Question
The pain in my shoulder and neck started over a year ago.  I just noticed it one day.  The pain startd out as if I had a stiff neck, then it went away.  Then some days I would feel shooting pains from my shoulder down to my elbow, which would come and go.  Some days I could barely raise my arm due to the stiffness and pain in my shoulder.  Other days I would feel completely fine.
Now, for the past month my shoulder and neck has been hurting every single day.  Yesterday it felt like an elephant was sitting on my shoulder.  I had shooting pains from my shoulder to my back and to my neck.  It also felt like someone was pinching my shoulder.  I had never felt that much pain before.  Today, it just feels like a stiff neck/shoulder.  
I'm not sure what I should do, or where I should go for help.  I'm 30 yrs. old, I have no medical problems.  I don't recall injuring my shoulder/neck, so I have no idea how this happened.  I've taken ibuprofen with little to no help, heat/ice helps a little.  Any advise on what to do would be great, thank you!

Answer
I can't give you a definite answer without a proper exam, but there are many things that could be causing the problem, from the actual shoulder joint to your hip to an organ such as your gallbladder flaring up.  My strongest suggestion is to get a chiropractic evaluation, but not all chiropractors are the same.  If you are interested, go to www.sorsi.com to locate a doctor near you.  I am a member of this group and we treat the body as a whole, we don't focus on one thing, we listen to what the body is telling us and treat it accordingly.  I am located in St. Paul, Minnesota and would be more than happy to see you.  If you have any other questions or concerns, please email me.

Dr. Starbuck