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What Causes Pain In The Shoulder And Numbness In The Finger?
Question: Last week I had a pain in my shoulder that caused my pinky and my ring finger to feel numb. This week Tuesday I woke up with a really bad headache and vomiting. Since then there has been no more vomiting, but the headache is lingering. I have taken advil and still no total relief. I feel fatigue, and agitated and loss of appetite.
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
If the episode of last week is connected to the one this week then I would say the most probable cause would be a neck spine issue such as a disc herniation or arthritic changes leading to a nerve root compression and the pain and tingling you describe. Inflammatory changes with muscle spasms would also explain the headache you describe. In that case medication with advil which you mention together with a muscle relaxant such as Flexeril is advised and later on some physical therapy sessions may be needed.
The other possibility is that the episodes are not related. In this case the nerve root compression hypothesis remains for last week. The headache and vomiting could be in the setting of high blood pressure which can manifest with headache and vomiting so blood pressure monitoring for a few days is recommended.
If that is normal and there are no other signs like fever, stuffed nose, tooth or earache to indicate another cause such as infection then if headache persists a visit to your family doctor or a neurologist is advised to make sure there are no other signs to indicate brain lesions such as a stroke or brain tumor (do not mean to scare you, unlikely if there are no other symptoms such as weakness or numbness in the limbs on one side, balance and coordination issues, visual changes, behavior changes etc).
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
If the episode of last week is connected to the one this week then I would say the most probable cause would be a neck spine issue such as a disc herniation or arthritic changes leading to a nerve root compression and the pain and tingling you describe. Inflammatory changes with muscle spasms would also explain the headache you describe. In that case medication with advil which you mention together with a muscle relaxant such as Flexeril is advised and later on some physical therapy sessions may be needed.
The other possibility is that the episodes are not related. In this case the nerve root compression hypothesis remains for last week. The headache and vomiting could be in the setting of high blood pressure which can manifest with headache and vomiting so blood pressure monitoring for a few days is recommended.
If that is normal and there are no other signs like fever, stuffed nose, tooth or earache to indicate another cause such as infection then if headache persists a visit to your family doctor or a neurologist is advised to make sure there are no other signs to indicate brain lesions such as a stroke or brain tumor (do not mean to scare you, unlikely if there are no other symptoms such as weakness or numbness in the limbs on one side, balance and coordination issues, visual changes, behavior changes etc).
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Well I also noticed that my left ear feels plugged and pressure in my left eye, and I did had an outburst at work the same day that I woke up vomiting with the headache.
Brief Answer:
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Detailed Answer:
The feeling of the plugged ear and eye pressure is more suggestive of an upper airway infection complicated with otitis and/or sinusitis. So in that case you should see your primary physician because if he finds on physical exam signs of sinusitis or otitis then an antibiotic cycle may be needed.
As for the outburst in the office that shouldn't be related, at least not to any airway or brain lesion, at most it may predispose to a tension headache (which should have been relieved with Advil).
Let me know if I can further assist you
Read below
Detailed Answer:
The feeling of the plugged ear and eye pressure is more suggestive of an upper airway infection complicated with otitis and/or sinusitis. So in that case you should see your primary physician because if he finds on physical exam signs of sinusitis or otitis then an antibiotic cycle may be needed.
As for the outburst in the office that shouldn't be related, at least not to any airway or brain lesion, at most it may predispose to a tension headache (which should have been relieved with Advil).
Let me know if I can further assist you
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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