RA & tendonitis

I'm so sorry you are experiencing this.. I do know that hydro water therapy or a water pool is very helpful.. daily if at all possible..a local pool or therapy pool of some kind with the water level up over your shoulders. Possibly cool or cold packs would be helpful also.

Shoulder pain iis so painful and debilitating. I do feel for you. My RA began with this( originally thought to be tendonitis) and I bought a neck support pillow from the physio place which did help a bit at night as it stopped my shoulder being scrunched up.

but I really have only got better with stronger DMARDS for the RA. I am now on 4 of them, which I know sounds a lot but , am much better and reducing the prednisolone. My physio did ultrasound on my shoukders but otherwise I was quite unable to do the exercises without my arm feeling like it was being wrenched off.

Your physio may know about show much this could help you or not.hope it does! But just to let you know my shoulder pain  reduced as my whole system responded to DMARDS .

Hi voltrol helped me and a deep tissue massage and cutting out dairy and grains all reduced the inflammation . Hope you get some relief know it really gets you down.

Hi river 22, I can sympathise with tendinitis I've had it in a number of places the most painful being on my achilles heel area the rheumatologist said it was coming from my ankle. Also between my wrists and elbow when my wrists flare up. Rheumatologist advised that ice is better than heat. I've made up little ice packs, peas most commonly that I keep reusing over and over again. For me it's sometimes difficult to determine where the joint pain ends and tendinitis begins. If the joint is so badly inflamed and painful then the whole of the adjoining area is painful. Try not to lie on the affected shoulder and try the homemade ice packs over a Muslim square. You'll already be on maximum ibuprofen and painkillers. Hope u get some relief soon.

Hi,

I've had tendonitis many times, including one in my thumb and forarm called de Quervaine-- and my hand was splinted for months, and I had to quit an art teaching job due to my starting methotrexate--I was so tired from it. I am used to it. I also have not been on only one DMARD for a long time, and we are thinking of changing again.

I;ve also had it in  my shoulders and other places--it's just one of the things that happens. . . .I'm sorry you are suffering.

Take care. Alos, heat, and cold both help. .  a little. And mnost of all, rest,and it takes a long time.

Barbara

Hi there,

I have had bad shoulder pain from RA so I sympathise

As you know, the drugs often don't make much difference and the doctors don't claim any cures. What worked for me was a complete nutritional approact - change your diet to anti-inflammatory. It's worth it to get rid of the inflammation and be pain free. There are many books out there but to summarise what worked for me: No gluten, no grains, no dairy, no sugar, lots of veg especially greens but not the deadly nightshade family (potatoes/tomatoes/peppers/aubergines), sauerkraut is good, lots of eggs, plenty of fat - cook with coconut oil and use olive oil cold but not heated, eat nuts but soaking makes them even better for you, supplement with probiotics, magnesium, msm, omega 3 fats, curcumin, l-glutamine, vitamin D. If that's too much to do just start by giving up gluten, that could make a difference on its own (but for me I had to do it all).

I hope you feel better soon 

Thanks to everyone for their support, it means a lot. I think I am looking for a miracle that is not there. I went to the PA today and she said the only thing she could do since my doctor was gone was to give me a tordol and cortisone shot in the rump. It was supposed to help immediately but did not. She said if it did not help by Monday to call back. I think she is just pacifing me until my doctor gets back, but from what I read tordol is given to surgery patients for pain. It just didn't do a thing for me. Thanks again everyone It's nice to talk to people that care, sometimes that helps more than anything else at times like these.