Question
I'm trying to post this in as many places as I can in order to get help for my husband, so I apologize for any cross-posting...

My husband has worked very hard for seven years at a highly physically strenuous job, and
over the past two has encountered severe shoulder pain. He's the type of person who will
"tough it out" despite any pain, but five months ago it peaked, and he went to the ER. He
describes his pain like a vice squeezing his right shoulder constantly, getting worse if he
uses his arm for any reason or lays on it. If you even touch his collarbone in a certain
area, the first two fingers on his right hand go numb. He describes pins and needles in both
the shoulder and fingers when used for anything beyond laying limply.

He eventually took himself to the ER, who sent him to an orthopedic surgeon. There he
received an MRI, x-rays, and was sent to a neurologist and physical therapist. The
orthopedist ultimately said that the numbness in his fingers was a product of carpal tunnel
syndrome, and even went as far as to say it was in BOTH wrists, because of the existence of
a scar on his LEFT arm. The physical therapist actually laughed at that, and said there was
absolutely no evidence of CTS. Still, the orthopedist actually said, "You're too young to be
experiencing symptoms to that degree," and to, "Go ahead and try working, come back to see
me in three months," totally dismissing his pain. He did go back to work on light duty, and
just riding around in a golf cart for three days made his pain worse than it had been
before. We heard from other patients that this orthopedist had a bias against workman's comp
cases, so we sought a second opinion.  

The MRI showed a deterioration of cartiledge around the AC joint, indicating osteoarthritis,
so the new orthopedist tried administering cortisone shots for two months, with no pain
relief whatsoever. Other pain medications haven't been able to hold a flame to his pain. The
orthopedist then concluded that the cortisone would have helped if the problem was anything
he could help with, but once again, another doctor was saying he was too young to
contemplate the surgery he was hoping to get to alleviate his pain, that he "wouldn't feel
right" doing it, and that the procedure probably wouldn't help with his pain, anyway.

I did some research online, and have come to suspect some kind of nerve damage in his
shoulder. He hasn't slept on his right side in ages, and can't even lift a jug of milk
without dropping it in pain. It's been five months of this consistenly, and it took all this
time for the orthopedist simply to say, "The pain and numbness are not within our realm of
understanding." All this time, his pain hasn't diminished at all. Now they're telling him
they don't know, so go back to work, and I'm deathly afraid that he is going to injure
himself further. I can personally attest to his daily struggle with this pain; it's driven
him to tears on more than one occasion, and he even mowes our entire lawn with one arm. He's
an extrememly hard worker, and that is why he is in this situation. The irony of it is, by
going back to work right now and saying all the time off was inconclusive, he looks like he
was just faking to get out of work, when he is the most dedicated person to it, and the last
man on earth to even THINK of anything like that! He is stir crazy being out of work, but we
don't want him to go back unless we're sure he's okay, and he's not. This pain is caused by
something, and we're desperate for anwswers. Our infant daughter is due to be born in 8
weeks, and I just want him to be able to lift her when she's born. Please help- is this
nerve damage? What can we do?

Answer
Hello Erin

I am so sorry that you and your husband are going through this and I can only imagine the emotional ramifications of all this on your family.

I am so sorry to tell you this, but my expertise is in hips, not shoulders so I can't give you any specific information but maybe some of my suggestions will help you see what your next step will be.

First of all, never accept the reasoning that your husband is "too young" to suffer from any malady. If I wasn't tested at age 14 for kidney failure, I would have died.  Three doctors glossed over my problem.

I had awful pain in my shoulders a few months ago and it radiated into my chest as well.  I was not in as much pain as your husband but if I reached for items on shelves, I felt like my shoulders were snapping and they came out of joint.  I was also having problems with terrible cramping in my legs.  All my primary doctor said was to "exercise" with free weights and to drink more water.  In my heart, I knew something was not right so I saw another doctor who took a blood test and determined that my vitamin D level was too low and I was vitamin D deficient and that if it were not caught when it was, I could have developed rickets.  My problem was misdiagnosed and now that I have been on vitamin D supplements all my symptoms are gone.

I don't know where you live, but there is a hospital in Alexandria Virginia that houses the Engh clinic.  I was sent there for my osteo-arthritis and they specialize in bone studies.  That would be my first suggestion.  Get your husband to that clinic.  If you can't find the number under Engh clinic, look for Dr. Charles Engh and he works out of Mount Vernon hospital in Arlington VA.

The other place you can go is the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.  Those are the top hospitals for bone diseases.  I have heard of a doctor named Dr. Padgett who used to work out of that hospital.  Either of those places would be a starting point.

You might also look at the Mayo Clinic.  If none of these things work, find the largest TEACHING hospital in your area and take your husband to that teaching hospital.  Look for the chair of the department of neurology or orthopedics.

I truly hope I have helped and I hope you get your answers soon.

Sharon Davis