QuestionHi,
I was playing football with my friends on Thursday and when I was trying to be tackled, I went down to one knee and eventually fell but when I fell, I got a huge pain in my neck. It's on my right side only and the bone from my neck to my shoulder hurts (I'm not sure what bone that is).
I play baseball and I'm a pitcher. I threw one pitch with it and the pain went to my elbow and all the way back up my neck. After i threw one pitch, I couldn't throw a ball again for another 10 minutes because of the pain. Do you know what kind of injury this is? I was guessing it was a strain but I have no idea.
I am probably going to the doctor on Monday if it still hurts because I want to get this taken care of. I have been icing it since it happened on Thursday and it feels better while it's iced but after I take the ice off, it hurts when I try to move my arm backward to touch my back again. It really hurts when I wake up in the morning, it seems much worse in the morning and after I start using it more, the pain goes away.
It has not gotten much better since Thursday. I am used to knee injuries where as long as I get a good night sleep, 2 days and I'll be at 100%. I thought that this injury would be similar where I would sleep and rest and it would get better but it hasn't. Do you know what this is? Is this typical for such an injury?
sorry it was long but I need help.
thanks, Ray
AnswerDear Ray,
You do need to get to the doctor for an evaluation soon. There are some very complicated structures in the neck/shoulder: nerve bundles and vascular supply to the arms.
You could have broken your collar bone (clavicle), nerve root strain/compression, torn ligament in the shoulder (ac joint) or it could be as simple as a muscle tear. However, this needs to be determined. It is very difficult to determine the extent of injury without a proper examination, and you may need x-rays or an MRI as well.
Bottom line is get to the doctor and have it evaluated.
Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net
