it can. pleurisy is an irritation of the pleura (the sack covering the lungs) and the inner rib wall. my doc says it is like filling the area with sand.
does your upper back/lung area hurt badly with plural effusion? . for 3 days now my mid-back where my lungs are hurt something awful when i try to move whether it be rolling over in bed or standing up from a chair. i have a cough when i lie down so i use my athma inhaler and cough syrup to try to relieve the cough so i can sleep. i've been taking ibuprofen for the lung pain but it doesn't help. today i have an icy hot patch on the middle of my back. can't say it helps but it doesn't make things worse.