Shoulder pain for 6 months - no diagnosis
Posted , 24 users are following.
My left shoulder has been in pain for 6 months now. The pain has progressively gotten worse and worse and it is now at the point that even moving my arm slightly is troubling. I had an ultrasound done recently which showed nothing. Everything the ultrasound could see was normal.
The pain has always been at the inside front of my shoulder, but recently it's been spreading to my bicep, outer upper chest and neck. The front of my shoulder is still in pain the most frequently - to be precise, it's the area just below my collar bone and just inside the shoulder ball. That seems to be the source.
I'll go through all the symptoms I have.
- doing these things causes extreme pain at the inside front of my shoulder: lifting my arm to the front, above my head, or to the side, picking up even slightly heavy objects, pushing or pulling heavy things.
- doing simple things such as brushing my teeth, dressing, doing my hair are painful, again at the front of my shoulder.
- lying down on my back with my arm by my side gives me a distinct burning pain in my shoulder, and at times it radiates down to my bicep. This burning pain only comes when i lie down. (Just started a few weeks ago)
- my outer upper chest, near my armpit, hurts at times when I'm resting.
- recently I've started to sometimes feel dull pain in my neck, just above my collar bone. Not frequent at all.
- if I apply heat to the shoulder I sometimes get pins and needles down my arm, and it goes numb in certain positions (lying down and sitting down). This doesn't seem to happen as much with ice treatment. (New symptom again)
- laughing causes pain, as does talking too much and too loudly. After any sort of a gathering I'm always in immense pain, even if my arm is fully rested.
- I have trouble feeding myself most of the time.
It will probably be helpful if I tell you the cause of this pain. I injured my other (right) shoulder a year ago in March. I was unable to sleep on that side, or on my front, since that injury. I couldn't fall asleep on my back and so I slept on my left shoulder, exclusively. All night, every night. After about 5 months I started feeling discomfort when lying down on it, but I made nothing of it and carried on as that was the only way I could sleep. The discomfort slowly turned into pain (at the inside front of my shoulder, below my collar bone). I would only feel this pain when lying down on it. Apart from that my shoulder was absolutely fine.
Then one morning I woke up and the pain was immense and using my arm was painful that whole day. (The pain being exclusively in the location described before - nowhere else.) Since that day I have learnt to sleep on my back.
The pain did go away after a few days of rest but since my right arm was pretty much unusable, I had no choice but to resume using my left.
So the pain would come and go depending on how much I would be using my shoulder. Driving was the worst at bringing the pain back. This on and off thing went on till about 2 months ago. Now the pain is always present.
It's difficult to use both my arms and I'm pretty much stuck at home, being looked after by my family. Even doing the simplest things has become impossible.
I'm waiting for surgery on my right shoulder for a suspected labral tear but I still don't know have a diagnosis for my left shoulder.
Any help would be appreciated. What could the problem be? What step should I take next?
2 likes, 30 replies
mrwj1998 roblee
Posted
Guest roblee
Posted
I hope you are doing good now. I am a 25 year old healthy software engineer from India. I have been playing basketball more since three years. Coincidently I have a closely similar case as yours. Only difference is my left shoulder has labrum tear and right has the symptoms as your left had.
I am done with my Arthroscopic bankart repair and capsular plication on 6th Oct on my left shoulder. My rehab has been positively progressing well. But something in my right shoulder has been bothering me for more than a while now. After the surgery I had to use my right shoulder more than ever. I slept for almost 3 weeks on my right side. Did cross body movements to wear shrt or bath my left shoulder. The rehab for my left shoulder such as forward elevation with a crane stcik, my right shoulder beared the weight of the left shoulder. Such activity was done for three times a day 20 reps each. Now after the surgery on my left, while the medications were on I had no pain or discomfort in my right. After three weeks of the surgery I went to the supermarket and carried home about two-three kgs(or less I think) on my right shoulder for 700meters. It pained that night but weared off again. After 5 weeks, I went out with my basketball team for a tournement to support them and only once I short a basket with my right shoulder just casually, I could feel shooting pain on the top of the joint immediately as I short. since then the pain is constantly wandering.
