Pinched Nerve

[BlackTigers]

Okay, this started on...Friday night.

My left shoulder is perfectly normal. My right dislocates on demand, lol. (Need to get the fixed).

My right's been like that for years, but my left....with certain movements I get these intense, tear=jerking pains in my shoulder. It feels like someone is burning my shoulder blade with a cattle prod everytime I lift anything.

It hurts with the "shrug" movement with any weight in my hand. Anything that compresses my shoulder blade into my back makes me tear up.

Could this be a pinched nerve? Our insurance sucks and I'll avoid the doctor if I can, but I'm hoping this might pass?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

It could be a pinched nerve, yeah. I don't know if any of us can actually pin point what it is so it'd probably be best to go to the doctor. Also, try doing some rotator cuff exercises for the lose shoulder. Sounds like it needs em.

 

[Redfraggle]

Is it a burning/radiating pain? I pinched my sciatic nerve once. There's little you can do but take anti-inflammatory drugs and rest it. Once recouped, strengthen surrounding muscles to prevent a repeat.

 

[BlackTigers]

Originally posted by: Redfraggle
Is it a burning/radiating pain? I pinched my sciatic nerve once. There's little you can do but take anti-inflammatory drugs and rest it. Once recouped, strengthen surrounding muscles to prevent a repeat.

It's a burning, stinging. Once the initial pain goes away (I move my arm...) it tingles and throbs for a few seconds.

I'm going to rest it up over the next week the best I can.

I can't even curl 5 pounds with that arm anymore.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Redfraggle
Is it a burning/radiating pain? I pinched my sciatic nerve once. There's little you can do but take anti-inflammatory drugs and rest it. Once recouped, strengthen surrounding muscles to prevent a repeat.

You can go to a good chiropractor and have then either massage out the knotted muscle that's causing the impingement of the nerve or they can go through with a back adjusted, which may help as well. I've also pinched my sciatic nerve and the chiropractor fixed me in 2 visits.

 

[eits]

it sounds like a bursitis. see a chiropractor. the bursitis could be caused from a structural issue that a chiropractor could fix easily.

find someone who knows how to do a.r.t... active release technique. http://www.activerelease.com/providersearch.asp

 

[Redfraggle]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: Redfraggle
Is it a burning/radiating pain? I pinched my sciatic nerve once. There's little you can do but take anti-inflammatory drugs and rest it. Once recouped, strengthen surrounding muscles to prevent a repeat.

You can go to a good chiropractor and have then either massage out the knotted muscle that's causing the impingement of the nerve or they can go through with a back adjusted, which may help as well. I've also pinched my sciatic nerve and the chiropractor fixed me in 2 visits.

I've found just keeping the surrounding muscles strong prevents issues mostly. I'll keep that in mind if it happens again though.


OP: How's it progressing? Same, better, worse?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Redfraggle

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: Redfraggle
Is it a burning/radiating pain? I pinched my sciatic nerve once. There's little you can do but take anti-inflammatory drugs and rest it. Once recouped, strengthen surrounding muscles to prevent a repeat.

You can go to a good chiropractor and have then either massage out the knotted muscle that's causing the impingement of the nerve or they can go through with a back adjusted, which may help as well. I've also pinched my sciatic nerve and the chiropractor fixed me in 2 visits.

I've found just keeping the surrounding muscles strong prevents issues mostly. I'll keep that in mind if it happens again though.


OP: How's it progressing? Same, better, worse?

This is a great preventative measure, however doesn't quite help for acute pain. That's really when it's too late. However, I would suggest some sort of workout plan to strengthen the body in order to prevent things like this. That's a good point to emphasize. Thanks for bringing it up.

 

[interchange]

Are you experiencing any muscle weakness, numbness or tingling, especially farther down the arm? The brachial plexus originates between the scalenes in the neck, dives under the clavicle, and lives in the armpit. It's vulnerable to injury, especially of the neck is turned and the arm is outstretched. If its just pain without any weakness, numbness, or tingling, it's most likely to be tendon or ligament related. The shrug movement, by the way is by the trapezius and levator scapulae muscles which aren't innervated by the brachial plexus.

 

[edblor]

I had what I thought was a pinched nerve in my left shoulder just over 1 year ago. It took 3 and a half months to finally go away. That involved anti-inflammatory meds, physio, multiple doctors, and exercise. An MRI 3 months later (the fastest I could get one) revealed the culprits.

I was a beast at the gym when I was finally able to lift weights again. It turned out to be 2 pinched nerves in my vertabrae, that took forever to go down. But I was determined to never be in that kind of pain again.

Almost 1 year to the day, it happened again. Just woke up with the same symptoms. However this time, I was able to work through the pain with regular exercise. I was only in discomfort for barely a week this time.

The above advice to build muscle around the suspect area is good advice.

G/L, hopefully you don't experience what I did...I would not wish that on anyone

Ed

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: edblor
I had what I thought was a pinched nerve in my left shoulder just over 1 year ago. It took 3 and a half months to finally go away. That involved anti-inflammatory meds, physio, multiple doctors, and exercise. An MRI 3 months later (the fastest I could get one) revealed the culprits.

I was a beast at the gym when I was finally able to lift weights again. It turned out to be 2 pinched nerves in my vertabrae, that took forever to go down. But I was determined to never be in that kind of pain again.

Almost 1 year to the day, it happened again. Just woke up with the same symptoms. However this time, I was able to work through the pain with regular exercise. I was only in discomfort for barely a week this time.

The above advice to build muscle around the suspect area is good advice.

G/L, hopefully you don't experience what I did...I would not wish that on anyone

Ed

and you never went to see a chiropractor???

i will never understand the stubbornness of people and why they'd rather choose pain than pain relief.

 

[interchange]

Originally posted by: eits
and you never went to see a chiropractor???

i will never understand the stubbornness of people and why they'd rather choose pain than pain relief.

Hi eits,

Just curious. What data do you have to support chiropractic efficacy. I must admit that this is an area where physicians have trouble finding good treatments.

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: interchange

Originally posted by: eits
and you never went to see a chiropractor???

i will never understand the stubbornness of people and why they'd rather choose pain than pain relief.

Hi eits,

Just curious. What data do you have to support chiropractic efficacy. I must admit that this is an area where physicians have trouble finding good treatments.

pm me. i'd be happy to help you out when i have some more time on my hands. until then, check out pubmed, youtube (news reports, etc), etc. there's info out there. you can also check out the wiki on chiropractic... i think there might be some useful info in there. also, your question is kinda broad... could you be more specific? there is data to support chiropracic efficacy with high blood pressure, crohn's disease, restless leg syndrome (what a joke), a.d.h.d., ear infections, of course musculoskeletal pain, etc.

i'm at clinic right now and the computer i'm on will conk out if i try multitasking on it.