HiI have a male in his 70s who has pain in left shoulder and arm, with pins and needles in the hand - is this something to be worried about? and what can we do to alleviate this?  will ice and heat therapy help?  he also has heart problems, kidney and diabetes
Unexplained shoulder and arm discomfort with no apparent reason in a diabetic should be investigated. After you're sure the symptoms aren't the heart trying to sneak up on you, another possibility is nerve origin symptoms. Nerves in the neck or in the group of nerves that lie beneath the collar bone can be irritated. When they are, the shoulder and arm bother you as described. The person who can help prove this is a neurologist, either by examining the arm and reflexes or sometimes studying nerve function. Start with your primary doctor and make sure that it's not heart first.