Question
I had a cold the past several days & was coughing quite a bit.  When I woke up a couple of days ago, my shoulder hurt & I now find that I am unable to life my arm.  Although it is somewhat uncomfortable at times, it's not really ever painful.  What happens, however, is that it feels really heavy & I just do not have the strength to lift it up more than about 45 degrees.  Could this just be something muscular related to coughing that will go away by itself? thanks

Answer
Dear Cheryl,

Thank you for your question.  

Even though medical diagnosis is not a service that I would provide in my field, I would say to you that diagnosis under the best of circumstances is something of an art.  It would be irresponsible for anyone to give you a guess by e-mail or the web about your situation.  Diagnostic work and therapeutic advice is difficult enough when done properly.  It becomes a riskier proposition when done poorly.  

You would be best served getting opinions from someone with first-hand knowledge about you, not a limited acquaintance through correspondence.  Anyone who is willing to speculate about your situation by e-mail is providing you little more than a guess and perhaps a dangerous one, at that!  

Cheryl, I hope you understand the seriousness of this advice and seek appropriate information in person from a qualified provider.  

Sincerely,
James W. Healey, D.C.