Suspected nerve problem

[Hostile0311]

Hello,
I have never posted a thread in this forum before nor do I have any medical expertise. I hope I am not stepping on my crank here by asking for some advice. I realize the internet is no substitute for a clinical diagnosis but I thought I would inquire to the readers and QP's of this site who have a vast amount of knowledge of which to glean information & advice. I am a 30 yr old prior sevice Marine living on the island of Malta in the Med. Recently, I have been suffering from a pain in my in my upper back between my scapula and T-5/T-6 vertebrae. The pain also seems to radiate thru my chest to the left side of my sternum. It ranges in intensity from not at all to very painful depending on the activity. I can best describe it as a burning knife sensation between the shoulder blade and spine. It seems my arm/hand gets tired and cramped more easily when exerted and I also get pins & needles sensation at night. There is also a signifigant amout of audible 'popping' when i rotate my shoulder. I have seen the company I work for's physician and he gave me a cursory exam (no x-rays or anything) and told me it was a inflamed/impinged nerve and wrote a scrip for an anti-inflammatory as well as a muscle relaxer and sent me on my way. I was contemplating going to see an orthopedic specialist or a physio-therapist but the wait to see one here is a month or sometimes longer. The healthcare here is free hence the long waiting list. Also, the standard of care here is a bit lacking since the docs have to see a large number of patients since it is free. The only way to get seen right away is go to the ER and complain of severe pain. The meds seem to have a little effect (been on them now for 3 days) but the pain still persists. Does this malady sound strange? Does anyone have any advice/similar circumstance/previous experience/measures to take with this type of pain? Should I treat it as serious and get help at the ER ASAP or just suck it up and drive on? Again, please forgive me if I have posted out of my lane.
Thanks & Regards