Shoulder impingement

[Bluesheep8]

Hi, just wondered if anyone's experienced this and had any advice? Pain/reduced range of movement gradually started in left shoulder and I began to notice it when fastening my bra at the back. Went to gp who asked me to demonstrate various movements, diagnosed shoulder improvement and told me to use ibuprofen gel for a few weeks and come back if no improvement (he said that if gel didn't work, step 2 was steroid injection, step 3 was referral to musculoskeletal specialist and step 4 possible surgery if all else failed) Getting a gp appointment usually involves at least a 3 week wait, hence weeks between gel not working and having steroid injection.I was told to give this a few weeks to work and go back if it didn't. No improvement following injection and I'm now awaiting the musculoskeletal appointment.This has now been going on since about Feb of this year and movement is becoming more and more painful/limited, I also get shooting nerve type pain at night. My concern is the length of time this has all taken and whether the specialist will say it's been left too long. I've expressed my concern to the gp who just prescribed painkillers but this is just treating the symptom not addressing the problem. Anyone had any experience of this condition please?

Ah thank you Ada for the suggestion - yes the pain is definitely worse at night,like shooting toothache! And oh what I would give to be able to fasten my bra at the back and shave under my arm properly again! Just waiting (again) for ultrasound and appointment with shoulder surgeon to look at options but will certainly explore acupuncture, thanks for your good wishes

I had my frozen shoulder manipulated under GA, in effect they dislocate it. it didn't quite work the first time so I had it repeated.
Though I got full movement back with the help of physio, it had weakened the cuff around the joint and my shoulder started to dislocate quite easily, with a knock for instance. Over time it got worse, dislocating once when putting on a dressing gown! It got so I could slot it back in myself!!

I had a repair done on the cuff and a bit of reshaping of the bone about six years ago, and it has been fine since thank heavens.
With that in mind, another time I would have a combination of acupuncture and physio and only surgery as a last resort.

If cash is tight for a V pillow, just put your own pillows into a V shape.

Kindest thoughts.

Hi Ada, goodness that treatment sounds brutal ! Glad it's now better for you though. Thank you for the pillow suggestion though-I can see that that may help, at the moment the only way I can get comfortable is to hold my arm folded upwards from the elbow with it kind of across me as though in a sling, but then obviously it moves from that position and hurts which wakes me up.I also seem to be sleeping much more lightly than usual, as though I'm aware of it all the time so it is making me really tired.Yes, will look into v shaped pillow, thank you again for the kind suggestion