Sharp pain in left side of back radiating down to elbow

[katien07]

Hello,

I'm a 20 year old fit and healthy college student who recently has started having these intense sharp pains in my back. It started about a month ago I noticed this dull ache in my back when surfing like it was harder to breathe, I would say it was more discomfort then pain though. Then when I would sneeze sometimes I would get a very sharp, intense hot pain shoot through my back. This was sporadic though, sometime when I sneezed it would be very intense pain, other times a milder pain, and other times I would sneeze and nothing would happen. This sorta wanned for a a week or two with not real problems. However earlier this week these pains have come back harder, now when i laugh or simply move a certain way a shooting pain comes from my back and shoots down the back of my arm to my elbow. It never affected my arm until a day or two ago. For instance last night I bent down after a shower to put my hair in a towel and a searing pain went through my back and down my arm, it actually made me cry it was so intense and unexpected. This only happen on my left side of my upper back/arm/chest area.  Again though this morning I bent down like a did last night and nothing happened? Whats going on here? Is it a pinched nerve or something? After the sharp stinging pain my back and arm feel odd after for awhile, like fatigued or hot kinda.

I have not been in any accidents or injury. What could be causing this? Should I go to the health clinic on campus? Thanks
Katie