Suggest treatment for strong neck pain and left arm pain
Patient: Hi, Recently, I ve been having strong neck pains. Now that pain is slowly going to my left arm, very achy. The past few days I ve noticed that my left upper chest is tightening up. The tightening/numbing sensation goes all the way up to the left side of my neck. I was recently diagnosed with anxiety. Am I just having a panic attack or is this really something I should be worried about? Theres no pain, just tightening. Especially if I lay down, the tightening gets worse. Please do tell me whats going on! Doctor: Hello,Your symptoms seem to be related to cervical radiculopathy, commonly called a "pinched nerve". It occurs when a nerve in the neck is compressed or irritated where it branches away from the spinal cord. I suggest using anti inflammatory medications such as Acetaminophen to relieve the pain. I also suggest to maintain the area immobilized to prevent further damage.Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.  Regards, Dr. Dorina Gurabardhi, General & Family Physician