Shoulder injury

Hi Galvanised,

I cannot have an MRI as I have a neuromodulation in my back so I had a ct scan instead on Friday.

Back to docs this week for a change of Morphine.

I think I thought my op would resolve my shoulder problem not make it worse how wrong was I and the consultant.

Will see what result I get from CT hope it's good.

Dolphin500.

Hi there,

I am on the same boat as yourself, except I got the MRI. I was told I had a torn tendon and osteophytes, which means over growth of bone to protect the bone joint that is already damaged. Again I have paid into the NHS for the lay 20years only to be told that there is nothing they can apart from physio. I suffered in pain for 6 months, lost sleep and lack of sleep made me more worse. I eventually got muscle relaxants to help with the frozen shoulder and a low doze triptiline tablet 10mgs, which I took for about 4 weeks and that its self

Actually got me over it.. The pain is still there but not as bad as it was.. Try get something to relax the muscle tension for a few weeks and you should notice a difference. NHS is a total fail to all working people of the UK.

Gd luck

Lisa

I have an orthopaedic surgeon friend who told me that to do a cortisone injection that works is a skill, my friend thought he was the tops!! He said if you missed by literally millimetres you could cause problems and that a lot of people really were not that much good. 

Phewwww , just came bac from doctors had a talk about how my treatment has gone so badly wrong since they started puttng the cortizone injections into different places rather then the fron where the pain is.

I didn;t take any meds or pain relief this morning since i woke as i wanted to see just how bad the pain really is unmasked.....im man enough to admit the nerve pain in my shoulder reduced me to tears when i was bck in the house....

She's given me some amylttryptiline for the nerve pain and off work for another month as i cant see consultant for a minimum of 2 weeks as she's on holiday..

Told her if i wanted an Mri and se said only consultant can book that so have to wait and see if the waiting list is too long it wil be straight to bupa and take out a loan to pay for it...

Chronic pain is no joke and i sympathize with anyone who has it , i realize a lot of people are worse off then me , at least i can medicate withng reason and get some normallity..

 Update in a few weeks after iv'e seen the consultant and she's had her nice holiday relaxing

Gl all

 

Hi Lisa , thx for you reply especially about the amyltryptiline ( think i spelt it right ) .

When i went to see Gp on weds i asked for some for the pinched nerve pains i was getting in my bicep and side of neck when i moved my arm ( shoulder ).

I also got the usual co-codamols but  a lower strength one and some basic paracetamols as been having headaches of the co-codamols when stopping taking them.

I have had to sleep downstairs as those amyltryptiline tabs are very strong and are literally knocking me out for the night and making me snore ( much love from the wife :P ) but i've set up a comfy double king size duvet and its not uncomfortable at all.

Here's the weird bit....

It's the beginning of day 3 i have taken then for the last 2 nights and slept well , i woke this morning feeling a little groggy as u do from them got up had a wash etc got kids up for school then all of  asudden i realized something....i hadn;t had any sharp nerve pain either in my arm or bicep...at first i thought surely they cant have done anything in 2 days ..so i got the kids off to school and did some nice slow yoga stretching exercises in the living room for my arms...up in air / across body / behind back and up nehind neck slowly....

The shoulder itself is still quite sore i'd liken it to someone who hasn't been training for a long time then suddenly gone back to the gym and done a full shoulder work out,,,,similar sort of dull ache pain.....but there's nothing sharp in there ...im a bit freaked out ..all iv;e taken this morning is 1 x  400 ibuprofen and 1 x 500 paracetamol to take edge off as i dont want to ram pills dwn my neck

willy nilly but i actually feel better phsically and mentally.

Am i having a false dawn i keep asking myself and will i wake up tomorrow in agony with it all bck,,if it keeps on at this rate of recovery i wil be truly amazed.

Thank you personally from me for ur suggestion for those ( not from my wife tho lol ) they may actually be something tangible that actually works.

Regards Gavin

 

I can relate to what you are going through. I have had a frozen shoulder for four years that became a full tendon tear. I had also had two steroidal injections which helped a bit . Three weeks ago I had shoulder surgery. Can you not be seen by an orthopaedic surgeon?

Hello Galvanized. I can sympathise with your pain. I have beed dealing with the same for 10 years now. I am guessing that you have NOT had an MRI as of yet? Xrays do not show everything and an MRI really is needed. My MD was shocked to see just how much was actually wrong with my shoulder after having the MRI. I just had shoulder replacement this past August.

Hi galvanised,

I'm glad my advice helped but be warned this won't be the end of it. It will come and go for years to come and you will go through the whole pain, feeling low and meds all over again. Iv been having it for years but my new way is going for a sports massage once a month cost about 30 pound but god it's worth it. I am also looking into oxygen chamber therapy to see if this helps the healing process. I wish you a fast recovery and gd luck.

Lisa

I sure hope your new found meds give you long term relief.  I have recently reinjured my shoulder and I dread what is to come.  I am an MRI tech in the U.S.A. and I see people with every variety of injury.  I have to say the shoulder seems to be one of the most baffling and difficult to deal with as far as joints go.  Lying down it hurts, standing, sitting, moving.. it all hurts.  I have noticed that most people with shoulder injuries have the hardest time with MRI's because they hurt lying on their back in the position needed to get the MRI done.  Thank goodness that MRI Technology has improved. Years ago when I started doing this it would take almost an hour to do an MRI on a shoulder. Now I do them in 15 minutes.  It's such a relief for most people that have real injuries.  And now as I have an injury I know whats ahead whether its severe or not, because most injuries eventually come back to haunt you.  Especially the shoulder!!  I am taking my physical therapy very seriously and even when they are 'done' with me I am going to continue the exercizes.  And hope I don't get kicked again.  The irony of all this is that I was injured by a patient that I was attempting to do an MRI on her shoulder.. 

Galvanized, I have one over-riding comment: FIND THE VERY BEST SHOULDER ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON YOU CAN and start doing your own research about shoulder anatomy, physiology, and function.  I'm in the U.S.  I have read a whole lot of the posts on the various shoulder discussions.  I just don't get it.  Is it because of your natonal health system that so many people do not seek the right medical care at the outset of a problem?  What you are suffering sounds horrible both physically and financially.  Certainly, a national health system makes getting the medical care you need more difficult.  But that just means you have to climb bigger mountains to get what you need.  Not that it makes it impossible.

Medications are not the answer.  See this as a prelude the the rest of your life.  How do you want to spend it?  You must, must take control of getting what you need.  And now you need to learn things and get to the doctors who have a clue!!  Why would your doctors settle for just getting shot after shot, when you should be seeing the right specialist?  It doesn't sound as if you've seen any orthopedic surgeon.  Seeing one doesn't mean you are getting surgery.  But that's the specialty that has the experts on shoulders.  You have to do whatever you need to find the best one as near you as you want.  Or, are you willing to travel to get the best?  There is nothing more important than health.  If your health is bad, what else can be much?  Your relationships, work, and family are all negatively affected by your bad health, or pain, or any physical issue.  And as time goes by, your life isn't going to get longer by NOT doing anything to reduce your pain, and increase your function.  Why weren't you referred to a shoulder orthopedic surgeon a long time ago?  Ongoing shoulder pain is not a good thing, to state the obvious.  Nothing good is happening to any of the shoulder structures when you have chronic pain.  I beg you from across the pond to see a great shoulder orthopedic surgeon soon. You must have them there.  But I have not read any post indicating that anyone has gone to one. 

Good Luck, Galvanized.