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Can anyone give me advice

Posted , 6 users are following.

Terryb64
Terryb64

two months ago I was diagnosed with Frozen shoulder , pain in arm , difficult to stretch fully . Last week I was involved in a multi-car collision resulting in me slamming my shoulder and arm against the steering wheel . Taken to hospital and received an x-Ray , I was than told it's not broken , here's some paracetamol , you can go home? , my own doctor wants me to come and see him May 1st for a follow up , my arm is now much worst . What if anything can I have done apart from tablets that don't work ...

0 likes, 17 replies

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  • caitlin39841
    caitlin39841 Terryb64

    Posted

    hi Terry. gosh u've got my deepest sympathies with that double wammy - a frozen shulder (FS) compounded by the car accident?? FS pain is considered to be the 3rd worst of all pains including child birth. however, not all docs seem aware of this. i feel u need to make some 'noise' @ ur GP's in the form of demands for proper pain killers and proper evaluation of your shoulder by a professional 'muscle' expert. in my neck of the woods we have a community clinic where they evaluate muscle problems including FS. post evalaution they decide what's the best kind of intervention for each individual - whether 1)arthroscopy for proper diagnosis to see what's causing the FS, 2) pain relief evalaution, whether it's best to have non streodal anti-inflammatories (NSAIA's)or other pain intervention, 3)physiotherpay, 4)acupuncture for pain relief & increased movement , 5)coricosteroid injections, 5)manipulation under anaesthetic 6)arthrographic distention (hydrodilation) etc. i'm on codein phosphate as the NSAIA's did nothing for the pain. i'm awaiting results of my evalaytion from the muscle experts. so i suggest u eimpress upon the GP the severity of the pain, if u can't sleep/work etc. and ask for 'expert' evaluation whether a rheumatologist or orthopaedic surgeon's opinion.

    good luck Terry & all good luck with getting the most appropriate input. btw, there's a FS forum on patient.info.

    Caitlin

    • Terryb64
      Terryb64 caitlin39841

      Posted

      Thanks Caitlin , yet again I've had a sleepless night , the pain is driving me mad ,  When I had the accident I was treated at the scene with morphine than taken to hospital ,my own doctor has switched my medication to Ibufren and codeine (the pain is still there ) .the movement with my arm above the elbow is almost nothing .
  • Louise1923
    Louise1923 Terryb64

    Posted

    I agrree with Caitlin, there has to be more investigations to find out the cause of the proble. It could be a whole range of problems, the shoulder is a very complex joint. I would add to the investigation list scans such as MRI I had one for my neck, although it is a Frozen Shoulder,(hence my reply in the middle of the night...typical painful & sleepless!) and that provides a total image of the part of the body which can be properly diagnosed...

    definitely a second opinion, a referral to a orhapaedic specialist, that's a basic! If you have no success you can change GP, that's always an option. Why suffer in silence it's only you that has to tolerate the agonising pain...we sufferers on this forum, can vouch for that!....best of luc& please keep us posted on!

    • Terryb64
      Terryb64 Louise1923

      Posted

      Thanks Louise , as you can see my reply to Caitlin , I've also had yet another sleepless night , I was planning on insisting on an MRI scan when I return to my GP on the 1st , I know there's something very wrong with my arm between the elbow and shoulder , the pain is constant . It's had a dramatic impact on my livelihood , I've been signed off work since the accident before I just changed the way I worked and got through it , now I can't possibly do it , I don't think this will go down to well with them .
    • alison44235
      alison44235 Terryb64

      Posted

      I got nowhere when i insisted there was too long a waiting list.
  • Rologirl
    Rologirl Terryb64

    Posted

    my sympathy too - plus you must let your gp know how this also affects your mental health and creates tension and strain on all your family and friends whoa re providing support and frustrated at the slowness of any progress.

    best wishes.

    There are also lots of groups on facebook.

