Question
Hello Dr. Starbuck. My name is Robbie and I am 29yrs old. I have some pains that are starting to make me worried. About a month and 1/2 ago I woke up one morning and  I thought my heart was hurting at first. Next day I could tell it was not my heart but was outside my ribcage and felt like my muscle. The next few days it moved from there gradually under my armpit and around to my back under my shoulder blade. This is when it really got painful to sleep. Still hurting around my shoulder blade it then came up over my shoulder hurting, then within the next few days the pain moved down my upper arm. With it still hurting from my shoulder blade on to this point, the pain then went down my fore arm with constant pain. The next day my index finger from the tip to the middle went numb, and then the day after the tip of my thumb went numb, they went numb for a week and a half. I had a piercing pain at this time in my back felt like under my shoulder blade near my spine. When I was up moving this pain under my shoulder blade didn't hurt but when I moved a certain way it would send a jolt of pain, and when I was trying to sleep I had to lay on my right side as if I laid on my left or just on my back this piercing pain would not quit. All at the same time my arm was hurting from about 5in both ways down and up from my elbow. Well 1 day came I got the feeling back in my fingers but they went numb again the next day. About 8 days have passed and the piercing pain under my shoulder blade has went away and I can now lay on my back, but my fingers are semi numb and my arm still hurts. The majority of the pain now is in the topside of my forearm. Do you have any idea what this could be or be able to point me to someone who may. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Answer
Without a proper exam I am just speculating, but it sounds like you have 2 or more different problems going on.  You could have some organ issues going on, such as liver, gall bladder, pancreas, again without a proper exam I'm not sure.  The pain in your back sounds like you have a rib subluxation (fancy word for saying it is out of place), it is common and treatable.  The arm pain and numbness can come from multiple areas, starting in the neck where the nerves for the arm exit the spine, to your shoulder or your elbow.  Again, without proper exams in person, it's hard to give you an exact answer.  My strongest suggestions is to see a chiropractor.  I am biased because I am a doctor of chiropractic, but I also worked in the medical field and know all those doctors are going to do is take an xray or MRI, give you pain medicine and muscle relaxers and hope the problem resolves.  The chiropractor will identify the problem, and through a series of treatments can help resolve the problem, without dangerous medication and actual hands on help.  If you don't see a chiropractor, go to www.sorsi.com to find a doctor near you.  I am in this group and would trust any other these doctors with my own family.  If you are in or near Minnesota near the Twin Cities, or if you have any other questions or concerns or need help locating a doctor, please email me.

Dr. Starbuck