Painful Shoulder
Discussion
Not sure if there is anything that can be done here but thought it was worth canvassing for advice really..
Back in late 2004 I fractured my right collarbone in a snowboarding fall, not unsurprisingly I did a fair bit of soft tissue damage in the process which was then exacerbated by having to immobilise the shoulder while the bone healed. My GP referred me to physiotherapy by the time I finally got a date (about 9 months after the injury) it was one I couldn't make so had to ask them for another appointment which never actually materialised, I know I should have chased it up but given the shoulder had improved quite a bit by this point and I had a lot of other stuff going on with work etc I never got around to it.
Unfortunately it never seemed to ever heal fully, it would often ache if I was tired or the weather was cold & damp that sort of thing and I just kind of accepted it as one of those things that you live with. Last couple of months however it has been getting noticeably worse
Yesterday was pretty much agony and I was consuming ibuprofen like they were smarties just to be able to get by! I can't think of any incident recently that sticks out in my mind as a potential trigger for this flare up. I moved house in November which obviously involved some heavy lifting but nothing outrageous and I think I'd have noticed if I'd pulled it or something. My current mattress is s
te which I don't think is helping and I have got a new memory foam one ready to swap in (once the shoulder feels up to lugging the old one out of the way!) but I can't see that being the sole reason for my current problems really.
So any ideas what to try next? I'm wondering about whether it's worth going to the doc's but I can't help but think that they will laugh me out the building when I say I'm having problems with something that happened nearly a decade ago!
Back in late 2004 I fractured my right collarbone in a snowboarding fall, not unsurprisingly I did a fair bit of soft tissue damage in the process which was then exacerbated by having to immobilise the shoulder while the bone healed. My GP referred me to physiotherapy by the time I finally got a date (about 9 months after the injury) it was one I couldn't make so had to ask them for another appointment which never actually materialised, I know I should have chased it up but given the shoulder had improved quite a bit by this point and I had a lot of other stuff going on with work etc I never got around to it.
Unfortunately it never seemed to ever heal fully, it would often ache if I was tired or the weather was cold & damp that sort of thing and I just kind of accepted it as one of those things that you live with. Last couple of months however it has been getting noticeably worse
Yesterday was pretty much agony and I was consuming ibuprofen like they were smarties just to be able to get by! I can't think of any incident recently that sticks out in my mind as a potential trigger for this flare up. I moved house in November which obviously involved some heavy lifting but nothing outrageous and I think I'd have noticed if I'd pulled it or something. My current mattress is ste which I don't think is helping and I have got a new memory foam one ready to swap in (once the shoulder feels up to lugging the old one out of the way!) but I can't see that being the sole reason for my current problems really.So any ideas what to try next? I'm wondering about whether it's worth going to the doc's but I can't help but think that they will laugh me out the building when I say I'm having problems with something that happened nearly a decade ago!
KaraK said:
Not sure if there is anything that can be done here but thought it was worth canvassing for advice really..
Back in late 2004 I fractured my right collarbone in a snowboarding fall, not unsurprisingly I did a fair bit of soft tissue damage in the process which was then exacerbated by having to immobilise the shoulder while the bone healed. My GP referred me to physiotherapy by the time I finally got a date (about 9 months after the injury) it was one I couldn't make so had to ask them for another appointment which never actually materialised, I know I should have chased it up but given the shoulder had improved quite a bit by this point and I had a lot of other stuff going on with work etc I never got around to it.
Unfortunately it never seemed to ever heal fully, it would often ache if I was tired or the weather was cold & damp that sort of thing and I just kind of accepted it as one of those things that you live with. Last couple of months however it has been getting noticeably worse Yesterday was pretty much agony and I was consuming ibuprofen like they were smarties just to be able to get by! I can't think of any incident recently that sticks out in my mind as a potential trigger for this flare up. I moved house in November which obviously involved some heavy lifting but nothing outrageous and I think I'd have noticed if I'd pulled it or something. My current mattress is ste which I don't think is helping and I have got a new memory foam one ready to swap in (once the shoulder feels up to lugging the old one out of the way!) but I can't see that being the sole reason for my current problems really.
So any ideas what to try next? I'm wondering about whether it's worth going to the doc's but I can't help but think that they will laugh me out the building when I say I'm having problems with something that happened nearly a decade ago!