Since over two/three weeks now, I have been feeling tenderness, clikcing, irritation on my AC joint and the area below and under the collorbone. When I walk and swing the arm to-and-fro I hear some clicking at each step i take while walking and this has been continuing everyday at exactly the tip of the shoulder head. When I rotate my shoulder, the AC joint and top of the shoulder continously rubs and irritates a lot as if the bones are cracking and passing through some broken stones. There is mild stiffness in the scapula and locking feeling in the mornings specially but not too frequent. I am unable to lift and brush my hair for more than two minutes. The hand feels stressed and little weak. I visited my doctor and he prescribed Carnisure and Ezact MR tablets. I never encountered such a pain in my right shoulder except once before the surgery for two weeks I had similar symptoms but not so disturbing. I ignored it then thinking it is just mild sprain. I had the Xray done yesterday and everything is normal as told by the doctor.
Also, there is something that I need you to know that happend Before the surgery of my left shoulder. (about two months before), I played basketball for 30 minutes with my right shoulder alone. I remember well that night I had sever pain in my right shoulder and it continued for three to four days. Then there was a constant pain in my AC joint, top of the shoulder and clicking sound started. The MRI did not show anything.
So the symptoms are almost the same as before the left shoulder surgery. Right now I cannot do much excercise with my right shoulder to support my left and also the right is pretty strong most of the times but every time ther is constant irritation in the AC joint, clicking sound at every rotation, clicking at every two and fro swing of the armw while walking. Its distrubing and bothering me everyday now. My doc says I need to be busy and start using my left shoulder for some minor activities as its 8 weeks pst surgery.
What do you think can be the problem? I do not want to let it go unnoticed.
regards
Atishay
jean1948 roblee
Posted
anthony02281 jean1948
Posted
jean1948 roblee
Posted
I suffered pain just like yours in my shoulder some years ago. It spread to my other shoulder eventually and like you I could not even wash my hair without severe pain. I was finally referred to a rheumatologist and he diagnosed rotator cuff inflammation which he said can be excruciatingly painfully, 2 cortisone injections later and I was pain free after 18 months of painkillers, acupuncture, and physio which just made matters worse. Ask to be referred to a rheumatologist I am sure they will be able to sort you out with the correct treatment. Hope you can get it sorted, all the best.
dona_77896 roblee
Posted
I have injured both my shoulders at least five months ago I was working at a convenience store lifting a lot of heavy items I am a dancer as well as an actress so I am very active and mobile five months ago this started I toss and turn all night in pain when I raise my arms up I have to do it very slowly because it hurts once I get them up to my head it's painful when I tried to take my arm around and around bones pop and that's painful while I'm moving around through the day everything is pretty much okay it's at night at the relaxation time. I am in a lot of pain I've had x-rays they found nothing so next I guess will be an MRI I am in so much pain here please help.
dona_77896 roblee
Posted
I have injured my shoulders both of them five months ago I worked at a convenience store lifting a lot of heavy items I am a dancer as well as an actress I don't know what caused this I do know it is very painful throughout the day it's not as badl but at night during relaxation time I can't get comfortable in the bed I toss and turn all night long when I try to raise my arms I have to do it very slowly because it's painful. And when I get my hands up over my head it hurts when I bring them down it's painful as well. When I try to turn my arms around I hear bones popping and it's very painful I have had X-rays done they found nothing so I guess next I will have to have an MRI done all I know is I am in a lot of pain please help.
cait44541 roblee
Posted
Wondering if you ever found out what was wrong! I have the same symptoms but I am a hair stylist. I have had an EMG , CT , and MRI, all came back normal but I am still in pain and gave no feeling to my shoulder. I have been going to physical therapy for 23 weeks not and is not getting better!
