Strange shoulder/back/arm problem.

[farvacola]

After searching somewhat exhaustively, I have been unable to find anyone with a problem similar to mine. Over the past week, a small pain in the lower back tip of my right shoulder blade/lat has become increasingly more bothersome. Pain isn't quite the right word, as the small pinch in my shoulder changes into numbness all the way down my arm and to my hand. To make matters more confusing, the numbness and pain goes away whenever I am lifting, even with heavy shoulder, chest, and back work. I am bothered most by the numbness while sitting down and resting. What are some possibilities source-wise? And how should I go about recovering? I am currently taking cissus, animal pak and flex, and unlike previous injuries the severity if anything has remained constant.

[SoggyDoughnut]

After searching somewhat exhaustively, I have been unable to find anyone with a problem similar to mine. Over the past week, a small pain in the lower back tip of my right shoulder blade/lat has become increasingly more bothersome. Pain isn't quite the right word, as the small pinch in my shoulder changes into numbness all the way down my arm and to my hand. To make matters more confusing, the numbness and pain goes away whenever I am lifting, even with heavy shoulder, chest, and back work. I am bothered most by the numbness while sitting down and resting. What are some possibilities source-wise? And how should I go about recovering? I am currently taking cissus, animal pak and flex, and unlike previous injuries the severity if anything has remained constant.

Ok, your problem sounds A LOT like the problem I am having. Here is what I've been told, mind you by 4 different doctors.

Problem: Pain in thoracic back area, centralized around left shoulder blade. Pain extends up into neck and through shoulder and down arm on occasion. When I move my right shoulder down and my left shoulder up my back/ribs (where they attach to spine) will pop and crackle. Ongoing for 2 years.

Diagnosis: Ribs misaligned where conjoining with spine/ strained muscle/ nerve damage which causes back to tense which in turn causes nerves to fire and say to tense so on. No doctor can agree what is wrong.

What worsens it: Running, motorcycle, anything with constant jarring/vibration.

Type of pain: dull ache which can become very sharp pain if i move the wrong way. Ache extends through shoulder and arm on occasion and leads to numbness, typically starting in left pinky and ring finger.

What to do:
1: Chiropractor... to realign ribs with spine (did not work for me)
2: Physical Therapy... to grab your scapula and pull it outwards and stretch the area. Various excersizes which emphasize pulling the scapula back in. In addition grabbing onto an object and leaning back stretching the area.
3: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation... Sit on chair and reach over to right thigh and pull up to stretch area. In addition accupuncture needles inserted (up to 1,000 times during session) to release tension in back. <--very painful... Then trigger points identified and a TENS type unit hooked to them for 20 minutes. Heat area throughout day.

Now, none of these worked for me BUT I have Army healthcare and it consisted of Physical Medicine doctor telling me he needed to do it three times a week and I would get to see him once every 6 weeks on average. Seriously though, get serious medical help for this before it becomes worse because I am quite miserable because of it. I hope you have better luck than I have. On the bright side, it doesn't really effect my ability to do much besides running, but makes me ache all day.

[farvacola]

Thanks man, I am for sure gonna get some x-rays soon, just crossing my fingers that it is not overly degenerative.

[SoggyDoughnut]

Thanks man, I am for sure gonna get some x-rays soon, just crossing my fingers that it is not overly degenerative.

as a heads up my x-rays and mri all showed nothing

i'm curious about a... that steroid injection they do for spines and stuff... cortisone, i think, shot but the doctors won't see me because they said they can't fix me, ****ing army docs.

[Thuirwyne]

Has anyone suggested it may be an issue with your supraspinatus, infraspinatus, or biceps tendon attachment/insertion points? Does the numbness go down to your pinky finger? Sometimes when those rotator muscles get too tight or are weak, mildly injured, etc. it can impinge on the ulnar nerve. The best solution is to strengthen the rotators and stretch them too...

Hope that helps?

[Thuirwyne]

Here's a better image since your discomfort is posterior.

[cmdmac514]

Have you ever had an injury or some kind of surgery? If so it may be some kind of weakness in the back. I had a similar feeling and I had the same kind of problems you had. It becomes really annoying even to sleep. To fix it, I did more rowing and did banding for the rotator cuff and labrum. It gradually gets better if you put the time in.

[farvacola]

Has anyone suggested it may be an issue with your supraspinatus, infraspinatus, or biceps tendon attachment/insertion points? Does the numbness go down to your pinky finger? Sometimes when those rotator muscles get too tight or are weak, mildly injured, etc. it can impinge on the ulnar nerve. The best solution is to strengthen the rotators and stretch them too...

Hope that helps?

Based on those two photos it would seem that my problem deals with the ulnar nerve being compressed at some point close to its origin. What are possible treatments for this type of thing?

[Thuirwyne]

Have you ever had an injury or some kind of surgery? If so it may be some kind of weakness in the back. I had a similar feeling and I had the same kind of problems you had. It becomes really annoying even to sleep. To fix it, I did more rowing and did banding for the rotator cuff and labrum. It gradually gets better if you put the time in.

^

This plus plenty of rotator and scapula stretching.