Shoulder blade pain

[abracadabra1980]

I'm at my wits end about what to do regarding shoulder blade pain on my right hand side. It feels like it's in fire today. Im right handed to use the arm a lot. Scrolling on my phone using my right hand thumb, is a severe irritant, even when propped up with orthopaedic cushions.
I've had sacroliliac joint issues in my lower back after a skiing accident about ten years ago and feel I have seen every medical person on the planet from NHS and privately to try and resolve my pain. Ive had xrays and an MRI, albeit the X-rays were about 30 years ago which showed normal degenerative issues to L4/5 for my age.
The MRI showed no obvious damage to soft tissue. My whole right side is stiff and - from hamstrings to weak glute to shoulder blades and turning my neck to the tight is so painful. It's like having permanent whiplash. Surely people are healed from awful car crashes etc with whiplash?
I have recently done DIY/ painted for a day or so (2hrs max) and I'm in agony. The shoulder blade pain started a year ago when I took an unruly dog out as a favour for someone and it nearly pulled my arm out of my socket.

I've got exercises from the GP physio but they just make it worse. I dread having to put on clothing over my head.
Can any HCP help me or suggest something? I'm on Tramadol and Naproxen. Thanks in advance.

Hopeful bump..

Wow, I could've written this myself! I have the exact same pain in my right shoulder blade and it affects my whole right side. I get nerve pain through my neck, feet, legs, hip hands etc, all on my right side. It seems to get worse in the winter. It started for me as a child (around 10 or 11) and I was referred for Physio, they called it "winged scapula" I think. I recently went to a chiropractor and she was convinced it's arthritis. I need to book an appointment at the GP to explore this further, although I have a feeling I won't get far. No real advice OP, but I'm in the exact same boat. Hope we get some answers soon.

Sorry you are in this pain too-for me it's just one thing after another: I have heard of 'winged scapula' - do you'm think you may have had an undiagnosed injury from years ago? Please keep me in the loop with any pain/diagnoses, but I feel your pessimism about getting an answer/cure.

@Abs8 just letting you know I've been referred, yet again, to the Muscoskeletal Physio Department by GP. I've now seen Physio #3 through the NHS. (Have also seen one privately and an Osteopath in last year)l. Here's my predicament. Each person I see has given me a different opinion on what is causing the pain, therefore I now don't believe any of them really know. It has ranged from a twisted rib, damage to the cervical area in the neck, weak glutes and core and a knotted muscle. Every time, I'm given exerciises which seem to worsen the pain, so I've cracked and am going to see an Orthopaedic surgeon privately. For £200 I think it's worth it just to get a Consultant's opinion.

I had shoulder pain for around a year. I had very limited movement and the pain was nauseating at times.

In the end what really helped was massage treatment from a really excellent sports therapist. I believe it was knotted muscles that caused my problems.

The massages caused burning pain when she worked on the knots but gradually it eased. I also worked on them over and over again at home.

I've been pain free and with full movement for around 2 years now.

Obviously your issues might not be muscular. Hopefully you will find something that works for you soon.

I had odd things going on with my upper back and neck, about a year later I got arm pain and this was followed by frozen shoulder. Before I lost movement in my shoulder I was diagnosed with

1. Thoracic outlet syndrome, this was debunked by specialist 2
2. Tissue damage
3. Nerve irritation in cervical spine

I believe all three were incorrect and it was FS all along, with a very long slow gradual lead up. I didn't ever have any shoulder pain.

I've now got something similar, yet slightly different on my other side, but this time I have pain in shoulder and shoulder blade sometimes. No loss of motion yet.

I also have other nasties going on, hip arthritis for 3 years, low back pain and sciatica for a few months. Trying to untangle which bit is causing which pain feels impossible sometimes and because of my previous experiences I don't always trust health professionals to correctly diagnose.

@Abs8 did you get any further? I'm now going for what I hope is my last appointment with the local Muscoskeletal person, (their exercised have made no difference in the 4 weeks I've been doing them), and after speaking to my GP, I'm hopeful going to be referred for an MRI. I'm not asking for a miracle cure, I just want to know what the cause is. Not knowing this is SO bloody frustrating. If I knew, maybe living with it would make it easier.

Yep
4 years now
Rt sided shoulder and arm pain plus t9 thoracic rib pain
Dx with thoracic outlet syndrome which I'm not sure about
I have fibro which also complicates matters
It's really horrible and you have my sympathy

I would also suggest thoracic outlet syndrome. Lots of us with it also have ehlers danlos syndrome so widespread body pain.

So I’ve has long-standing shoulder issues following an injury.

What I have gleaned from the many different physios / drs I have seen over the is that an initial injury happens (in my case I was passing something heavy to my kids in the back seat of the car - reached out backwards and the heavy bag pulled my hand down backwards sharply 😱). Extremely painful. Might be the equivalent of your dog walking incident. Lots of inflammation observed in a recent ultrasound and pretty much constant pain for 5+ years now

that was the initial injury. Since then the muscles in my neck, shoulder blade / trapezius, and upper arm have had to compensate for the loss of strength in my shoulder itself so they are tight, stressed, very painful and ‘pinched’ feeling. This might be what you experience as pain in your shoulder blade.

the aim of physio is to build up my shoulder so that the other muscles can be relieved of duty, and become less painful. The problem is the my shoulder injury is now chronic and never goes away, no matter how much physio I do 🤷‍♀️ - it’s so painful that I just can’t do the exercises correctly. And even when I do it makes no difference to the chronic shoulder pain.

so that might help with an explanation but not much positivity.

btw I also have lower back issues but they aren’t connected to the shoulder thing - I’m convinced it was that initial injury that caused it.