[Evans, Marv]

What James said. In the '90s I had a bad coughing spell. During one episode, the left side, shoulder blade area of my back started paining really badly all of a sudden. In a fairly short time it developed into a numbing pain across the top, back of my left shoulder, down the triceps area, through my elbow joint, down the back of my fore arm, through the left side of my palm, and my little finger & the one next to it. For a couple of years or more it persisted severely. I couldn't stretch my left arm out to the steering wheel, because that movement initiated severe nerve pain. The doctor told me it was most likely a pinched nerve caused by an arthritic condition in my neck where the nerve exited that area. It persisted for years, & pain killers didn't help at all. Over the years it slowly subsided, most likely because the nerve(s) adapted or my mind developed a defense to the pain. I can still feel it at times in the background.