Shoulder & Neck Injury

[MarkBurnham]

Hi

I have recently been having problems with my back/shoulder which is also causing problems with my arm and hand.

It started when I participated in my first gym session of the new year after a 2 week break. Stupidly I failed to warm up properly and went straight onto to the assisted pull up machine. After the first set I felt a "niggly" pain in at the base of my neck/shoulder. I did the sensible thing and stopped any weightlifting exercises and left the gym.

I didnt experience any more pain through the day it was more a mild discomfort but as the night wore on it became unbearable. The pain had spread all the way down my right arm into my hand and I had a loss of feeling in my index finger on the right hand and on part of the back of the hand. I could only get comfortable lying flat n my back looking at the ceiling with my arm in a variety of positions.

For the next 7-8 days I was constantly popping ibuprofen tablets to take the pain away and resting (this was my doctors advice). Its now been 3 weeks and the pain has died down but not totally gone away, I no longer require pain killers to be comfortable. But I still have a numb fingertip and hand and I can not contract my tricep fully on this arm and my right pec is not contracting as much as my left. I also get shot of pins and needles down the arm if I sit a certain way.

I've done plenty of research on line and it sounds as though I have pinched a nerve. Does this sound correct?

Has anyone on here experienced similar problems before? How long did it take for full strength to return?

Thanks

Mark

[Heidi]

Hi
Yes I suspect it is nerve related.
Due to the way it started I also suspect that it is originally a muscular problem and may be muscular tightness that is trapping the nerve.
I would definately advise you to visit a sports injury therapist. It may just be a case of some soft tissue therapy to relax the muscles.

[alex nielsen]

A lot of neck pain has to do with not inhibition of the deep cervical flexors and overactivation of the superficial neck flexors sucha s the scalenes/SCM.
tuck you chin toward your neck without changing the level of your eyes. This can improve your entre of gravity and also train those deep cervical neck flexors to properly stabilise your neck.