Question
I have been experiencing shoulder pain going up through my neck and now the neck and shoulder still hurts but now im having chest pain especially breathing and caughing. it is the right shoulder and the right side of my chest. on tuesday i picked up a dresser so i am not sure if this cauased the problem

Answer
Dear Jason,

Straining while attempting to perform a lift or actually completing that lift can easily result in a strain/sprain injury resulting in local inflammation, pain and radiating pain.  Especially if the nerve roots in the neck are inflamed.  

Additional problems can be raised if you strained the associated joint spaces of the sternum/rib/vertebra articulations of the ribcage.  These can be extremely painful and result in traveling pain away from the primary site of injury.  If the joints have become fixated or restricted, this can also result in reduced range of motion and pain, and those joints would need to be mobilized to promote proper biomechanical movement and allow for improved function.

The best thing to do right now is utilize ice to help control local inflammation where the pain is felt or some over the counter pain meds for inflammation reduction.  Monitor your symptoms for a few days to see if it is getting better or worse.  If the pain or dysfunction persists or gets worse then schedule an appointment to have it looked at.

Good Luck Jason.

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net