The steroid injections seemed to ease things for about 2 weeks, after that no effect. I didn't think they would, but no Doctor has bothered looking at my spine even though I've complained about it. I am still waiting for my Jan 9th appointment, or if I happened to get scheduled somewhere else earlier. They seem to just dismiss the back pain as overcompensation. I will have to try to put more emphasis on it at my next appointment.
Hello dear, I completely empathize with what you are going through. Tendonitis and rotator cuff tear could cause pain and difficulty in raising arm above head. The tingling and numbness is felt in both the arms, you have neck stiffness, sharp shooting pain down your left arm and severe neck stiffness and cannot be justified by shoulder injury alone. Did the steroid injections in the shoulder joint help? The x-rays and MRI of shoulder would not show the spine so you need a separate MRI spine to check.
I have not. Actually on 11/12/11 I ended up going into the emergency room. I could barely move my neck from side to side and was in terrible pain. The MRI that I had was of my right shoulder (which the ER Dr explained that it showed my back).. but that wouldn't necessarily include my spine would it? I am currently on Ibu 600's and Valium. As far as I know they have not done anything to actually look at my spine itself. I have only been told that the x-rays and mri show my back as well. The Dr in the emergency room said that nothing else could be done, gave me the Ibu 600's, Valium, and some sort of a shot before sending me out the door.
Dear Activechick, welcome to the medhelp forum. I can understand your predicament well and empathize with you. Did you get an MRI spine particularly cervical spine? There could be a prolapsed cervical intervertebral disc causing these symptoms. Consult a neurologist for a clinical evaluation and correlation with MRI spine findings. Management would depend on the cause. You could be prescribed analgesics like NSAIDs, epidural injection of steroids, acupressure. If the pain is, excruciating and symptoms of nerve compression persist despite the above measures.
You are most welcome with any further clarifications.
Wish you all the very best.