frozen shoulder and nerve pain after neck injury can't bare the pain anymore!
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hello all fellow sufferers of FS - how do you cope? One year ago I fell downstairs (vertigo) fractured my neck and had severe pain in upper left arm, felt like a very bad bruise and a swollen but not broken wrist. Neck healed, pain in my upper arm remained and could move it but not do up bra etc without severe pain. Had an injection in my shoulder - made it worse. 11 months on I fell down a shorter flight of stairs (return of vertigo!) on to same bad shoulder/arm. Now frozen and pain from neck to finger tips all the time and even worse at night. Can't take oral pain relief tablets has anyone tried pain relief patches? The pain is so bad I can't do anything and I am getting seriously depressed and being driven to despair, its like being in constant childbirth labour! constantly having to massage my arm including from elbow to wrist and palm of hand into fingers. Given conflicting advice by every medical person seen so far. Seems it is likely multiple problems but still no MRI, xray shows no broken bones in shoulder. Read most of the discussions, not many triggered by injury unless I have missed those. Any support groups locally in Cornwall where we could at least cry openly! Thanks, Penny
1 like, 27 replies
kerri77889 penny54223
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My arm constantly ached, that deep bone kinda ache. If I bumped it or forgot and reached further than I should of, I would almost drop to the floor in agony. I could do or undo my bra, I couldn't reach my left arm ( bad arm) across my body to put deodorant under my right arm. I couldn't sleep, I just didn't know where to put my arm, it just ached so much.
anyway long story short, the ultra sound found a full thickness rotator cuff tear. Surgery was the only option.are you positive it's F/S and not a torn rotator cuff? 😊
penny54223 kerri77889
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kerri77889 penny54223
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I then had an ultra sound on its own, they said I had an inflamed bursa, still didn't find the tear. It wasn't till end of February that I told my GP I wanted a second ultra sound at a different place as I wasn't happy with the first ultra sound. The second ultra sound guy found a tear, my GP then referred me to an Orthopaedic surgeon who did his own ultra sound and confirmed a full thickness tear. Surgery was my only option, done arthroscopically 3 weeks later. I am now 7 weeks post op.....NO pain at all. Spent 6 weeks in a sling while tendon knitted back onto bone.......now doing very passive physio till week 12 then starting to strengthen the muscle. 12 months till full range of motion.....BUT I am pain free Penny. Just make sure that isn't what you have. The pain prior to op was absolutely debilitating and often took my breath away 😊
penny54223 kerri77889
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kerri77889 penny54223
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Your medical system definately is different to ours here in Australia. No offence, but your system seems to stuff you around a lot....I have been on this forum for probably about 3 months and the stories I have read about the proverbial run around is very sad.....as many people are suffering this insidious condition and not much seems to get done about it.....
jan56534 kerri77889
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I had an accident at work I December 2013 and was in agony with a sore shoulder and neck , had physio and cortisone injections which did no good! I was off work for 5 months with constant shoulder and neck pain , I was forced in to going back to work with threat of half pay! Finally after a lot of pleading I got an app with orthopaedic consultant and had xray that showed I had an acromioclavical injury!! I was told physio had made it worse and cortisone injection given by GP was in wrong place! I had surgery on the first of February 2015 where they carried out subacromial decompression and excision of distal clavicle and also release of my bicep tendon which was badly frayed! At my follow up at 8 wks post op Consultant informed me I had frozen shoulder , I knew something was wrong with the amount of pain I have. I have physio weekly and all that does is give me more pain. I had shower this morning and trying to wash my hair is almost impossible with left hand, I tried a normal bra today instead of a vest and really struggled to tie it St the front and then slip it round, it's sooo painful can't put arm behind back at all can't sleep unless propped up with more pillows it's a living nightmare !!! I have follow up on 17th June with consultant and he has indicated if it wasn't any better he would take me back in and remove the adhesive capsule ,so role on June I just want to have a normal life 😊 I really feel for you and hope you get some relief soon big hugs xx
penny54223 kerri77889
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kerri77889 penny54223
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Your right about the MRI don't they need that to diagnose what the problem is.......I had an ultra sound that diagnosed the tear in my rotator cuff, the bottom line it was diagnosed, that's the main thing. I've been told the MRI can be quite uncomfortable on your shoulder and I know someone that couldn't complete it because of the pain, she is now waiting for a MRI under anaesthetic through the NHS, God now show long she will have to wait. Anyway I think your best bet is to somehow see an orthopaedic shoulder specialist. I wish you all the best and hope and pray you get a resolution soon I'm sending you gentle but living hugs 😘❌❌❌❌❌
penny54223 jan56534
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penny54223 kerri77889
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kerri77889 penny54223
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Yes a little compassion would go a long way......do they think you have nothing better to do with your life than sit in waiting rooms waiting to see a stupid doctor who thinks your making it all up....oh please give us a break, why would we bother. I constantly read on this forum people in your country made to feel exactly the way you have described and I think it's disgusting.