I've got a couple of duff shoulders.Back in late 2004 I fractured my right collarbone in a snowboarding fall, not unsurprisingly I did a fair bit of soft tissue damage in the process which was then exacerbated by having to immobilise the shoulder while the bone healed. My GP referred me to physiotherapy by the time I finally got a date (about 9 months after the injury) it was one I couldn't make so had to ask them for another appointment which never actually materialised, I know I should have chased it up but given the shoulder had improved quite a bit by this point and I had a lot of other stuff going on with work etc I never got around to it.
Unfortunately it never seemed to ever heal fully, it would often ache if I was tired or the weather was cold & damp that sort of thing and I just kind of accepted it as one of those things that you live with. Last couple of months however it has been getting noticeably worse
Yesterday was pretty much agony and I was consuming ibuprofen like they were smarties just to be able to get by! I can't think of any incident recently that sticks out in my mind as a potential trigger for this flare up. I moved house in November which obviously involved some heavy lifting but nothing outrageous and I think I'd have noticed if I'd pulled it or something. My current mattress is ste which I don't think is helping and I have got a new memory foam one ready to swap in (once the shoulder feels up to lugging the old one out of the way!) but I can't see that being the sole reason for my current problems really.So any ideas what to try next? I'm wondering about whether it's worth going to the doc's but I can't help but think that they will laugh me out the building when I say I'm having problems with something that happened nearly a decade ago!
I go to a local Physio who charges about £40 odd quid for a half hour session. Rather than go and see a Doctor, if it was me I'd go and see a Physio first. I suspect they do more knees, backs and shoulders than anything else!
Riff Raff said:
I've got a couple of duff shoulders.
I go to a local Physio who charges about £40 odd quid for a half hour session. Rather than go and see a Doctor, if it was me I'd go and see a Physio first. I suspect they do more knees, backs and shoulders than anything else!
Hmmm.. to be honest the notion of a finding a private physio hadn't occurred to me. I'll have a look into local ones and prices etc. Depends how many sessions it would need but at £40 per half hour it wouldn't take many for it to start getting unpleasant on the old bank balance!I go to a local Physio who charges about £40 odd quid for a half hour session. Rather than go and see a Doctor, if it was me I'd go and see a Physio first. I suspect they do more knees, backs and shoulders than anything else!
KaraK said:
Hmmm.. to be honest the notion of a finding a private physio hadn't occurred to me. I'll have a look into local ones and prices etc. Depends how many sessions it would need but at £40 per half hour it wouldn't take many for it to start getting unpleasant on the old bank balance!
When you get to the point that you can't sleep on either shoulder, it might start to look like good value 
However, I was thinking more along the lines of the Physio giving you a diagnosis and telling you what your options are, rather than signing up for an extended course of treatment. If you need a lot of treatment or further investigation, it's then off to the Doc with a diagnosis and a request for physio under the NHS.
Riff Raff said:
When you get to the point that you can't sleep on either shoulder, it might start to look like good value
However, I was thinking more along the lines of the Physio giving you a diagnosis and telling you what your options are, rather than signing up for an extended course of treatment. If you need a lot of treatment or further investigation, it's then off to the Doc with a diagnosis and a request for physio under the NHS.
Could be a good shout that.. I've had a google there appears to be a private place just down the road from home However, I was thinking more along the lines of the Physio giving you a diagnosis and telling you what your options are, rather than signing up for an extended course of treatment. If you need a lot of treatment or further investigation, it's then off to the Doc with a diagnosis and a request for physio under the NHS.
Don't wish to worry you but I've been weightlifting for quite a few years and your symptoms sound familiar to a problem I've had for about 2 years. I started with a slight pain/ache which lasted months then suddenly pinged during a gym session.
Knowing that a GP visit would be pointless I went to a private physio who suspected I had a partially torn rotator cuff, she got me sorted after about 6 visits (£30 each, yes they're not cheap). Went back to the gym and after a few weeks it started again, went to a different physio who sent me for a scan, hey presto partially torn rotator cuff and a bone spur impingement - which had formed over the years, so don't worry about a decade old injury!
