Follow-Ups to Answer from Expert Heidi Crawford

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lld wrote at 2006-09-30 08:10:16
Have your spleen checked for enlargement or swelling which can cause left shoulder pain, gas and weight loss, among several other symptoms.

Your doctor can check your spleen with a simple few pushes, if no pain no worry.

Best of luck.

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Doc Mike wrote at 2007-03-08 22:13:22
Judith, you may not want to jump into the recommendations given by Heidi immediately. The first thing that should be done is consult with your physician, and if you do not have one ask around for a recommendation to an orthopedic doctor or at the least a family physician. Although Heidi may mean well she is not exactly correct on her information.  The neck is not the only place an injury could have occurred causing pain into the arm.  Although some of the symptoms she describes can come from a neck injury, your report of a snap in the rib area would not indicate an injury to the neck.  The possibility of a separate shoulder injury, damage to your pectoral muscles, or several other possible problems could be contributing to your arm pain.  Without a full screening and diagnosis (possibly with the use of an X-ray or MRI to help further visualize either the shoulder or neck area), you are attempting to treat a problem you are unsure of what it is.  Treatment for a neck problem my aggravate a shoulder problem and visa versa.  As for being sent to physical therapy by an MD, Heidi again is making a very generalized statement.  A good therapist will also screen your signs and symptoms, set up a treatment plan based on the assessed findings, and will look to treat the source of the problem and not just the symptoms.  If successful you can get full resolution of the problem and not just temporary relief. Being a physical therapist and a certified athletic trainer it is a little insulting to hear that someone still believes that all we do is use "hotpacks, ultrasound, massage, electric stimulation"  Be cautious in taking advice from someone who feels they can correctly diagnose you from a brief description of your pain.  And just an FYI a McKenzie Certified Therapist is typically a Physical Therapist or Occupational Therapist Certified in the specific area of training related to the McKenzie approach.  Get a diagnosis from a qualified health care professional so that you can get the best care possible for your problem. Good Luck.

Mike  DPT,ATC

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Mj wrote at 2007-03-08 23:06:32
Spleen pain only refers to L shoulder. Referred to as a Kerrs Sign, and if the spleen was injured the patient would be in serious medical condition within hours.  

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kassi wrote at 2010-01-18 00:22:41
My boyfriend has been living with right rib and shoulder pain for 7 years now and we've been through 8 doctors trying to find the cause of the pain so we can make it stop or at least manage it. Good luck on that search because we've found nothing yet. It seems that doctors don't really want to look into it but we've told them up front, we don't want pain killers or any kind of narcotic, we want results.They still treat us like we don't know what we're talking about and like there's nothing going on. Once again, good luck

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