Weird shoulder pain / tingle

I’ve been having this weird pain/tingling sensation in my left shoulder that’s been bugging me for a while now. I think it all started when I took my family on a vacation in September. Sleeping on a really flat hotel pillow caused this pinched nerve feeling on the left hand side of my neck. I get these when I sleep in a bad position from time to time, and they usually go away on their own. But this one has persisted, and even now after a month, I still feel it when I stretch my neck by looking up or looking down (but not if I turn my head side to side). Maybe associated with this neck pain, and maybe not, but about three weeks ago I started noticing a numbing sensation in the very tip of my left thumb. A few days later I noticed a tingling sensation in my left arm. It first started in my fingers, then quickly it progressed to the whole arm.

Also, about 4 weeks ago I started doing some fairly intensive shoulder workouts on the gymnastic rings, so I cannot totally rule that out as a cause either. However, I stopped doing those shoulder workouts 2 weeks ago, but the shoulder issue didn’t go away. The numbing sensation at the very tip of my left thumb is also still there, not sure if those two problems are related, but they occurred in about the same timeframe.

Right now the shoulder doesn’t hurt or tingle all the time, it comes and goes with no discernable pattern. The sensation originates right in the middle of my left deltoid muscle, sometimes it just tingles, sometimes it’s a dull ache. It doesn’t feel muscular, i.e., it doesn’t feel like sore muscle or muscle pain. It feels deeper, like maybe in the nerves. It doesn’t hurt when I press on it, nor have I lost any strength or mobility in that shoulder. In fact, movement and exercise seem to prevent it from occurring. When I’m climbing, it doesn’t hurt at all. It’s more noticeable when I’m sitting (like in front of my computer). So what happens is that I feel great on weekends since I’m usually on my feet moving or doing stuff, so I think the problem is gone. Then once Monday rolls around and I’m sitting at work most of the day, it comes right back. (Sounds like a perfect excuse to get out of work? Maybe my boss is reading this?)

I’ve been hoping that it would go away on its own, but so far it hasn’t. It started again today, so I’ve been trying to get an appointment to see a doctor, but funny enough all the highly rated doctors I tried in my area are not taking new patients. The ones that have appointment available have one star out of possible five in online ratings. I’m going to keep trying to find a good doctor, but has anyone experienced similar problems and knows what may be going on with my shoulder?

I am trying to see a doctor, but it seems a bit excessive to go all the way to Canada for a shoulder pain.

That sounds like a nerve issue, stemming from a bulged or herniated disk in the cervical spine. 

I had the same thing, down my left arm and pins and needles. It’s a common symptom of “tech neck”. For me the chiropractor, attention to my posture and McKinsey method of PT did the trick. 

Austin L wrote:

That sounds like a nerve issue, stemming from a bulged or herniated disk in the cervical spine. 

Where were you 7 years ago?!   I saw a doctor, got a MRI, and the cause was exactly what you said. It was a bulging disk in my neck pressing on the nerve. All the sitting I do at work was not helping. I got a standing desk and the problem sort of went away after a while.

aikibujin wrote:

Where were you 7 years ago?!   I saw a doctor, got a MRI, and the cause was exactly what you said. It was a bulging disk in my neck pressing on the nerve. All the sitting I do at work was not helping. I got a standing desk and the problem sort of went away after a while.

It takes one to know one lol. I injured mine a few years ago and re aggravated several times since. I finally got an MRI last year when the acute pain didn’t improve after a couple of months. Still working though some residual stuff… Glad to hear you got past yours!