Had surgery and the surgeon also found a number of frayed tendons and the beginnings of arthritis
That was a year ago, I recovered and continued at the gym until recently when it started being a constant ache and a stabbing pain with certain movements.
Back to the surgeon and another scan, I've now got a full rotator cuff tear and due for an op next week.
On the plus side I've got private health insurance, I'd have been stuffed without it I'm sure.
Incidentally, I also broke my collar bone on that shoulder about 15 - 20 years ago.
Knowing that a GP visit would be pointless I went to a private physio who suspected I had a partially torn rotator cuff, she got me sorted after about 6 visits (£30 each, yes they're not cheap). Went back to the gym and after a few weeks it started again, went to a different physio who sent me for a scan, hey presto partially torn rotator cuff and a bone spur impingement - which had formed over the years, so don't worry about a decade old injury!
Had surgery and the surgeon also found a number of frayed tendons and the beginnings of arthritis
That was a year ago, I recovered and continued at the gym until recently when it started being a constant ache and a stabbing pain with certain movements.
Back to the surgeon and another scan, I've now got a full rotator cuff tear and due for an op next week.
On the plus side I've got private health insurance, I'd have been stuffed without it I'm sure.
Incidentally, I also broke my collar bone on that shoulder about 15 - 20 years ago.
Edited by maxrider1 on Thursday 6th March 15:48
maxrider1 said:
Don't wish to worry you but I've been weightlifting for quite a few years and your symptoms sound familiar to a problem I've had for about 2 years. I started with a slight pain/ache which lasted months then suddenly pinged during a gym session.
Knowing that a GP visit would be pointless I went to a private physio who suspected I had a partially torn rotator cuff, she got me sorted after about 6 visits (£30 each, yes they're not cheap). Went back to the gym and after a few weeks it started again, went to a different physio who sent me for a scan, hey presto partially torn rotator cuff and a bone spur impingement - which had formed over the years, so don't worry about a decade old injury!
Had surgery and the surgeon also found a number of frayed tendons and the beginnings of arthritis
That was a year ago, I recovered and continued at the gym until recently when it started being a constant ache and a stabbing pain with certain movements.
Back to the surgeon and another scan, I've now got a full rotator cuff tear and due for an op next week.
On the plus side I've got private health insurance, I'd have been stuffed without it I'm sure.
Incidentally, I also broke my collar bone on that shoulder about 15 - 20 years ago.
Hmmm.. after reading your post I've done a bit of reading up on rotator cuff tears and whilst I'm well aware of the internet's ability to convince a reader that they have just about any condition known to man quite a lot of the symptoms seem consistent with either tendinitis or a partial tear Knowing that a GP visit would be pointless I went to a private physio who suspected I had a partially torn rotator cuff, she got me sorted after about 6 visits (£30 each, yes they're not cheap). Went back to the gym and after a few weeks it started again, went to a different physio who sent me for a scan, hey presto partially torn rotator cuff and a bone spur impingement - which had formed over the years, so don't worry about a decade old injury!
Had surgery and the surgeon also found a number of frayed tendons and the beginnings of arthritis
That was a year ago, I recovered and continued at the gym until recently when it started being a constant ache and a stabbing pain with certain movements.
Back to the surgeon and another scan, I've now got a full rotator cuff tear and due for an op next week.
On the plus side I've got private health insurance, I'd have been stuffed without it I'm sure.
Incidentally, I also broke my collar bone on that shoulder about 15 - 20 years ago.
Edited by maxrider1 on Thursday 6th March 15:48
KaraK said:
Not sure if there is anything that can be done here but thought it was worth canvassing for advice really..
Back in late 2004 I fractured my right collarbone in a snowboarding fall, not unsurprisingly I did a fair bit of soft tissue damage in the process which was then exacerbated by having to immobilise the shoulder while the bone healed. My GP referred me to physiotherapy by the time I finally got a date (about 9 months after the injury) it was one I couldn't make so had to ask them for another appointment which never actually materialised, I know I should have chased it up but given the shoulder had improved quite a bit by this point and I had a lot of other stuff going on with work etc I never got around to it.
