Pain mid right back radiates down arm

I have pain in my mid right back near the scapula. It also radiates down my triceps into the outside of my forearm but not in the hand. It hurts to tilt my head up and down but not so much side to side. I have some twitches and a little weakness in the right tricep. The pain has been going on for about a month and a half. The pain goes away slowly when lying down and hurts again when I stand. I do mobile echocardiograms and sit a lot in the car and while scanning so assume that's what's causing the pain. I'm not sure if it is a trigger point or a pinched nerve.

Deep upper back pain that radiates to the arm is far more likely to be a nerve root condition, particularly as it's causing fasciculations and weakness in your triceps muscle. That incidentally is the most commonly muscle affected by a pinched nerve in the neck.

This is confirmed by the fact that movements of your neck provoke the pain.

What needs to be done is to test the reflexes and skin sensation, and just how weak the triceps is. Also you can do yourself the Upper Limb Tension Test which you'll find by using the search function at Chiropractic Help.

Then cervical compression tests should be done, and an x-ray, including oblique views, and perhaps an MRI.

Avoid carrying heavy things in your right arm.

You're fortunate you are not getting night pain; that's a common feature.

I hope this contributes.

Dr B

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