Very painful shoulder: what helps?

[stilllovingmysleep]

I suspect I may have the beginnings of frozen shoulder or in any case something wrong in my left shoulder which for months (more than a year actually) has been very painful. Sometimes needs painkiller, sometimes is a bit better, but generally has an effect on sleep.

Any advice on what might help? Should I go to dr?

I would go to GP for physio referral. Mine was terrible from breast feeding - I was given exercises to do but the best thing has no longer been aggravating it holding a baby for hours every day!

Yeah - go to your GP and let them check you over. Be warned though, they will pull it about and that will make it worse for a few days!

Try and think whether you are doing something repetitively with that arm one-sided, like getting something off a high shelf, twisting to reach things or pushing doors open etc, and see if you can work out whether there's something you can do differently.

I usually go around like half a T. rex for a few days with the offending arm clamped tightly into my side as far as the elbow and avoid stretching out from the shoulder or taking any weight on it. It is probably a repetitive strain type injury - hanging washing, lifting pots and pans to drain them, changing beds, even chopping veg - hard to avoid but these are my triggers!

GP and physio sounds like a plan.

Thanks ladies. Do you think it may be frozen shoulder (don't know details about what that involves)

I will definitely go to GP and hopefully referral won't be too long

Frozen shoulder is the pits .Usually characterised by difficulty raising the arm .

I found a good physio ( private;ly ) who was very good .

General advice is to keep it mobile ( tho I know only too well the inclination to protect it ) .

Ice it to reduce inflamation - counterintuative but really does help .If you can't face that ,then alternate between ice and heat and finish on heat .

Google exercises - think gentle pendulum ones would be safe and helpful .

I had a rotator cuff injury in my left shoulder- my go quickly diagnosed it after getting me to move my arm in a certain way- and was referred to a specialist. I had a steroid injection and it solved the problem. Before that I had months of painful nights. Good luck!

Meant to say GP not go!

Thanks angelpuff! I will definitely go to GP as I'm now wondering what it is. A friend also said it may be to do with computer use / incorrect posture?

Yep- could definitely be posture related-a kind of repetitive strain injury. GP should be able to tell by the range of movements you can make

A physio made a massive difference to my shoulder in only 3 visits. A mixture of treatment and teaching exercises.

I went privately for speed. £30 a session in London.

Forgot to say I had Physiotherapy too after my injection. You have to do the exercises to benefit from the injection. They really helped xx

Thanks both. I'll definitely get organised about this and will let you know how it goes.

A support sling to rest the arm and shoulder, take the weight and stop you from using it and can easily make one out of a scarf.

I've had two frozen shoulders and have been told that immobilsing the arm - though tempting - is not advised .

Frozen shoulder ( if that's what OP has ) = adhesive capsultis ,treatment is all about increasing mobilty by appropriate exercise .Keeping the shoulder still and fixed is not recommended .