stabbing pain inside shoulder blade when raise opposite arm or elevate shoulders

by marc
(tokyo, japan)

Degenerate uncinate process can cause chronic numbness in the hand.

Degenerate uncinate process can cause chronic numbness in the hand.

Hello

Thanks for your page. I suddenly have a burning/stabbing pain in the rhomboid area, near the upper medial scapula border, right around rhomboids; its not constant. It started suddenly and only when raising heavy object with opposite side arm above head height or elevate shoulders (no weight); it's very odd. sharp, stabbing; mild numbness in hand, but I've always had that.

I tried cervical traction for 10 min, 2x one day, as well as massage levator scap and scalenes, but no change; then I did RC massage with lacrosse ball (infra, supra, teres, subscap)…again no change. not sure how to pinpoint this or how to treat. I was on vacation when this happened, but I'm an active athlete.
any ideas? Thanks!

Hello Marc,
What concerns me is the mild numbness in your hand that you've had for an extended period; that always means that something significant is happening.

I take it what you are feeling in your arm hasn't worsened.

Do movements of your head and neck provoke anything? A deep breath?

Usually pain in that area comes either from the lower neck that supplies the rhomboids and levator scap, or a rib head; but there are a lot of things relating to the chest, thoracic spine and other organs that can do it too.

A thorough exam is needing, including xrays of your neck.

Dr B

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