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What Causes Shoulder Pain And Inability To Bend Little Finger After An Injury?

Posted on Sat, 3 May 2014

Question: I injured my right shoulder 3 weeks ago when I was moving 3 large marble tiles, tripped and fell hitting my shoulder full force into the wall. Now, not only does it hurt all the time, but I wake up in the mornings with the inability to bend my right little finger down for about 10 min. I am unable to sleep on my right side due to pain. Pain pills have no effect. Any suggestions as to what might be causing this weird sx?

Answered by Dr. Mukesh Chugh (37 minutes later)

Brief Answer: X ray of shoulder is recommended Detailed Answer: Hi Thanks for writing Based on your description of injury along with medical history, it is advisable to get x ray done of your shoulder. Mean while you may continue with Ice fomentation (3-4 times a day), rest by having cuff and neck sling, Take drugs like aceclofenac along with trypsin/chymotrypsin to reduce pain and swelling, and avoid sleeping on the injured site. These are prescription only drug's so you may have to contact your local doctor. Regarding little finger do you have any bruise or change in shape as compare to normal site, if yes, you may get x ray done. Mean while if possible you may do strapping of injured little finger with the nearby normal finger. Words of caution do not give too much compression while strapping otherwise it will with blood supply and pain will become worse. Hope this information suffices. Take care and I shall be glad to answer any further query. Regards Dr.chugh

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj

Follow up: Dr. Mukesh Chugh (3 hours later)

The shoulder X-Ray looked fine. No bruising to little finger. Have complete ROM, but they want an MRI for a possible torn rotator cuff-the sx I am having don't seem to indicate a rotator cuff problem. Do you agree? Thanks. XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Mukesh Chugh (2 hours later)

Brief Answer: Rotator cuff tear leads to weakness with or withou Detailed Answer: Hi It’s good to see you. After going through the whole discussion we had, you need physical examination to rule out the cause of your pain. The main symptoms of a complete rotator cuff tear are weakness. With or without pain. You may do certain test at home which may rule out/confirm the rotator cuff tear- Hold your arm straight out to your side (90 degrees) with your thumb down. Lower your arm slowly. If it drops suddenly, you probably have a rotator cuff tear. You may have the following test done after discussion with your doctor- Injecting an anaesthetic into your shoulder may relieve pain but will not restore strength if you have a torn rotator cuff. You may have a rotator cuff tear but still have normal shoulder motion and strength. In these cases, the tear is usually mild. It may be hard to tell the difference between partial tears of the rotator cuff and rotator cuff tendinitis or bursitis. Based on the above discussion if you feel you have symptoms then you may get MRI done to find out the cause. On the other hand if your pain has decreased over the last 3 weeks and you do not have above said symptoms then you may take a course of analgesic along with physiotherapy to reduce the pain. Hope this information suffices. Take care and I shall be glad to answer any further query. Regards Dr.chugh

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D