Hello A.J.,
I agree with your wife. This may be a pinched nerve as your symptoms are classic.
I would suggest making an appointment with your doctor; however, having suffered a pinched nerve myself, I have found the best treatment was seeking a consult with a chiropractor.
When I went to my doctor, he wrote a prescription for pain medication, but I really didn't want to take it long term. A docor that I worked with in the OR, referred me to a chiropractor and my symptoms resolved in two weeks.
The chiropractor performed deep tissue massage, gentle stretching & rotation exercise, along with heat, ice and other modalities.
If you are not sure about the chiropractor, you could ask your doctor for a prescription for Physical Therapy.
Here is some info related to pinched nerve:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pinched-nerve/AN00524
http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article232.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_6661_treat-pinched-nerve.html