My right arm, shoulder, and neck are paining. What to do?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 49-year-old male, and I have had pain in the right arm joint up to the shoulder and neck for the last few days. It increased from yesterday evening, and I have difficulty moving. For pain relief, I inconsistently took Combiflam.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

In my opinion, it could be due to some nerve irritation following neck spasms due to facet joint irritation. Nothing to worry about. As of now, I would advise you to

Keep icing frequently. Over the neck once every 2 hours for 15 mins.
Gentle massage over the neck will help you relax the tension in the back and front areas of the neck.
Gently stretch the neck muscle and hold it for a while, maybe around five seconds. The stretch should be very gentle so that it should not cause any pain due to excessive pressure applied.
Keep a rolled towel under the neck and lie on it.
Keep the side of the pain slightly bent so that you feel completely comfortable and maintain that position for a few minutes.
Do mild chin tuck exercises.
Do hydrate yourself and drink a lot of water. If possible, take ORS (oral rehydration salts) occasionally.

If irritation reduces, try to maintain the neck in mild arching by placing a hand on the chin while lying down over the stomach. Hold this for at least 5 mins. During this, you should not experience any pain in the shoulder. There will be a pain in the back of the neck.