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I have a very odd problem with my shoulder

Posted , 3 users are following.

jaymie1991
jaymie1991

About two years ago my right shoulder started cracking, it's not like a bone cracking though. It feels more like a ligament. The crack is in between my shoulder and neck. Anyways it has carried on and now my shoulder doesn't feel the same as the other side, it feels almost loose it's hard to explain. But I feel a slight uncomfortable stabbing feeling now in between my shoulder blade and spine every time I breath in deeply or turn my head either way. I also feel this in a lot of yoga poses. My shoulder usually aches quite a lot if i have been surfing a lot too. Can anyone please help me, I went to a gp and she was no help. I am very fit and active and want to become flexible with yoga but I'm very concerned about my shoulder as I have no idea what has is happening. Thanks

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • thechefshat
    thechefshat jaymie1991

    Posted

    Where are you based? Are you in the UK? If so I can advise you on how to seek help. If your US based, I can only guess, but let me know and I'll try.

    Let me know country and city/town

    Thx, NICK

  • thechefshat
    thechefshat jaymie1991

    Posted

    Ok, your options to get this looked at in more detail are something like this:

    - Go back to your GP and ask for a referral for an MRI scan on the NHS - wait time will be ablout 2 months. You can look into private MRIs which will be quicker but you'll still need a referral from your GP and will cost anything from £300 to £700. I can recommend two places, but they're closer to London - Prime Health in Weybridge and Vista Diagnostics in Waterloo - both on the Portsmouth train-line.

    - ALternatively, go and see an Osteopath or Chiropracter; preferably one who does ultrasound so thay can get some imaging of the inside of your shoulder and neck. Osteos and Chiros can both refer for MRIs i.e. the MRI facility will accept a referral from them.

    - Once you have your MRI results - assuming there is an identifiable problem, you need to go to your GP to get a referral to a surgeon. NHS route will take longer; you can see someone privately for between £150-250. Chances are, if you need surgery, they can do it on the NHS but again, you'll have to wait 3 months. Privately a shoulder procedure is about £5000.

    Post any other questions you have.

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy thechefshat

      Posted

      How on earth do you get your GP to refer you for an MRI scan? My GP practise won't even refer people for xrays. They do ask would you like to go privately which is fine with them, but it seems there is no way they are very keen on referring non life threatening symptoms on the NHS any more, such as shoulder, hip,and knee problems.  

    • thechefshat
      thechefshat ptolemy

      Posted

      Two friends of mine have been able to do this. GPs ore often bound by the rules of their local trust and it's the trusts that meter out the care based on budget constraints, which is madness in my opinion and why health-care is such a lottery.

      You can ask you GP to refer you to a consultant surgeon directly too. But this can take a long time. My suggestions were based on a number of routes I've taken in the past that drastically speed things up, especially of you don't mind spending a few quid here and there.

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy thechefshat

      Posted

      My GP flatly refused to refer me to anyone on the NHS or let me just have an xray for my hip.  Others have had the same problem. When I said could I go privately his eyes lit up as he grabbed a booklet for an orthopaedic surgeon's phone number to give me. After the consultation my GP even tried to get me to have a hip replacement done privately.  I have also been told I do not need physiotherapy. When I suggest going privately, they think it would be a good idea. Interestingly enough, the one thing they are happy to give out is drugs. I have even turned down quite strong opiods offered. I have also been offered drugs which are contraindicative to ones I am taking. When I mention it they just stutter.

    • thechefshat
      thechefshat ptolemy

      Posted

      Sounds like a helpful individual your GP.

      Given you can get a good quality 3T MRI for £350 these days, you're well on your way to a diagnosis with that. If you go and see the surgeon privately for another £200 and if they think you'd benifit from surgery, you can get yourself on their NHS list by 'asking' your GP to write the referral. Almost sounds crafty, but in these days of NHS Trust idiocy, it seems to be the easiest - if not the cheapest - way.

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy thechefshat

      Posted

      I have been privately to a rheumatologist, vascular surgeon, orthopaedic surgeon, osteopath and physiotherapist in the last three years. The orthopaedic surgeon said I would be in a wheelchair in six months without a hip replacement. This was eight months ago. It is getting expensive. I recently actually saw a rheumatologist on the NHS. I had five xrays of which my GP cannot access due to the appalling computer system, so goodness knows what the results are. I discovered last week they are still using faxes. I also had twelve blood tests, they would have just sat in a black hole except I asked my GP to look them up. They had to be downloaded overnight and some were missing. I had to have more blood tests at my local surgery as we did not have all the information. I suppose I can ask the rheumatologist at my next appointment but a bit out of date by then. I am having blood tests before seeing her this time. 
    • thechefshat
      thechefshat ptolemy

      Posted

      NHS record keeping is a joke. I have all of mine on my computer - everything. All scanned and available in dropbox in case my computer packs up! The fact they still use faxes shows how messed up it is.

      May I ask how, after seeing a surgeon, you have either not been offered an operation or have not had one - on th NHS at least?

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy thechefshat

      Posted

      My GP said I should see a rheumatologist first as I am on long term steroids. I saw her on the NHS and she got me to have the five xrays. She wrote a letter to the GP before she had the xray results and has said nothing since, so my GP said hang on. I phoned her secretary who said she would write if there were a problem. I am seeing her again in two weeks when I assume I will get the results of the xray. 
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