Bursitis/shoulder impingement. End of tether. Help.

[Pilcrow]

Feeling very, very down about months of pain which started with twinges and has progressed to more or less constant torment. Can't raise my arm beyond shoulder-level or get it to the back (I could still do up my bra a few weeks ago).

I had an ultrasound which revealed no tears, at least, and lovely doc thought it was bursitis and consequent impingement. But it's been going on for so long and getting no better. Sleeping is a nightmare and I'm starting to feel it'll never, ever go away. It's my dominant arm, too.

@CoteDAzur , are you around, by any chance? I know you're very clued-up on all this..... Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

Bluesheep - hindsight is fantastic. The shoulder issue was missed for me too on first admission, they found fractures and off I went down that road without checking that there might be some other things to look for. Thinking back there were some points at which I should have had better diagnosis, I can see that now. And I am also really annoyed at how long it has taken and how much work I have had to do to get things moving.

BUT the only way forward is Postive Mental Attitude isn't it? We can't be wallowing in looking-backwards pity can we? What happens now and next is what we can do something with (I'm saying all this to me as well as you!) punches air with the good arm

I had a frozen shoulder and have a huge amount of sympathy for you. I also had a steroid injection into the joint - horrendous pain which literally made me feel sick and it did not work. What did work was physiotherapy over a long period of time gradually moving the joint further and further

Pilcrow - write down a bullet point list of the impacts and read/hand it to the dr(s). Use strong, direct language and be brief. They may ask for examples but will probs use your notes directly and I think that helps them. They have so little time and I think it helps to meet them on their terms i.e. a bit techie and emotionally detached.

You might start with -

Strong, stabbing and spasmodic pain in arm with and without movement.
Limited mobility of arm lifting to the front and reaching around to back.
Frequent and significant sleep disruption.
Disordered thinking, panic, short-term memory and recall problems.
Difficulties dressing, washing and cooking.

Etc.

This is going to sound daft.

Wrt sleeping.

Try sleeping on your front with your arm out the bed but supported. Hanging down the side of the bed. I used to put mine between my bed and the bedside cabinet and kind of rest in the space with my hand on the base of the bedside cabinet.

I promise it helps. A very elderly doctor told me to try it - I was v v sceptical but it worked for me

Hi Woolly, Yes agreed-I was looking back more in frustration than anything else but yes to positive attitude.

woolly that's an excellent idea which I'm going to use. Thank you. It gets worse actually because I have major caring responsibilities for an elderly family member so I'm horrendously stressed about all this - can't go into massive detail as it's outing (and boring!) but on top of the not-so-small everyday life stuff I'm in a serious pickle.

slowcooker not daft at all. Very interested to hear you say this because I'd noticed that if I hang my 'bad' arm down the side of the bed over my bolster pillow, it does help. Not unconnected to the 'pendulum' exercise that I've seem recommended a lot.

Cheers slowcooker. I have a downstairs side table that might be just the job. I mostly use it to rest my gin glass on and as I can't drink at the mo it may as well be upstairs being useful!

I have a V shaped pillow too, as someone else mentioned, it's good. Someone also said upthread that it felt like their head was too big for their neck? The V pillow helps with that too. Only £10 out of Ikea.

Pilcrow - make sure you add that to your list, about your caring responsibilities and that you are becoming unable to sufficiently manage them.