  • alison44235
    alison44235 Terryb64

    Posted

    I am having to go privately. I go tomorrow. I had my accident 4 months ago. I ws sent qway with a painkiller and nothing else exept a hospitl gown. No diagonosis. After 2 weeks of intense pain I chased up the x-ray results and went to my Doctor and was told i had  hairline fracture, by the time I say a ortho doctor I had a frozen shoulder and was prescribed physio which made the pain worse. i kept saying I need a scan to see what is going on in there, it was going to be 2 months before I got one and then another 2 months before seeing a shoulder specialist.

    It has stopped me doing everything i enjoy, my work driving. It is so depressing and of course the lack of sleep. i got severe  constipation due to the pain killers, so have had to cut those down by half. i am so angry about this and don't think i shoudl pay for  a proper diagnosis. I also ha e M.E. which is 10 times worse than it was before this, nobody, just nobody understands how hard it is.

    Best of luck.

    • Terryb64
      Terryb64 alison44235

      Posted

      Hello Alison , this all sounds very familiar ! I went to a private physio before the accident , after one session he said to be honest I can't do anything you wouldn't be able to do yourself , which I thought was very good , considering he could have just continued to take my money .

      im going to insist on a scan , I also have to attend a medical on the 9th because of the crash ( two cars slammed into the back of mine while waiting for someone to turn ) that is something by the solicitor . As for my own doctor they don't seem to realise how much pain this . I've gone from skydiving and scuba diving to needing help to get dressed ...

    • caitlin39841
      caitlin39841 Terryb64

      Posted

      hi again Terry. sry. to hear ur not sleeping at all due to the pain - familar territory? whilst in my deperation to find the causation & remedy for my FS, i spoke to a Chiropractor who said he had a fairly good track record with treating FS. he uses lazer treatment & chiro manipulation. it might be worth having a chat with one and see what u feel re same post your MRI. i think anything that would help get u back to a regular sleep pattern would be a bonus. this of course can only be achieved by treating the pain. good luck with the GP appt. it might be an idea to bring someone along with u as they seem to be less dismissive when there are 2 ppl present. guess it helps dilute the professional power dynamic.

      all good luck

      Caitlin.

    • Terryb64
      Terryb64 caitlin39841

      Posted

      Hi Caitlin , yes I must do something, as you can guess I've woken up again in agony @ 2:30 , when I get up and stand upright it seems to stop the pain slightly...
    • caitlin39841
      caitlin39841 Terryb64

      Posted

      sounds very much still in the acute phase. i asked the muscle expert why the pain's always worse on lying down and he said, it's most possibly affected by gravity with fluid accumulation causing pressure on the inflamed nerves/area. he suggested trying to sleep @a 45 degree angle with mutiple soft pillows to suppot the affected arm. wonder if u've heard of the OAT approach/cure - (Dr allan Oolo Austin )? i watched a number of cures by him on U-tube? pity he's so far away?

      hope u get some shut eye eventually.

      Caitlin

    • alison44235
      alison44235 caitlin39841

      Posted

      I have looked into OAT. why do they not do it in G.B. It is so unfair. It would cost 70,000 (they don'y say how much that is) and there is the travel etc. Do you think it is valid? The thing is why don't they do it here if it is so brilliant? The cost would be way too high I suppose.
    • alison44235
      alison44235 caitlin39841

      Posted

      I have looked into OAT. why do they not do it in G.B. It is so unfair. It would cost 70,000 (they don'y say how much that is) and there is the travel etc. Do you think it is valid? The thing is why don't they do it here if it is so brilliant? The cost would be way too high I suppose.
  • Terryb64
    Terryb64

    Posted

    Latest update : I was due to have an assessment on the 1st may , but the pain became too much , the doctor has now upgraded my medication to Tremadol , naproxen and paracetamol , although this appears to eliminate a lot of pain , I am still getting pain just not as severe as recently , he now has faxed the hospital ( orthopaedic consultant ) and marked as urgent , hopefully my case will be treated soon ...
    • caitlin39841
      caitlin39841 Terryb64

      Posted

      really pleased to hear that Terry. hopefully u'll get the 'diagnostic works' now and proper treatment.

      Caitlin

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