What causes pain in shoulder followed by nerve pain in wrist?
Patient: Hi! On Thursday I was in a very minor car accident and was totally fine, but a day later my shoulder had a dull pain and felt weak, that has gone away for the most part, but now I feel like something is wrong in my wrist. It feels like nerve pain when you run your fingers over it. Also I have been feeling a some pain, almost like a pulled muscle or headache at the base of my neck. All of these are on the same side. I was wondering if they are related, what could be wrong, and if I need to see a doctor. Doctor: Hi,Thanks for writing in.Sorry to hear about your car accident and hope you are not having much pain and discomfort. Due to sudden movements you might have hurt your neck. This is where the nerves supplying hand and wrist originate. It is usual for a person not to start having more pain a day after a minor traumatic incident. The muscles go into spasm maximum a day after the injury. This is due to release of small amounts of neural transmitters which cause the pain. You are having the pain more on the second day for this reason. This should improve over a week after applying ointments containing pain relievers and muscle relaxants. A X ray of cervical spine might help to confirm that your spine is normal and not a concern.