Shoulder Pain, Tingly Arm, Pinched Nerve?

[MPankratz]

Hello, for over a month now I've been having tingling and numbness in the L hand and some in the L arm.  Its not exactly the pins-and-needles feeling i get from sleeping on the hand sometimes, but it is similar.  About last week I began having a burning pain in my shoulder and shooting pains in my L forearm.  I saw a doctor (physicians assistant, actually) who said that it was probably a pinched nerve.

He also said that my left hand was much weaker than my right.  This bothered me because I'm left handed and thought that at work I used my left for most of the lifting.  I could be wrong, in retrospect.  There is actually a visual difference in my left and right biceps.

I was given tylenol 3 for the pain (1 every 4 hours).  I had been taking aspiren w/ codeine (200mg/8mg) before i was given this prescription (they were purchased OTC when I was in canada).  I think they might have cut down in the effectiveness of it because now when I take it, I only get pain relief for 30 minutes at the most (and really only if i chew it).  The pain keeps getting worse and I'm beggining to think it isn't a pinched nerve.  Surely if it were, it would have been better within a month especially with NSAID + narcotic treatment I had been using.

Is it possible its some peripheral neuropathy?

[JoniGO]

Which doctor should I see first---my neuro or primary care physician or ????  

For almost seven weeks, I've experienced 'numbness' in my left hand/fingers including pain/tightness in the left arm/shoulder.  This has been 24X7; sometimes the numbness or burning pain is more intense than other times, but always there.  I already have a neurologist due to M.S. diagnosis in 1990....  however, I had a problem about two years ago that appeared to be M.S. related, but according to the MRIs, it was not.  (See what I posted two years ago below.)  

After all the diagnostics (including brain & cervical spine MRI, lumbar MRI, pelvic MRI, plus nerve/muscle test), there was no diagnosis; I'm happy to say that everything eventually resolved, but it took several months.  My right knee reflex returned also.  :-)

My neuro's assistant suggests either that I can schedule with them or go see my primary care......  I know the neurologist is an MS Clinic (UT Southwestern) and maybe they would rather not mess with me given my last episode when it was NOT the M.S.....  (I fooled everybody -OR- the MRI didn't show something -OR- something didn't show on the MRI.)

I have been putting this off in hopes the problem would disappear or begin to subside, but it has not.  Some people suggest massage, and others suggest chiropractor....(which I've never been to one and not too sure about that type of treatment).  

What do you advise?

Thank you!
Joni

------------------------

HERE'S WHAT I POSTED 9/22/03 (ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO)
Here's a brief summary of what has brought me here, besides my impatience in hearing back from my neuro on last week's c- and t-spine MRI (!):

- Foot drop started 8/29, but disappeared by 9/5.
- Knee pain/ache/numbness/burning started soon after 9/5 and has not gone away. (I have self-administered a previous prescription of neurontin, so maybe that's helping.)

I could not understand why an l-spine was not
ordered--so was the MRI tech--but as my neuro asst said--because of my M.S. (multiple sclerosis), they have to look at what's 'most likely.'

I do have the MRI summaries, but they don't make a lot of sense to me, though it looks like the t-spine is normal. However, it looks like there are issues with the c-spine. Specifically, the findings say:

Disk desiccation and mild disk space narrowing at C5-C6.

... blah-blah-blah ... (this is probably the part that tells the story, but it doesn't look like it to me.)

There are also, however, degenerative changes. Evaluation of the individual levels demonstrates at C4-C5, minimal central disk ridge complex without central canal or neural foraminal stenosis.

At C5-C6, there is a diffuse disk osteophyte complex eccentric toward the left, associated with mild flattening of the ventral thecal sac and mild to moderate central canal stenosis. Left greater than right uncovertebral hypertrophy is also present associated with mild to moderate left and mild right-sided neural foraminal stenosis.
---------------------------------

So can someone have the kind of symptoms I've experienced with the short-lived foot drop and now the knee 'pain' with cervical spine issues?? Or do they need to look at the lumbar, too? I just hate to blame everything on the M.S.! I was involved with a challenging strength training class when all this started......

[ldale]

For about 3 weeks now I have had a dull ache in the back area of my shoulder and my right arm tingles everytime I sit or crouch down.  Does anybody have any idea what might be causing this?  I don't know whether to go to a masseuse, chiropractor or what?  Any suggestions.

[leonardox5]

Im 47 and I think Ive pinched a nerve at the top of my arm/shoulder,its really painfull and I have a little trouble lifting it at a cetain angle,but I think its from lying on it whilst I sleep,Im trying different cushions.Im just about sure its from lying on it?anybody care to comment please?

[Domino1124]

Along with my last message please note, that the tingly feeling is closer to the way your skin feels after pulling open the oven rack and the oven mit fell.  Kinda like a singed feeling.  Does anyone know what I mean?

[Krane]

Hi, I have had a stiff neck like feeling for about a month now. It started one morning while pulling bundles of newspapers over the front seat of my car from the back seat, it was a saturday when I have 22 bundles in all.
This was on my right side and the pain is kinda pin pointed half way between the outside of my shoulder and my spine. Last weekend I noticed that my right arm and a couple fingers in my right hand were falling asleep. I figured it was time to get something looked at but without insurance I didn't want to go the doctor route, so on Tuesday I decided to go get a massage.
The LMT I went to see did some arm tests and proceeded to massage the area of pain. She said I was all tight and stuff all over the neck and back areas. After all was said and done I made another appointment for Thursday and went back again. She worked the area over again but we were kinda thinking it was more than just a muscle problem.
Then last night sitting here at my computer I noticed something that never dawned on me before. When I slouch forward even a little, thats when my arm and fingers start to go numb, and as soon as I sit up straight it comes back. My conclusion is its time for an MRI (UGH!)
I have always been a sloucher, even way back in school(I'm 42 now) the teachers were always telling me to "sit up straight".
Trying to get to sleep has been the worst, especially after waking up way before its time to get up. From sleeping and not moving the pain and throbbing in my shoulder, arm and back is unbelievable. As I am a person that can not sleep on my back this created an even bigger problem for sleeping. I have to have my arms under my head and pillow, and with this problem I can not put them there. Last night I came up with an idea, I put a camera box that is the same height as my arm off the bed, next to my arm under the pillow. This allowed me to have my arm under my head and pillow but the weight was resting on the box, there was no pressure at all on my arm or shoulder. I have built a proto type device today to market for this purpose. Try the box idea, it will work for you too, it only has to be like 8x8 or so.
I will update you on my next move when it happens, its looks like it will be a trip to the doctors for an MRI.