Unfortunately it never seemed to ever heal fully, it would often ache if I was tired or the weather was cold & damp that sort of thing and I just kind of accepted it as one of those things that you live with. Last couple of months however it has been getting noticeably worse Yesterday was pretty much agony and I was consuming ibuprofen like they were smarties just to be able to get by! I can't think of any incident recently that sticks out in my mind as a potential trigger for this flare up. I moved house in November which obviously involved some heavy lifting but nothing outrageous and I think I'd have noticed if I'd pulled it or something. My current mattress is ste which I don't think is helping and I have got a new memory foam one ready to swap in (once the shoulder feels up to lugging the old one out of the way!) but I can't see that being the sole reason for my current problems really.
So any ideas what to try next? I'm wondering about whether it's worth going to the doc's but I can't help but think that they will laugh me out the building when I say I'm having problems with something that happened nearly a decade ago!
Yes go straight to your doctor - they will probably refer you to the physio department for assessment and then onto physiotherapy for treatment. Back in late 2004 I fractured my right collarbone in a snowboarding fall, not unsurprisingly I did a fair bit of soft tissue damage in the process which was then exacerbated by having to immobilise the shoulder while the bone healed. My GP referred me to physiotherapy by the time I finally got a date (about 9 months after the injury) it was one I couldn't make so had to ask them for another appointment which never actually materialised, I know I should have chased it up but given the shoulder had improved quite a bit by this point and I had a lot of other stuff going on with work etc I never got around to it.
Unfortunately it never seemed to ever heal fully, it would often ache if I was tired or the weather was cold & damp that sort of thing and I just kind of accepted it as one of those things that you live with. Last couple of months however it has been getting noticeably worse
Yesterday was pretty much agony and I was consuming ibuprofen like they were smarties just to be able to get by! I can't think of any incident recently that sticks out in my mind as a potential trigger for this flare up. I moved house in November which obviously involved some heavy lifting but nothing outrageous and I think I'd have noticed if I'd pulled it or something. My current mattress is ste which I don't think is helping and I have got a new memory foam one ready to swap in (once the shoulder feels up to lugging the old one out of the way!) but I can't see that being the sole reason for my current problems really.So any ideas what to try next? I'm wondering about whether it's worth going to the doc's but I can't help but think that they will laugh me out the building when I say I'm having problems with something that happened nearly a decade ago!
Currently enduring something similar at the moment. Possibilities were an impairment in my shoulder or Throatic Outlet Syndrome (but seems less likely). NHS has been great so far. Just seen the physiotherapy department who strapped my shoulder and gave me exercises to do - going back for a US and injection and then its just rebuilding the muscles.
Mattress will help - I also changed my pillow for one of the Hypnose ones and it made a good difference. Crap pillows will put a lot of strain on your shoulder.
Whats your posture like? Do you roll your shoulders? Whats you day job? These will all contribute to shoulder issues.
Go to the doctors soon as you can.
I started getting a slight pain in my left shoulder a few years back - no reason for it as I don't do anything particularly energetic!
I ignored initially, but it gradually became so painful I was only getting 2-3 hours sleep a night, so off to see the GP. Fortunately I have private health and my GP immediately referred me to a specialist - an MRI scan revealed a fair amount of rotator cuff damage, but more worryingly, a partially severed tendon (only held on by a few strands).
I was in for keyhole surgery a week later... had the tendon snapped completely, I would have had to have the shoulder opened up to find and reattach it.
Took over 12 months to get the full range of movement and strength back, but a couple of years on it's completely pain free.
I started getting a slight pain in my left shoulder a few years back - no reason for it as I don't do anything particularly energetic!
I ignored initially, but it gradually became so painful I was only getting 2-3 hours sleep a night, so off to see the GP. Fortunately I have private health and my GP immediately referred me to a specialist - an MRI scan revealed a fair amount of rotator cuff damage, but more worryingly, a partially severed tendon (only held on by a few strands).
I was in for keyhole surgery a week later... had the tendon snapped completely, I would have had to have the shoulder opened up to find and reattach it.
Took over 12 months to get the full range of movement and strength back, but a couple of years on it's completely pain free.
moustachebandit said:
Yes go straight to your doctor - they will probably refer you to the physio department for assessment and then onto physiotherapy for treatment.
Currently enduring something similar at the moment. Possibilities were an impairment in my shoulder or Throatic Outlet Syndrome (but seems less likely). NHS has been great so far. Just seen the physiotherapy department who strapped my shoulder and gave me exercises to do - going back for a US and injection and then its just rebuilding the muscles.