Thanks!
q04449 cait44541
Posted
Did you get a diagnosis yet? I've had all the tests you had and they came back normal plus I've been on every anti inflammatory (didn't help at all)steroid injections and physical therapy (both of which only made it worse😞!)
natasha10538 roblee
Posted
laura52531 roblee
Posted
I've had shoulder pain for 9 months finally went to my Orthopaedic doctor appointment on shoulder he took X-rays nothing my shoulder is swollen hurts when I sleep everyday no rang of motion on my shoulder I don't sleep it hurts so bad I don't like how much pain I have need MRI doctor said waiting on health insurance to see if I can get it I don't know what to do it's getting worse I'm on crutches from foot surgery been on crutches 5 years I don't know what to do it's getting worse day by day I feel like emergency room is only thing I can do maybe there they can do MRI there I can't use my hand arm it hurts bad to move it swollen is bad what do I do
arthur99149 roblee
Posted
Hi Rob. sorry to hear there is more people with this problem, I had my rotor cuff and bone scarped on my right arm done two years ago went great no problem. And my left shoulder done in August 2017.
?had a bad fall in my home tripped over the dog. fell on the tiled floor. the pain in my two shoulders was so intense I thought I'd Brocken my arm. a could not move for a while. when I was able to get up my wife said I'll tack you to A&E my reply was no? but after a while I went to my local drop in Centre who do X-ray's all was ok But? I was still in intense pain. I took pain killers nothing would work. so after a few days I finally went to The Hospital A&E they said the same thing just keep taking the pain Killers? But still the pain purists in Both shoulders down my arm into my wrist on my right Arm my left shoulder only pain in the shoulder. I visited my GP who said it was a pinched nerve? but after a couple of weeks still in pain. so he gave me a injection in my right shoulder is has not helped. still have the pain can't sleep on ether side, as people say you know your own body. as I do mine. I'm now 66 worked all my life. had falls which was apart of my working life even worked in a quarry for some years. had bangs and had fall over my working life I'm not clumsy in anyway in fact the opposite I have never had a fall like that in my life. had fall worse in fact but nothing like the fall I had at the beginning of October still the same no better?
JLo80 roblee
Posted
I'm almost identical to your shoulder symptoms & dying in pain it's so bad! I've been in multiple car accidents & a real bad 1 2yrs ago... I was in so much pain all over that I couldn't even function.. after months of PT, meds, etc.. I tried to go back to work for a few wks(only 2 days/wk) then 1 day in the middle of the day My shoulder had this weird pain... I thought maybe I slept wrong & went about My day.. by bed time it was excruciating to say the least. I was screaming & couldn't lie down! Thankfully I have an adjustable bed & sat up to sleep! The next morning I woke up & the pain was gone, sooo weird... But by bedtime again I wanted to die! I've gone to numerous professionals, surgeons, etc with no relief in site! I've had epidurals, steroid injections, isolated PT for 2mths (already had it for 6mths prior for the accident) & it had just gotten worse. I've taken just about every med, shot & tried multiple therapies with no luck. Drs said nothing is showing on the MRI or Xrays.. shoulder Drs think it's My neck & neck Dr is ughh a hipster dbag for lack of better words. I cry daily, my life is miserable & it's like No1 is listening to Me, the patient! Something is wrong inside of Me & I can feel it. If I try to put My hair up it's sooo hard, I can barely shave My armpits, going to bed is the hardest thing I have to do & I can feel something popping/pinching in there! I have to think about every move I make bkuz if 1 is not slow & steady...it hurts!!! If I push on the left collarbone in a certain spot it makes a punchy feeling in my shoulder bone! I have absolutely no idea what is wrong & No1 is helping Me... they're all too busy blaming it on My neck... so I'm off to get a fusion of C5-6 next month (I need it tho) but it's not gonna help My shoulder, but these Drs apparently think so & as much as I wish they were right, I know they're wrong! I know My body! So please let Me know if anyone has any answers!
nicole22585 roblee
Posted
I'm sorry you are going through this. Keep seeking answers and asking doctors. I have tendinitis and bursitis in both shoulders and when I used heat it burned and tingled. Ice is the only thing that helps. I also use icy hot sometimes. I don't have much advice, I'm in pain too and just trying to keep my head from going dark places. I will pray for your recovery