ARm/shouler pain x6yrs

[malaikaz]

6 years ago I developed right arm pain after my daughter was born. I was using this arm alot to hold her for breastfeeding and she slept on my right foreman for 3 months straight. I developed a bump on my right hand/wrist. I saw a hand surgeon who tried cortison injections. I then had a tendon release and bone spurs shaved. The pain persisted. I saw another hand surgeon who did a wrist arthroscopy and found 3 torn wrist ligaments and repaired them with Kirschner wires. Again no pain relief. This doctor moved out of state so I saw a 3rd hand surgeon who thought it might be radial nerve entrapment due to the pain being worst in my foreman. I had a radial nerve release surgery. Again, no pain relief. I saw a pain doc who did a nerve block thru my neck. It didnt help, he offered me Methadone but I declined. I have been on all the nerve meds with no relief. The past few years the pain has been be really bad in y right shoulder as well. The front of my should near the chest area and the shoulder blade. I am unable to wear a bra strap as this increases the shoulder/arm pain. The pain in constant and worse with activity such as brushing my hair, cooking/stirring, lifting, writing, swimming, carrying anything. The right hand/arm is always freezing cold and my hand/fingers are swollen 24/7.I cannot sleep on my right side. I want to get rid of pain and figure out what is the cause. I do not believe it is the arm anymore. Im wondering if it could be due to a cervical problem or Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. I dont know where I should go from here.

[malaikaz]

Thanks for all the information!

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!

Pain in the shoulder in the front aspect along with arm pain in the front region (known as anterior shoulder pain) can be due to rotator cuff injury, injury to labrum, arthritis, bicep tendon injury, shoulder dislocation, thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), pinched spinal nerves in the cervical spine, fracture of the upper arm bone etc. You need to be examined by an orthopedic specialist and may need X-ray and MRI of the shoulder joint, cervical spine etc for confirmed diagnosis.
probably Scalene Myofascial Pain Syndrome. When scalene muscle is the cause of pain, the pain is referred from neck to (either all or a combination of) chest, inner lining of scapula (shoulder bone), shoulder, posterior and lateral sides of the arm right up to the thumb and index finger. When this muscle shortens, this can press on brachial plexus (bundle of nerves and blood vessels in the armpit) and the subclavian artery and can compress or irritate these structures and cause symptoms such as abnormal sensation, cold extremity, spasms of pain, and lymphedema (swelling of lymph channels causing swelling of arm or leg) in the involved extremity. Treatment is by physiotherapy that involves indentifying the trigger points, and massaging them, and other exercises to relieve the muscle tension. This is a major cause of TOS.  Other than this it can be inflammation of veins or phlebitis, inflammation of lymph channels or lymphangitis, deep vein thrombosis or compartment syndrome.
Since a confirmed diagnosis cannot be given on net please consult your doctor regarding these possibilities. Hope this helps. Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.