Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Neurology (Expert Forum)
Possible causes of shoulder/neck pain
This forum is for questions and support regarding neurology issues such as: Alzheimer's Disease, ALS, Autism, Brain Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, MS, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Parkinson's Disease, RSD, Sleep Disorders, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury
Possible causes of shoulder/neck pain
by HAM5, Aug 13, 2002 12:00AM
I'm 32 and I've been experiencing problems with my left shoulder - sharp pain, lots of clicks when I move it, tightness in the bicep and forearm, pain extending up into the left side of my neck, lots of clicks when I turn my head. This is not constant and usually occurs if I move the wrong way and goes away if I move again.
I consulted an orthopedist who did some brief physical tests in his office (nothing conclusive), ordered x-rays (again nothing conclusive), and then ordered blood tests to rule out infection, lyme disease, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. All tests came back normal except for a slightly elevated uric acid (gout runs in my family). There is an MRI scheduled for later in the month and he's put me on 500mg of Naproxen twice a day which has helped somewhat, but I actually get more relief from topical mentholated creams which unfortunately don't last very long. In the last couple of days I'm starting to have more instances of pops and cracks at the base of my neck which are causing the symptoms to worsen. It's all very disconcerting.
I'm assuming there are lots of potential reasons for this problem - tension usually gives me a stiff neck, I've had lots of sports injuries, I'm constantly hefting around my son, etc. What concerns me is that I'm starting to have similar symptoms in my right shoulder. I have no serious medical history (annual physical always includes a normal EKG, blood pressure, etc.) so I was wondering if there are any particular things I should be asking the doctor to look for or that I should be aware of before the MRI is done?
I consulted an orthopedist who did some brief physical tests in his office (nothing conclusive), ordered x-rays (again nothing conclusive), and then ordered blood tests to rule out infection, lyme disease, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. All tests came back normal except for a slightly elevated uric acid (gout runs in my family). There is an MRI scheduled for later in the month and he's put me on 500mg of Naproxen twice a day which has helped somewhat, but I actually get more relief from topical mentholated creams which unfortunately don't last very long. In the last couple of days I'm starting to have more instances of pops and cracks at the base of my neck which are causing the symptoms to worsen. It's all very disconcerting.
I'm assuming there are lots of potential reasons for this problem - tension usually gives me a stiff neck, I've had lots of sports injuries, I'm constantly hefting around my son, etc. What concerns me is that I'm starting to have similar symptoms in my right shoulder. I have no serious medical history (annual physical always includes a normal EKG, blood pressure, etc.) so I was wondering if there are any particular things I should be asking the doctor to look for or that I should be aware of before the MRI is done?
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-JT, Aug 13, 2002 12:00AM
Insist your doctor gets and MRI on your neck.
I agree with the prior post about insisting on the neck MRI although I would only think of surgery as a last resort.