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Sharp pains in upper body

Posted , 6 users are following.

Advise
Advise

For the past few days, I have been enduring pains and aches in the upper back, shoulder area, under armpit and right side of chest. I sometimes get moments where it is bad and then where it doesn't even hurt as much. It is kind of a dull pain that occurs when moving. I think it has been caused by excessive and awkward leaning, sitting and so forth as this was the result previously but I just wanted to hear your insight. 

2 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • Advise
    Advise

    Posted

    It has also effected my breathing at a mild level.
  • EileenH
    EileenH Advise

    Posted

    It could be early stages of myofascial pain syndrome. Muscles in the shoulders, alongside the spine and in the lower back can develop hard knots of muscle fibres which are called trigger points and are actually concentrations of the same cytokines that cause PMR only there they cause pain and stiffness all over the body. These spasmed muscles can pinch nerves and cause referred pain into the neck and arms if inthe shoulders and round into the ribs if in the mid back. Physiotherapists or sports massage therapists can mobilise the areas and provide relief. Other options include cortisone shots into the trigger point.
    • bedilia
      bedilia EileenH

      Posted

      Eileen, I have this and I find that by using my "better than sex" massager I get good releif.  It is a deep tissue massager that you drape around your neck.  It looks very similar to a harnass.  It massages for 10 min @ a time and it also has a heat setting.  There is 3 different setting on it.  I just use the pulsation one.  I move it down my back and it feels so good!
  • theresarok
    theresarok Advise

    Posted

    I was diagnosed originally in 1999 with PMR.  Have not seen specialist as yet. Will see him on 9/3/14.  First time, could not take prednisone because of severe mania reaction with my bipolar.  Other than same sypmtoms, lab work done by PA did not indicate alarm. Symptoms are off/on.  Pains you describe are very familiar. Also have fused (twice in different areas) ankle so walk with cane and know it causes stress in areas in my body.  Also the emotional stress of moods of bipolar adds to my body symptoms. Can't believe it would not.  Wonder if this isn't what brought it on again after all this time.  It's been a very stressful two years leading up to this.
  • bedilia
    bedilia Advise

    Posted

    Advise I too am having these same pains.  I am just recovering from shingles so I didn't really feel the PMR pain for the past 2 weeks.  I am newly dx'd so this is all new to me.  I know if I went up 1mg on my Prednisone it would probably clear up some of these symptoms.  But I absolutely don't want to do this!  Prednisone is a wicked, evil drug for me.   I'd rather just deal with the pain and take an extra Norco when it gets too bad!
    • EileenH
      EileenH bedilia

      Posted

      It is all very well saying pred is evil and you'd rather deal with the pain with an opioid pain killer - but they have risks too. We have many patients who are terrified of taking pred because of the scare stories that abound. Yes, pred is a powerful drug and has some serious side effects. But no one gets all of them and many people have very few. I have taken 4 different corticosteroids in the last 5 years. I was fine with ordinary and enteric coated prednisolone, methyl prednisolone was horrendous in terms of weight gain and muscle wasting but all the side effects there have disappeared since I was switched to a form of prednisone. Not all patients are the same and each patient doesn't react the same to all forms of the drug. You cannot condemn it out of hand given that it isn't a case of pred bad/no pred good in PMR.

      If you still have PMR symptoms that means that the inflammation is still acitive in your arteries and that means you are running the long term risk of cardiovascular disease and an increased risk of developing a cancer of some sort. Some think that untreated PMR increases the risk of developing GCA. It is certain that 1 in 6 patients originally diagnosed with PMR will go on to develop GCA - and then there is no choice: you take very high dose pred or risk loss of vision.

    • bedilia
      bedilia EileenH

      Posted

      Eilen, all I was saying is that for ME Prednisone is a good vs evil drug!   I have taken it off and on since I was 11 yrs old.  I am 67 soon to be 68 in October.  Just about every time I am on it, I have problems.  This time has been the worst for me.  When I get to the point where I have to put myself on "house arrest" because it is not safe for me to drive, then I must consider long and hard the benefits of Prednisone.  I cannot function as I am now.  It is very frustrating to me as I just got to the point where I was feeling like I got my life back!

      I see my PMD today and plan to discus my Prednisone dose with him.  

    • EileenH
      EileenH bedilia

      Posted

      It is a pain having to use pred a lot I know that - but for most of the people who come on here it is a new experience and reading a comment about pred being evil is enough to make them want to stop, to try diet, alternative therapies and so on and if they are GCA patients as you know they are putting their sight at risk. There's enough trouble with doctors rushing people off pred because it is such an "awful drug" - one told one lady she was between the devil and the deep blue sea: "it'll kill you but without pred you'll go blind..." Quite what he meant is beyond me but you see where I'm coming from I'm sure with your own background.

      I had 6 months with really bad PMR, no pred and no car - because the stroke lead at the local hospital decided the transient global amnesia I'd had could have been epilepsy. She simply hadn't listened to me - she'd preferred to take a passing comment by my husband (a colleague of hers) as a basis. The episodes he had mentioned had been investigated and dismissed as food allergy reactions - a fact he claimed he didn't know! Well, he is a man! 

      However - I know what having my liberty removed is like, without a car I couldn't go anywhere. A GCA patient can end up with badly affected vision that is enough to stop them driving. All because a doctor is terrified to give pred - or they are terrified to take it. It now tends to be a knee jerk reaction to post in response to that type of comment - sorry.

       

  • theresarok
    theresarok Advise

    Posted

    How many of you think your PMR was brought on by emotional and/or bodily stress?Is this or is this not a major factor?
    • EileenH
      EileenH theresarok

      Posted

      A lot of people say they have had severe stress in the year or so previous to PMR developing. There is no evidence of anything specific being a trigger but it does seem to be a mixture of things and stress may well be the final straw that breaks the camel's back.
  • razia48
    razia48 Advise

    Posted

    I have been suffering from bad pain on my uppet body just under my armpits every time i breath it hurts can u help
    • EileenH
      EileenH razia48

      Posted

      Without a lot more information I doubt anyone here can offer any advice. This is a forum for people with a diagnosis of a very specific form of inflammatory arthritis/vasculits. 

      If you have pain then the best place for you is your GP.

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