So, a couple of months ago I injured my neck doing shrugs or shoulder presses.

Since then I keep having this stiffness and pain on the left side of my neck that now is starting to go away slowly. Last week my left tricep starting snapping. Its like my ulnar nerve was getting caught on something which caused pain from the tricep down to my forearm. Also last week, while trying to stretch by hanging from a pullup bar I started feeling a pain on my left shoulder which I still have.
I started reading to see if there's any correlation.
Since today I was thinking that it could be my levator scapulae that was hurting, but I did some reading and maybe I found the reason.

So I am thinking that when I was doing shrugs or shoulder presses, I injured my scalene muscles (or maybe hypertrophy from exercise), which in turn caused compression of my brachial plexus nerves. Those nerves are connected to the ulnar nerve. So maybe the compression of the brachial nerve caused the ulnar nerve to get shorter making it snap on my tricep.

Does this sound possible?

Welcome

yeah, that's familiar to me. I'm a bilateral TOSer. You seem to be pretty knowledgeable about how you feel and what's going on.

You need a good evaluation by a knowledgeable TOS provider. Do your homework so you don't waste your time and resources. It's hard to get a good diagnosis and plan for TOS. Jumping into something could cause you additional problems.

There's lots of info here to research.

I am all to familiar with the ulnar, elbow, forearm, wrist, thumbs, hands, pads of thumbs, underside of forearm... well, my upper body was affect by TOS and scalenes and pecs. It's taken 9 years to get it all figured out for me, so some of my better helpers were: Lidoderm 5% patches, keeping my upper body and arms to my fingers warms, fleece warm, Miracle Balls, pillows, Theracane, reachers and grabbers, help from my husband, changing vehicles from Ford Econoline to Jeep Limited, Estim at PT, PT, aqua therapy. Exercises, I'm afraid, didn't help my TOS and mingled neck and other symptoms, injections, sometimes cold things - a can of cold Pepsi . Putting my hairdryer on a stand... lots of things.

Ask you whatever you want. No question is too silly.

Hello,
hopefully it is just a bad strain and you can do some things to recover.
Sine it has been bothering a few months , I do suggest seeking out a very advanced PT or expert chiropractor.

One that can evaluate & treat to release the spasms or tightness in the muscles.
preferably with hands on modalities and gentleness.
- rest, warmth, gentle stretches, massage etc -

you might also need to look into gentle yoga & body work or other fitness styles and move away from reps & weights for awhile.

but a good PT or Chiro that does PT modalities should be able to get you started towards healing.

If they suggest bands or hand bikes or strengthening right off the bat - they are not good for rehabbing this injury!

Pain & symptoms must be resolved first!

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I hope its just a bad strain. I have an appointment with my gp on Friday. Will probably reffer me to a physical therapist.
But I am still not sure if I have TOS. From what I read her TOS causes a lot of pain. For me the neck pain is 99% gone The only pain I have really is my ulnar nerve which I injured because my bone or tricep was catching on the nerve. I only have a mild discomfort on my brachial plexus, which I think is causing the problem with the snapping tricep.
By the way, I also have a hip pain that seems to be neurological in nature. Does this have to do with TOS? Or is it unrelated?

mine started with similar symptoms on the right, not sure what you mean by snapping, but when my shoulder started making sound effects it did not hurt at 1st, but it all went downhill from there. however, no one agrees that mine is tos. my chiro is now calling it a muscle imbalance. be careful of surgeons who need to make a boat payment. get in touch with your gut feelings.

some will eventually get hip or leg pain, but I think much of that is due to the fascia - it seems it can get sticky and less flexible and can cause symptoms to travel.
learning about about fascia, really helped me in understanding a lot of my symptoms.

are your shoulders, ears, hips level or uneven ?

A really good PT - be sure to request a advanced /experienced one - the rookies just don't have the knowledge & experience to fully give the best eval & treatment.

I had one that was looking in his book to do the testing
and hge had me hold a 10lb weight at arms length trying to make my actual injury show up more so he could treat it !!!
hello multiple repetitive strain injuries here
luckily after 2 visits I saw my dr and he immediately moved me to a better PT place. {but it was for hand therapy only}
but then I got changed to a much better place due to w/c changes and there I got some good tx & pain from sx.

Hmm. I didnt know about fascia. I ll have a look. Looks like a possibility as well. Cause from what I ve read fascia is made out of collagen. And for the last two years I have to constatly put cream on my hands ,otherwise the skin cracks. Skin needs collagen to be elastic. I also have knee pain, which could also becaused by lack of collagen. Maybe I have collagen deficiency.
Doctors have it hard. The more you learn the more you realise that the possibilities are endless. And most of the times its hard to distinguish between the symptom and the cause.

I ve been taking creatine supplements to help me with my weight training. I ve read that:
"Creatine helps the muscle cell hold more water, which can expand the fascia of the muscle increasing its volume".
Could this also be the cause?

I don't know about that , you might post on the vitamin/supplements forum - mrsD is up on a lot of that info.
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum49.html

I do know that for most RSIs fluids & hydration is a good thing - keeps things sliding and free - but then fluid retention can be a problem due to pressures....

many of us tend to get clogged up lymph nodes - I get puffy lymph glands in my arm pits if I hold a book out for too long or use my arms out for extended times or static postures.

another thing to look into...

Thanks, I ll ask there.It could also bemy low fat diet. Fat is also providing lubrication for the muscles and joints and nervesto move easier, isnt it?