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Shoulder numbness
I've been having some shoulder pain and popping and cracking for a few months now, along with upper back pain and occasional finger numbness. The popping is generally when I lift my arm over my head. The front of my shoulder (where it meets the arm) is always sore, and I generally have pain under my shoulder blade.
Last night, I felt it popping, then again, and shoulder and most of my hand and wrist went mostly numb. It's been about 10 hours, and I still have some numbness in the back of my shoulder (below the shoulder blade) and wrist. There's some tenderness in the back of my shoulder as well but no soreness in the front. It's uncomfortable to move my shoulder, but mostly doable. I get a little pain once I lift it over my head, but it's doable. If I put my elbow a little behind my back and bend my arm trying to reach up, I reach about a 90* angle (mid-back) while when I do this with my other arm, I can basically reach my neck. I did ice it last night.
Is it worth it to go to an urgent care, or just keep icing?
Last night, I felt it popping, then again, and shoulder and most of my hand and wrist went mostly numb. It's been about 10 hours, and I still have some numbness in the back of my shoulder (below the shoulder blade) and wrist. There's some tenderness in the back of my shoulder as well but no soreness in the front. It's uncomfortable to move my shoulder, but mostly doable. I get a little pain once I lift it over my head, but it's doable. If I put my elbow a little behind my back and bend my arm trying to reach up, I reach about a 90* angle (mid-back) while when I do this with my other arm, I can basically reach my neck. I did ice it last night.
Is it worth it to go to an urgent care, or just keep icing?
Everyone's pain threshold is different. So it doesn't matter whether the condition is mild or severe, it is causing you the discomfort/pain that you feel.
Did the ortho tell you to splint and rest your wrist? If not, then that is what you should do. de Quervain's is inflammation of the tendon on the thumb side of the wrist and can be made worse by lifting and putting children into a car, lifting and carrying shopping and moving pot plants about in the garden. If you use a computer a lot with a mouse that may have aggravated the condition.
You need to rest the wrist to allow the tendon to heal. A splint will help by supporting the wrist. If you do not have a splint, apply a bandage around your hand and wrist (like in first aid). You may have been prescribed with anti-inflammatory medication or sometimes an injection to help alleviate the inflammation and reduce the pain. You can also apply a cold compress to the area.
Hope they gave you advice about your shoulder impingement.
Best wishes.
Did the ortho tell you to splint and rest your wrist? If not, then that is what you should do. de Quervain's is inflammation of the tendon on the thumb side of the wrist and can be made worse by lifting and putting children into a car, lifting and carrying shopping and moving pot plants about in the garden. If you use a computer a lot with a mouse that may have aggravated the condition.
You need to rest the wrist to allow the tendon to heal. A splint will help by supporting the wrist. If you do not have a splint, apply a bandage around your hand and wrist (like in first aid). You may have been prescribed with anti-inflammatory medication or sometimes an injection to help alleviate the inflammation and reduce the pain. You can also apply a cold compress to the area.
Hope they gave you advice about your shoulder impingement.
Best wishes.
Thank you so much! I went back to the neurologist yesterday, and the EMG/NCS confirmed a mild pinched nerve in my neck. My ortho said Monday that I have shoulder impingement. I also have de Quervain's in my wrist.
It seems like all of these are mild-moderate, but I'm constantly aware of the pain. Would multiple mild conditions affecting around the same area make things feel worse than they are?
It seems like all of these are mild-moderate, but I'm constantly aware of the pain. Would multiple mild conditions affecting around the same area make things feel worse than they are?
If the cold did not help, try applying heat.
Do not lift your arm over your head. Although it is important to do gentle exercise to stop it from stiffening, you are going to do more harm than good by doing movements that aggravate the condition.
With the numbness in your hand and fingers, this may be due to pressure on an nerve in your neck/shoulder area or from a condition called carpal tunnel.
You may find gentle massage may help.
Make an appointment with your doctor so that he can refer you to physiotherapy and the appropriate medical professional.
Best wishes
Do not lift your arm over your head. Although it is important to do gentle exercise to stop it from stiffening, you are going to do more harm than good by doing movements that aggravate the condition.
With the numbness in your hand and fingers, this may be due to pressure on an nerve in your neck/shoulder area or from a condition called carpal tunnel.
You may find gentle massage may help.
Make an appointment with your doctor so that he can refer you to physiotherapy and the appropriate medical professional.
Best wishes
The urgent care can't help you. See an orthopedic surgeon to find out if you have a damaged rotator cuff or other shoulder structure that needs surgery. Or maybe it can be treated with physical therapy, but this sort of problem is not what an urgent care or emergency room is for.
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