Shoulder and Neck

  My wife injured her shoulder on 6-13-98. The pain has moved from her
  shoulder to her neck. when she moves you can hear her neck pop. I placed a
  cold rag on her shoulder today and I felt her shoulder pop from her arm to
  her neck. This is not normal. She is in severe pain and it even hurts her
  to move while sleeping.
  She continues to go to the doctor but on her last visit he told her it was
  the SHINGLES. I cannot understand why she continues to have pain, her neck
  and shoulder pops when she moves. Can the Shingles cause this? SHe has two
  red bumps on her neck. Is this even the Shingles?
  Could you please advise on proable causes and a action plan. Is there any test
  we could ask our doctor to run to find out the problem.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Martin K. Hall
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Dear Martin,
It is common for patients to have neck pain after an injury, and most of this
is due to muscle spasm and inflammation.  Whether or not any bones were broken
in the neck or shoulder is unclear.  Much depends on the nature of the injury
and whether there are any findings on physical exam.  If so indicated, your
physician may choose to get plain x-rays of the neck and shoulder to be sure.
Shingles typically presents as pain in a narrow distribution on the skin,
followed by an eruption of reddened vesicles after a day or two.  
If there are no broken bones found, the best treatment is conservative with
ibuprofen and rest.  Should your wife notice any numbness or weakness in
her arms, she should seek medical attention.  Speak to your physician and
see if he doesn't agree.
Good luck.