Rotator cuff agony

[Masaladosai]

How can I sleep...in agony, can't get comfortable at all ..the pain in every position...I don't know what to do with myself. Any suggestions please

Steroid injection?
Worked for me
Had them twice
Once manually and one ultrasound guided I think

Have you taken some painkillers?

Ice can help reduce the inflammation - just don't apply it directly to your skin!

I found sleeping sitting up with my arm resting on pillows helped!

I'm with you, it's awful.

Try to get a hydrodilation/steroid injection if you can, that will ease it for a while.

I have to sleep on my back or my other side. I can occasionally sleep on my bad side if I put lots of pillows around me. But the pain usually wakes me up.

You could have a calcium deposit in your shoulder, which could be causing the pain. Exercise it as much as possible, painkillers, position a pillow beneath shoulder to give extra cushioning when lying down. When sitting, position a hot water bottle or heat bad behind your shoulder.

Painkillers? Cocodomol is good, if you can take it. Yes to steroid injection if you're able to get one - it helped me.

Pain relieving gel like Volterol. The 2.32 strength is good, really works for me.

I was more comfortable lying on my back with my arm up beside me (as though I was scratching the top of my head) and then after a week or so progressed to lying on the same side with arm in same position. Try and find a position that's comfortable for your shoulder when sitting on the bed and then try and replicate it when you lie down. If necessary, then wedge your body in with pillows so you can't fidget. Good luck, it's bloody agony isn't it x

Interesting that someone has suggested ice. When I damaged my rotator cuff, I needed warmth rather than cold. Hot water bottles were helpful at night, as were those gel packs that you can heat in the microwave (or freeze). I also bought a microwavable neck/shoulder collar that helped, though the heat didn't last long.

After several weeks of living on over-the-counter painkillers which didn't do much good, and a couple of sessions with an osteopath (ditto), I was prescribed amitriptyline, which really helped. I only needed it for a couple of weeks.

Good luck. I remember it being awful.

Massage in lots of volterol, take max paracetamol plus.

Get an initial physio consultation - about £50 and worth every penny.

I am having the exact same problem at the moment. Co-codamol isn't working, voltarol gel not working (and skin now sore). I had a steroid injection which did nothing. So miserable - total sympathy for you.

Stretches are really important for rotator cuff injury.
Cured mine without a steroid injection.

I slept with a big pile of pillows propping me up & then pillows beside me on the affected side keeping my arm at boob height. I took the maximum dose of Ibuprofen I could, 111 told me to take 800mg the night I tore it & then 2 × 30/500 co-codamol. It was agony until I had surgery & then 8/10 pain for about 3 months after.

an osteopath cured mine, i had 3 torn tendons and a few sessions did the trick

Thanks for the suggestions. I literally can't move my arm so any suggestion of exercise sounds mad. It only happened a couple of days ago. I'll be calling the doctor on Monday. Painkillers not touching it.

What was your surgery like? Had to put mine off because I broke my ankle!

The surgery was fine, after having an MRI of my shoulder it turned out I just needed the sub acromial decompression op, the rotator cuff wasn't torn as first thought. I went in for 7.00am, went to theatre at 9.00am & was on my way home for 12.00pm. They do a nerve block which is weird, my shoulder & arm were numb for 24 hours, if my arm wasn't in the sling it just dropped & I couldn't move or bend it. Recovery was fine after the first few days, I had physio every week for 6 weeks, I had my op in the July & was discharged in October, I was pain free by Christmas. If you have it done claim the whole bed as yours because you need to be packed around you with pillows, I couldn't lay on the bad side for at least 3 months after, I had to sleep on my other side & put my bad arm on a pile of pillows. I slept semi sat up for the first month after.

Voltarol and painkillers do both take about 24 hr to fully kick in with bad pain. Keep using them both until you see a professional.
Also, hot and cold treatment (hot bath/shower) then ice, then same again in the afternoon.

I'm allergic to ibuprofen, so daren't try voltarol as it contians diclofenac, an nsaid.
I got a couple of hours sleep last night but I'm exhausted, can't shower or put my bra on an feel miserable. Oh well it will eventually pass.

You need an xray and possible mri. Has it been diagnosed as a cuff injury, I had similar pain but it was the acronium which needed decompression surgery.

When mine was at its worst (torn in a car accident), I had to sleep on the opposite side and prop my right shoulder in my left hand.

A steroid injection really helped.

Now I have to be incredibly careful not to do any heavy lifting as that just makes it flare up again.

You need diclofenac suppositories - far more gentle on your stomach

Not if you're allergic to nsaid

Thank you!

@Masaladosai give 111 a ring or head to urgent care? There's other stuff they can give you so you don't have to suffer until Monday!

Locate a good sports physio - saved my sanity!

No urgent care in our area, only a&e, it can wait for the doctor tomorrow.

Physio won't do much without a diagnosis, only exercises that could make any injury worse.