Tingling and numbness on inner aspects of pinkie and ring finger pain and stiffness in neck, and R shoulders

by Jean
(Hampshire, UK)

Fell and fractured last 3 fingers in R hand Nov 14. Pneumonia and lung surgery (R LUNG) March 15. Noticed numbness and tingling a few days before collapsing with Pneumonia and Pleurisy in March. I am now recovering well but my neck and R shoulder are becoming increasingly painful with audible clicking and a 'crunching noise' when I turn my head. During my followup after lung surgery I discovered I have lost an inch in height so I am awaiting the result of a bone density scan (early menopause at 41 yrs, no HRT).


Up until my pneumonia I was a fit and healthy person; I exercise regularly and have a physically demanding job in Healthcare.

The car I was driving was hit from behind by a large lorry in 2010 but I did not experience any ill effects afterwards. I am becoming increasingly worried that I will not be able to return to my job. I recently had a long car journey and after 2 hours I had sciatica in both legs. At 56 I am starting to feel like an old lady!

So the numbness and tingling in the C8 dermatome began before the surgery to your lung, right? I don't quite understand; surgery for pneumonia must surely be very exceptional.

Conditions in the apex of the lung can certainly affect the brachial plexus and the pinkie and ring finger are most often affected. Are you a smoker? If there is a positive Upper Limb tension test, then I would think unrelated to the fractures in your fingers. Unless the fall also injured your neck.

During an anaesthetic, the neck is extended to keep the airway open; this is mostly the cause of your symptoms in the arm. It's not uncommon at all in chiropractic practice, and I would presume in physiotherapy clinics too.

Lots of coughing can certainly affect the lower back.

You have no specific question, so I hope this contributes.

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Jul 21, 2015
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by: Jean UK


» » Back neck and shoulder pain

Thank you for your reply. I had to have lung surgery to clean out my lung as medication and drainage were not clearing it fast enough.

I have recently been diagnosed with a right Frozen Shoulder which I believe is a common complication of lung surgery. I am having acupuncture to relieve the pain and stiffness but I am still suffering from neck pain and stiffness and pins and needles in my left hand and now cannot drive for longer than an hour before developing sciatica. I am still awaiting the results of a bone density scan 6 weeks ago but this may not explain my neck and hand symptoms as it only looked at my left hip and lower spine. My GP suspects I may have a collapsed disc and this seems to be a process of elimination as there may be a number of conditions which have all been triggered by my illness. My right shoulder was the most painful area so I am greatly relieved to be getting somewhere with that and I guess I'll just have to be patient and wait for my other problems to be dealt with one at a time although I suspect there is a connection which is why I mentioned my r.t.a. 5yrs ago as I have wondered if my lung illness exacerbated an underlying problem which would have eventually started to show itself.

Hello again, Jean,
A frozen shoulder is also a sequela of all the neck pain you are having. Look for the frozen shoulder exercises at Chiropractic Help, and discuss them first with the acupuncturist who is caring for you. You may find the shoulder won't go over until your neck has been treated and the tingling has stopped.

It's unlikely the bone density test will contribute much to these pains. They are not primarily caused by osteoporosis.

The test for the collapsed disc is the Slump test for sciatica. Let me know the result.

How was the Upper Limb tension test?

Dr B


» » Back neck and shoulder pain

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