severe pains in my right shoulder and neck area. Its...

Shoulder and neck pain

on my neck and shoulder yesterday as have been having a lot of pain there over some weeks and...