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Molly Maloof, MD

Director of Clinical Content
@DoctorBase

neck pain and slightly down the left shoulder and upper back area

What could that be
Poster
  • Complaint duration: 5 days
  • Medications: Aleve
  • Conditions: No

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Featured Answer

6 UpVoted this answer
Cervical radiculopathy C5-C6 can produce neck pain radiating down the shoulder and posterior upper back. Have this confirmed with an MRI & EMG with nerve conduction studies.If positive I would recommend a series of cervical epidural injections and physical therapy. you have an irritated nerve on the left side that is producing these symptoms
Steven M. Stoller
6 UpVoted this answer
firstly, get an x-ray, second a physical exam to determine if the pain is muscular of spinal. this type of pain can come from either the muscles in the neck, shoulder or the nerves ad or joints in the neck. proper history is required of course and mechanism of injury, or did it just start for no reason in the am. if it was sudden in the morning then probably a strained muscle from sleep or a jammed cervical - neck - vertebrae.

either way, see a chiropractor and get some x-rays and an exam. if its spinal, it should clear up in a few days with some adjustments.
Chris D. Senko
4 UpVoted this answer
This can be different things but without a proper history and mode of injury a proper treatment cannot be achieved. It may probably be due to an injury or repetitive stress. It may be a misalignment that causes the spasm that will irritate the nerve that will travel down the dermatome at the shoulder/arm. If you treat the pain you are never going to get rid of what's causing it. Treat the misalignment and it will reduce the spasm thus not irritating the nerve. X-rays need to be taken to rule out any other differential diagnosis and a possible MRI if initial trial treatment does not reduce the pain.
3 UpVoted this answer Richard E. Rogovin, DC Chiropractor, Brandon
Honesty, there are so many questions that need to be answered before any Dr tells you what this could be. Have you had this pain before? Is it a result of a in jury? Has it only been one arm or both at times? You need to go in to a Dr for a proper exam as with the limited information there is no way any one on here could tell you what is going on.
Mike DeCubellis
2 UpVoted this answer
Old unresolved, long forgotten neck injuries, as minor as they might have seemed at the time often come back to haunt us later in life. Neck pain that that goes into the shoulder and upper back is one of the most common ways that this problem shows up. Search your memory for an old sports injury, fall, car accident and you will probably come up with at least one time that you hurt your neck in the past. An evaluation by a chiropractor is appropriate.

A few chiropractic treatments should give you the relief you are looking for.
2 UpVoted this answer
I would venture a guess to say it's likely a neck problem, C4 - 5 spondylosis. If you're sitting at a desk like most of us are these days, it's possible that it's creating breakdown of the facet joints. your best choice for a sustainable outcome is seeing a physical therapist to address the joint problem, improve your cervical stability, and teach you about economics.depending on symptoms, you should be better in about six weeks.
1 UpVoted this answer
You may need to see a chiropractor or medical doctor if your symptoms do not subside. Xrays may be in order, based on your history, age, and if there was any trauma involved. A slip, auto accident etc...It is most likely a simple subluxation in one or more of the joints in your neck, which is causing secondary muscle spasm in the neck and upper back, Any good Chiro should be able to help you out. This type of issue is one of our specialties. If there seems to be more to your problem, any good Chiro will refer you out to a specialist and/ore for MRI's to make sure there is no gross musculoskeletal problem.
1 UpVoted this answer
Neck pain can be treated with chiropractic ,starting with history. How did the problem begin ,how long has the symptoms been around ,have you had trauma ,how do you stand , sit and sleep . We create all of our problems changing the cause is better then treating the symptom . Next exam will be needed to determine the extent of condition .Things like neurological involvement, range of motion and standing X-rays to evaluate tissue changes . The treatment varries according to the chiropractor. Relief can be achieved according to the extent of the condition. The results achieved bring happiness to both the patient and the chiropractor. The costs are more than reasonable ,and insurance reimburses in most cases . Cash prices for X-Ray and treatment are discussed before anything is done Call Harris Chiropractic to arange a appointment 1-931-368-1996
1 UpVoted this answer
Many times this is nerve pain coming from vertebrae (bones) in the neck being misaligned, Chiropractors are specially trained to diagnose and treat these injuries and have a vary high success rate.
David Kubicek
1 UpVoted this answer Cory Thiele, DC Chiropractor, West Des Moines
This is usually an issue with the bones of the neck being out of alignment. This bone then pulls on the muscle known as the levator scapula. This runs from top of the neck to the bottom of the scapula( shoulder blade). You need to see a chiropractor to get a thorough exam and treatment to give you relief over time. Drugs will only mask these symptoms, find the source and correct it.
Christopher M. Hayes