Expert: Dr. Victor Dolan, DC, DACBSP - 12/2/2008

Question
About 4 weeks ago my boyfriend woke up with sharp pain in his shoulder. He did not remember injuring it in any way and thought he just slept on it wrong.  It felt better when there was tension on his arm (holding something heavy or someone pulling on it).  He said it felt better when he was working (maybe because he was too busy to notice it).  It lasted for about a week and he said it hurt the most when he woke up but it hurt with no relief the whole time.  He took Tylenol, ibuprofen, and aspirin.  He tried cold packs, hot packs, even arthritis cream.  None of these things worked.  Then he woke up one day and it was gone. So we were both happy.  Then two days ago he woke up in the morning and the pain was back (about a month between incidents and both occurring on waking).  Again he doesn't remember anything happening to it and again none of the pain medicine or packs work.  He says it is a sharp pain like someone is trying to seperate his shoulder and it is on the top and outside of the shoulder. Yesterday he started saying that when he takes a deep breath that it hurts his chest and ribs (they feel bruised) and today he said sometimes it hurts his chest just normally breathing.  What could this possibly be?  It went away for a month and is now back. He won't go to the doctor because he doesn't have health insurance.  What can we do to alleviate the pain?  He says that massage doesn't seem to help either.  Please help us.  I don't know if it matters but he is 21.  Thank you for your time.

Brandy

Answer
Hello Brandy,

Sorry to hear of your boyfriends shoulder pain.

I am also sorry to give you an answer you do not want to hear.

Unexplained pain needs an explanation.  

If you wake up sore or hurting or in pain,,, but you know you drank too much the night before-- you have a hangover, you have an explanation,,,,, nothing to worry about.  If you wake up sore or hurting or in pain, but played basketball for the first time in years, and played for two hours yesterday,,,,,,,,, you have an explanation, nothing to worry about.

Unexplained pain needs an explanation.  Unexplained pain needs an analysis, an evaluation, a diagnosis-  this must be performed by a health professional.

Persistent pain needs explanation.

If you are in army boot camp, and everyday there is increased physical demands; more running, more exercise, less sleep--- and you have a month or two of pain,,,,,,, well you have a reason why.
Persistent pain needs an explanation.  Persistent pain needs an analysis, an evaluation, a diagnosis-  this must be performed by a health professional.  Pain for over a month???- needs evaluation.

Increasing pain, changing pains; need explanation.

Again, if you just took up boxing a month ago, and everyday is a new boxing training bout, more pain, different pains, persistent pain; all have an explanation.  No reason why?- get an evaluation.

Sorry, wish I could you offer you more.

Your boyfriend needs to see a Doctor.  Whether MD or DC or a hospital emergency room while he is hurting------ he needs an evaluation.

I am sorry, I really do not have any other recommendation.

Dr. Vic Dolan, DC
http://drvictordolan.chiroweb.com     (email newsletter)