Awful shoulder pain but only at night

[dippyegg32]

I'm going out of my mind. This all first presented in November and I've had a few on/off nights of discomfort (I now know that wasn't pain but now it is). Fast forward to this week and the pain at night only or if laying on the sofa is just awful. I genuinely have no recollection of any injury. Last night was the worst. I surrounded myself with pillows, laid on my left with another pillow under my right arm to support it. But whenever I needed to move in bed I have to basically carry my arm. I also took Paracetamol and had a warm pack. I have a phone appt with a physio through my GP next week but anyone else had similar? I'm only 32! Dr google says rotator cuff or bursitis but as I said I don't recall hurting it. Should say in the day is basically fine. I can reach for things in the cupboard, write, raise my arm etc. I've tried some very amateurish stretches like rolling my shoulders and it definitely clicks and crunches. Coupled with my first migraine in six years I'm feeling really sorry for myself right now!

OP, it's how my frozen shoulder started. Sorry. I'm about 18minths + into it now and the movement is very slowly coming back. The pain had gone but I've started to feel the same niggles at night again.
I've no advice but solidarity. The pain overnight was shocking. Try not to knock it. Even slightly. Takes your breath away. The pain does go (mine was all over first lockdown) and then the shoulder is just annoyingly limited in movement. Then it starts to thaw

Classic rotator cuff is severe pain the evening particularly when you cross your arms to remove say a t-short.
Ice packs are actually better for shoulder pain as often the tendon sheaths are inflamed. Icing every evening is recommended for rotators cuff and you can buy special shaped ice packs for the shoulder that you refreeze each day.
Physio is also very helpful.

Thanks @Lonecatwithkitten just ordered one

You could also try an online session with a good physio. You may be holding yourself not quite right through the daytime- especially if you, like most of us, are more sedentary than usual at the moment. I am always getting odd niggles in shoulders and it is always because I've let my core get weak and am not activating the right muscles. There may be exercises you can do to strengthen lower back or core which will help relax neck muscles.

Another question is, are you now a year into working from home on an imperfect desk? Wrong height or screen distance could be starting to take its toll and if you're only 32 you might have got away with it for a year and only now feeling it!

I'm a teacher so very much not use to being at a desk all day on a laptop which I now am; it's out of my comfort zone! Just googled the physio my GP has got me to see albeit virtually and she has a private clinic so that's another option. It's only really this week it's causing me proper pain at night. I'm definitely holding it very stiffly at night to avoid moving it but as a result wake very stiff. Hopefully the ice cuff will help when it arrives. I also wonder if it's impacting my headaches.

Right shoulder? The arm where you use your mouse? I bet your table is the wrong height.

Went to physio today. I've had my shoulder and back all taped up and I'm back on Thursday. I've got tendinopathy. I had a "massage" (**me it hurt!) to loosen the tight muscles all around the shoulder. Heat pack at night to relax it before sleep and ice in the mornings to release the tightness over night plus a couple of light exercises for now.

When I had this I realised it was caused by throwing a ball for the dog for an hour a day. It took many months to go even when I swapped arms for throwing the ball. Now I have the same pain in my other shoulder.