Advice re shoulder please

GraceB

Can I please ask our "shoulder experts" for advice please?

For weeks now I've had muscular issues with my right shoulder. GP and Physio both confirmed I had nerve trapped in my neck and the trapezius muscle in my shoulder was very badly spasming. GP gave me two lots of muscle relaxant meds and I've had physio on this (and been doing the exercises).

After the second physio session I seemed to be making progress but this has now all gone and it looks like I'm back where I started. The pain is tracking down my right arm, the tingling and electric shock type feelings are back so I suspect the nerve has again trapped. However, at the start of this miserable process the tingling, etc., went down as far as my elbow and into my little finger; now these are tracking down my arm and across my whole hand. My hand is also going numb at times now. The GP won't give me any more muscle relaxants but I was wondering if I should ask for an injection into the shoulder? I'm getting a lot of creaking, groaning and clicking noises from the shoulder joint and naturally I'm concerned that this could be first signs of the OA being in this area. I'm wondering if I should be pushing for an MRI. (Oh, I'm due to see physio again Thursday).

Any thoughts would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

GraceB

stickywicket

My thoughts are that you still have far too much on your plate, Grace. You have had a truly horrendous time of things these last few months yet still it continues. And still I see no trace of self-pity. You are amazing.

I don't think I can help. My shoulder pain has always been due to the arthritis in my shoulders and I've never had nerve pain with it. It has just stayed in the shoulders. Might some of yours be due to stress and tension? It would surely make sense given all you've been through. Might a good masseur be able to help?

I can only offer some of my rare...gentle....ones ((( )))

barbara12

Hello Grace
I wont be much help. my should crunches but its nothing to do with a trapped nerve..so I have to use ice when the pain comes on and of course do my exercises..I dont have clue if an injection would help with the nerve but hopefully someone will be along with some help..I hope it ease for you very soon..

theresak

Hi Grace,

I get a lot of shoulder pain, but with me it's from the RA. I have the clunking that you mention - but not the tingling that you have. All I can do is rest the affected arm on a pillow when sitting, and on going to bed. I've had injections into both shoulders, but most times they have to drain the fluid off first.

I do have exercises, which I do, but the shoulders still cause problems - I rely on Naproxen when things are really bad, & painkillers of differing strengths. Interestingly, the shoulders is where my RA first started - for a time I was treated for 'frozen shoulder ' until other joints joined in.

I hope it soon improves for you.

GraceB

Thanks for your replies.

Had a dreadful night so at 3am I rang 111. They organised for an on-call Doctor to ring me which happened at 5am. The on-call Dr said my GP must organise an MRI, a referral to a shoulder specialist and physio. I then had an appointment organised for me to go and see an Out of Hours GP who was based at my local hospital.

I saw a GP at 8am. He prescribed me 100mg Gabapentin (1 three times daily), I'm also to take maximum dose of Tramadol and maximum dose of paracetamol. He agreed I need MRI, physio and to see a shoulder specialist. So tomorrow I have the challenge of trying to get a GP appointment (that'll be fun after a Bank Holiday!) and trying to get this all organised, plus additional meds as I was only given a small supply today of the Gabapentin.

I'll be early to bed tonight to try and catch up with some sleep. I am shattered!

GraceB

JamesFoote

Cortisone injection really help me and I know some people have it and it get better from there.
I have to have mine every 3 months and though my hands are still numb I don't feel it. Sound odd but you know what I mean


James

GraceB

Thanks James. I may well be asking for an injection although they've never worked in other joints for me.

I saw a GP this morning. I left home at 7.30am, and joined the queue outside the surgery at 7.45am. I was No.5 in the queue. :roll: By the time the door opened at 8am, there was about 25 people in the queue. It's a good job those of us living in the UK are good at queuing!

GP has referred me for an urgent MRI and says that will dictate next stage. I'm to speak to physio Thursday when I'm there for my left knee and see if he's happy to work on the shoulder. GP said sometimes physios won't touch an area when they know an MRI has been requested.

I'll ring the MRI Dept. next week and see how long the wait is, ask to go on the cancellation list and also let them know I'll take an early morning, late evening or weekend slot.

In the meantime, I have yet more Gabapentin and these are now on my repeat prescription list until this has been resolved. I'm also to take the additional Tramadol and paracetamol. With the Gabapentin it's been recommended I build up to the 3 per day but if I can I'll see if I can manage on 2 spaced about 12 hourly. So folks, if you hear a rattling noise from this area of Kent be reassured it's not anything suspicious, it's just me!

I did get six and a half hours' sleep last night which, although I know is probably down to the Gabapentin, was rather nice.

GraceB

stickywicket

I think, in your current situation, sleep is good even when meds-induced.

I hope all goes to plan. If they inject the shoulder try to explain exactly where the pain is as I recall once being told, by the doc injecting mine, that tere are two places they can inject into the shoulder and, if they get the wrong one, it won't do much good.

Good luck with it all, Grace.

GraceB

Interesting session with the physio today.

He said it's the nerve trapped in my neck again and this is the cause of the pain I've had this week. Only problem is that when I saw him originally this was trapped in two places, when he checked today it was trapped in three place so it's now worse! :shock:

The physio is writing to my GP to say I'll need a significant number of sessions with him - the usual amount is 3 sessions and I'll need at least double that. He should have been treating my left knee today but as my neck and shoulder were so bad he focussed on that area and just did some ultrasound on the knee. (The knee has had it in any event so no point spending too much physio time on that).

He's released some of the nerve but I have to see him again next week, when again he'll focus on the neck. Interestingly he advised that I should ring the MRI section of my local Hospital at about 10am on days when I know I can pop across. Apparently, it can happen that people due for an MRI cancel on the day due to illness, so if you ring about 10am by then these calls have come in and they may have slots to fill ... If I ring as he's advised the MRI will be sooner and he's said that not only am I urgent but "very urgent" - gulp. :roll:

In the meantime my trust hot water bottle is working very hard!

GraceB

stickywicket

Good luck with it all, Grace. I hope you manage an earlier MRI.

GraceB

Doing my trip away this weekend has definitely been challenging. My neck and shoulder have really been playing up so I'll be chasing that MRI appointment. I'm just thankful I'm on annual leave tomorrow so I can try and rest my neck and shoulder.

Wrong weather to be clutching a hot water bottle - it's been 26 degrees here ...

GraceB