Mattress will help - I also changed my pillow for one of the Hypnose ones and it made a good difference. Crap pillows will put a lot of strain on your shoulder.
Whats your posture like? Do you roll your shoulders? Whats you day job? These will all contribute to shoulder issues.
I'll see about getting myself in to the doc's next week I think.Currently enduring something similar at the moment. Possibilities were an impairment in my shoulder or Throatic Outlet Syndrome (but seems less likely). NHS has been great so far. Just seen the physiotherapy department who strapped my shoulder and gave me exercises to do - going back for a US and injection and then its just rebuilding the muscles.
Mattress will help - I also changed my pillow for one of the Hypnose ones and it made a good difference. Crap pillows will put a lot of strain on your shoulder.
Whats your posture like? Do you roll your shoulders? Whats you day job? These will all contribute to shoulder issues.
Posture isn't the best I'll admit (down to lower back and knee problems) and the day job is office based (I'm in IT). I have swapped chairs at work recently as I was having quite a few problems with my old chair slowly lowering itself - and I did find that below a certain height it was making the pain worse, guessing as a result of the various angles etc. While playing around with that I also found that if the chair was too high that gave a different kind of pain where I felt like I was continually over-reaching slightly if that makes sense?
Chris Stott said:
Go to the doctors soon as you can.
I started getting a slight pain in my left shoulder a few years back - no reason for it as I don't do anything particularly energetic!
I ignored initially, but it gradually became so painful I was only getting 2-3 hours sleep a night, so off to see the GP. Fortunately I have private health and my GP immediately referred me to a specialist - an MRI scan revealed a fair amount of rotator cuff damage, but more worryingly, a partially severed tendon (only held on by a few strands).
I was in for keyhole surgery a week later... had the tendon snapped completely, I would have had to have the shoulder opened up to find and reattach it.
Took over 12 months to get the full range of movement and strength back, but a couple of years on it's completely pain free.
I started getting a slight pain in my left shoulder a few years back - no reason for it as I don't do anything particularly energetic!
I ignored initially, but it gradually became so painful I was only getting 2-3 hours sleep a night, so off to see the GP. Fortunately I have private health and my GP immediately referred me to a specialist - an MRI scan revealed a fair amount of rotator cuff damage, but more worryingly, a partially severed tendon (only held on by a few strands).
I was in for keyhole surgery a week later... had the tendon snapped completely, I would have had to have the shoulder opened up to find and reattach it.
Took over 12 months to get the full range of movement and strength back, but a couple of years on it's completely pain free.
Another one for getting looked at. My hubby's doctor was actually very good and assessed his shoulder thoroughly just the other day and suspects poss rotator cuff strain. Needs to be assessed further.
Also be aware of arthritis with traumatic injury. My Dad ended up with arthritis due to trauma caused by a work accident damaging his shoulder badly (no fracture) basically sped up the onset of arthritis by 10yrs and also the the severity of it was more rapid, he had to have surgery in the end.
Also be aware of arthritis with traumatic injury. My Dad ended up with arthritis due to trauma caused by a work accident damaging his shoulder badly (no fracture) basically sped up the onset of arthritis by 10yrs and also the the severity of it was more rapid, he had to have surgery in the end.
I have the same, serious pain in left shoulder blade, no idea why; I had a slip and jarred it in work, no pain at that time though. Also done a bit of logging before Xmas, Im in front of a PC for best part of the day, could be bad posture? Been a nagging pain since before Xmas.
It was really bad two weeks ago, went to doctor, he sent me X-ray, now waiting for MRI. On meds to control the pain, not much sleep. Been told not to do any physio or chiro before the MRI results.
The meds kill the shoulder pain but my left arm & elbow is giving me gip! Back of hand and a couple of fingers tingle; been told that this is referred pain.
Get yourself to the docs pronto
It was really bad two weeks ago, went to doctor, he sent me X-ray, now waiting for MRI. On meds to control the pain, not much sleep. Been told not to do any physio or chiro before the MRI results.
The meds kill the shoulder pain but my left arm & elbow is giving me gip! Back of hand and a couple of fingers tingle; been told that this is referred pain.
Get yourself to the docs pronto
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