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Why do I keep getting random aches and pains on my left?
22, bio female, wears a chest binder
A while ago I suddenly had this intense, horrible shooting pain radiating from the left side of my neck. It was so awful I could barely move without crying, so I went to the ER. While there my face and some part of the back of my head started feeling weird and kind of numb. I went home without being seen because an aleve I took started kicking in, my vitals were fine, and I didn’t want a huge bill. The pain (and slight numbness) went away and I forgot about it.
Since then I’ve been feeling slight aches in seemingly random parts of my body. Easy to ignore and go about my day but still noticeable, and always on my left side. Some examples include:
• fingers aching for 20 minutes after squeezing a wash cloth
• knee aching while standing
• ache in arm above elbow
• pin prick (like a single prick) sensation on upper arm
None of these instances lasted more than a matter of minutes and were isolated. There doesn’t seem to be any consistency except for (mostly) dull aching and being on the left. My left shoulder also crackles pretty noticeably when I rotate it as opposed to my right.
This isn’t significantly effecting my life, but it’s gone on long enough for me to be confused and curious. Any thoughts?
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So, it was bad enough for you to go to the emergency department but while there you wouldn't let them treat you?
I'm concerned about you. Do you think if it continues you should see a doctor about your symptoms?
I was waiting about 6 hours, and decided to leave and go to immediate care instead. My partner and I have enough medical bills as it is because of his own condition, and my family had me convinced it was probably just a pinched nerve. Immediate care was unconcerned and thought my neck was probably just stiff, though they admitted they didn't have the tools necessary to check for a pinched nerve. The pain dissipated over that night/ next day, and I haven't had a problem with it since. Then after I've started feeling aches on my left side during isolated incidents when I normally wouldn't before that. I wouldn't even describe it as pain, more "huh, that's a bit uncomfortable." I guess I can also describe it as now I occasionally don't "bounce back" right away. Like ringing out a rag made my left fingers a bit sore, sitting a bit too long on my left ankle made me limp slightly for just a couple minutes when I got up, just little stuff like that.
If the "holy f*ck I can't move the upper half of my body more than an inch without feeling like I'm getting shot" pain happens again, definitely taking an Aleve and scheduling a doctor's appointment. Not doing so now because I don't have the money for a problem that barely effects me for maybe a few minutes at a time. (The crunchy shoulder is all the time, but it doesn't really feel like anything.)
I am sorry that you are going through that. It's terrible that healthcare in America is so expensive.
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3 ReactionsCould be a side effect of the chest binder. As we are all assymetrical, there may be some imbalance that the binding agravates on the variant side. I wouldn' t presume to advise you about the binding. But, suggest that you might see a chiropractor. It is good to pay attention to these aches and pains. Transcient now can be permanent later.
Plausible, could an issue like that really span that wide of a surface area in my body?
elliothelliot,
I'll say yes because I'm a bit assymetrical and it affects my entire frame with unexpected pangs some seeming to depend upon my position. Slight movements or position shifts constrictive clothing in the upper or mid body can get my attention. The rib cage can affect everything. Those pang are shifty. Chasing them around with ice packs helps. I've had good luck with chiropractors. They are the best at explaining the mechanics of movement. You may have something more exotic than I do, or more complex. I hope (and think) you'll find relief.
Good call on going to immediate (or sometimes called Urgent) care instead of the ER. People are seen a lot faster at an Urgent Care Center if there is one near you. They can't prescribe scheduled drugs and don't have the full capabilities of an ER, but a lot of our problems can be addressed first at Urgent Care. And if they can';t help you, they'll give you a referral which will speed things up.
I'm not sure what to say about your symptoms. You're awfully young to be going through this I think.
You did mention you wear a chest binder. I'm not familiar with these but basically sounds like a version of a corset but for TG bio females. Do you think this could be causing problems?
All the best to you.
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-chest-binding
You are likely aware of this, so ignore if that's the case. It does come from WebMD and that is usually a reliable medical source.
Feel better.
I would make an appointment with your primary doctor and tell them about your aches and pains they might be might suggest physical physical therapy.therapy they might do blood work and do X-rays and go on from there. It might sound like you might have Lupus I'm not sure I'm not going to doctor I'm not a nurse or you might have something called rheumatoid arthritis I would just suggest go try to get a primary and tell them to primaries are the best people to sort stuff out ER is don't really give you answers to primaries doctor 💊 are the ones that are supposed to get stuff figured out😁 hope to get it figured out.