I hope and pray that the shockwave treatment continues to be successful so that you can spread the word through this forum and maybe help others. People here in Australia think our medical system is awful, but I think it is 100% better than yours in the UK.
Sending you positive vibes and gentle hugs 😘❌❌❌❌
jan56534 penny54223
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I'm reading the various posts on here and it's just disgusting how the NHS treats people I worry that some of the Dr's we see don't have a clue,. I'm still having physio every week not that it does any good ! My physio is also manipulating my neck as the nerves between C4 C5 are tight and giving me tribe pain in my neck. I'm also trying to come off tramadol after taking 400mg a day which only dulled the pain I've become addicted to them so that in itself is a nightmare . I have another 3 wks of suffering before I see consultant on the 17th June , but then how long will it be before I am taken in to have the capsular release he has stated I will need if my shoulder still frozen which it is. My sympathies to every one out there experiencing the pain of F'S it's a dreadful thing that many people don't understand therefore we don't get much sympathy. Hope you are getting some relief xxx
kerri77889 jan56534
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1X20mg per day. But when I realised I was addicted as I was taking it in the end for that lovely euphoric feeling it gave me as I drifted off to sleep, not really for pain, I knew I had to get off it. I decided to go cold turkey.....the symptoms were the same whether I reduced it over time or just stopped it. So I just stopped it, it took 6 days, but I did it 😀. Every part of my body ached when I stopped it, from top to bottom, aching gums, muscles, between every rib, my legs just everything screamed for that morphine and I had shocking sweats. But at day 6 it started to ease, my body realised it wasn't getting any more and finally the aches subsided......but it was a damn rough and awful 6 days. You can do it Jan.....just don't weaken, your brain will try everything it can to trick you into taking those tablets, but every day is a day toward being off them and a day away from being in them. Stay tuff and good luck 💐😘❌❌❌
penny54223 jan56534
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just need to eat some of my words, clearly the insistance I placed on my GP has worked! Having found what seems to be a decent clinic (NHS) I got a call and appointment booked for 11 June so the GP obviously got straight on to them. Now I can try the Radial Shockwave Therapy until my appointment, if it works fantaastic and I will shout it from the hilltops to all other sufferers, if it doesn't I can fall back on the specialist route. The pain is through the roof but having planned to put the patch of BuTrans on the other day I am trying to hold back so it doesnt mask the pain when I need to tell them where it all is and as I am hearing from many on this site, it can all be addictive. Risk of addicition v pain relief this is the question but then again it doesnt seem to get rid of the pain in any event but adds a layer of other side effects. The morphine tablets sound good though Kerri when sat rocking at 3am...... You are so right Jan, people don't believe you and I am constantly being told 'you must have a low pain threshold' which really helps! At least we are able to empathise, share notes and provide some much needed support on here, I feel for those who are not able to access anything or fight for some help. x
kerri77889 penny54223
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Penny.....truly there are no awards for suffering the most pain, so don't, try and get your meds to work for you hunny. Worry about getting off them when you are pain free BUT at the moment you need them....use them 💗
We do all support each other on here, because we 100% know what everyone is going through, we have all felt that insidious deep aching pain, we have all struggled to get our bra on and off or pants up and down, we have all suffered night after night of sleepless nights and yes people that have never had it, have NO IDEA what we go through on a daily basis.
Sending you gentle hugs from across the seas 😘💐❌❌❌❌
Louise1923 penny54223
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This came after a terrible week of sleeplessness & feeling like a zombie.... I thought right get moving onto something as I called my GP again pleading for help,she basically told me to take another pain killer & just sit and wait for the next physio appointment at the end of June (that will be 8 weeks since the second referral) the first physio was totally useless, said 'we don't believe in injections' meaning hydro dilation...& told me to buy a door pulley, & a excercise sheet...that's that from him!
Obviously getting nowhere with their attitude I pushed for a specialist shoulder physio, and I'm told ANY referral ie specialist, orthopaedic, scan, anything has to go through the physio...well this is big news to me! I was wrongly under the impression ones GP made the referrals, I'm frankly stunned by the changes & seeming lack of care,being fobbed off continuity, even though I keep saying, this is intolerable, I need help, I need my arm back...etc etc. when is ignoring a patients pleas of pain and anguish acceptable?
So here's hoping for a positive result elsewhere I'm giving up on that particular GP for now, I'll book another next time, see if he/ she listens??!
What's scared...is I know for a fact if I had a broken shoulder it would be sorted by now months and months ago...this condition is virtually ignored!
the only way through for us is to keep up the support & DiY suggestions until we get the treatment we deserve to cure our condition!
best wishes to all, keep your painkillers & sense of humour and stick together! (Not literally ...ouch!) Louise