Shoulder and upper arm pain

[shiningstar2]

So nice February I have had a constant dull ache in my shoulder and upper left arm. I fell over impacting that side of my body in April and the soreness/injury became worse.
I can raise my arm above my head with a bit of pain but can't put it behind my back at all in the way you would reach around to put a cost on, wrap a towel around you or get dressed. It is also difficult to carry anything heavy, like lifting a pan, carrying a shopping bag on that side.
I haven't done anything about it until now because I thought it would gradually get better on its as own however the reverse is true and it's definitely impacting my quality of life a bit now.
Tried to get a doctor's appointment two weeks ago but could only get a phone appointment which is tomorrow.
Anyone had this and might know what's causing it please? I can't se how a telephone appointment is going to help. I think the arm/shoulder needs a scan to determine the problem but don't think I'll get one in the current climate with the NHS under pressure. A physio I know said don't let them send you to a physiotherapist without first having a scan to find out what's wrong as exercises when rest or surgery is needed could make the problem worse. Any thoughts welcome from anyone who has had a similar problem or any health professionals who think they recognise the problem. Thank you.

Frozen shoulder?
If so, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it will not get better for about another year.
A injection might help the pain.

But you do need a doctor's diagnosis.

There have been threads on here before about frozen shoulders.

Not a doctor by the way, but I have been infortunate to have had frozen shoulder twice. Once in each arm/shoulder. About 10 years apart from each other.

Frozen shoulder I would guess, really painful, takes quite a while to heal, physio helped me, but it takes months & months, nWhy does your friend think the exercises could make things worse? Have they assessed you?

Sounds like you need an X-ray or scan.
DF had some similar when he slipped on ice. Took a good 6 months to heal and had exercises from a physio.

I had something similar last year and went to doctors and he said it was a shoulder impingement, saw the physio at surgery and he checked it and gave me some exercises to do 3 times a day and some gel to rub on. The exercises did help and the gel and now seems to be back to normal, but sometimes get the odd twinge if I lift something heavy or stretch up.

It could be loads of things - I've had a shoulder injury (rotator cuff).

The doc can refer you for a scan on the basis of a phone appointment. If it turns out there is a long wait and you can afford it, you could get a scan done privately.

I did physio pre-scan, which did help, and then had a fall which made the injury worse and raised some red flags so rested it while waiting for scan results, then resumed physio once we knew it was safe. It is very normal to have physio pre-scan tho, unless there is a flag - they do a full assessment and you don't move through pain. You can't not move your arm in everyday life anyway, and the physio taught me how to do so safely and helped to start build strength back.

Yes, I have had something similar, which was diagnosed by the GP as a rotator cuff injury. Probably caused in my case by carrying heavy bags and lifting furniture! She reckoned I’d torn it. Not saying 100% this is what you have, obviously, but it does sound very much like it. The treatment advised was ibuprofen, ice packs on affected area and rest (v difficult to rest your dominant arm). I bought myself a sling from Amazon, which I wore for a while to remind me not to use that arm so much. The pain definitely went, and although movement is almost back to normal, I still can’t reach quite as far round my back as with the other arm, without feeling a twinge.

Thank you all for such quick replies. I wondered if it could be shoulder impingement as when I googled it a main symptom was not being able to put arm behind back or behind neck.
Reselilly 36 not sure why my friend said get a scan before physio attempted. I think he feels some GPs are cutting corners and getting physios to work 'blind' when a scan can show the problem so exercises are definitely focused properly. He also mentioned some other condition but I can't remember what it was which would definitely need minor surgery and physio would just make the problem worse 🤔

My rotator cuff injury presented as pain when I moved my arm from out side to inside, like when you’re turning over in bed and pulling the covers with you.

Kangarookenny. I have that pain from outside to inside when pulling covers over. Sounds like it could be rotator cuff injury or impingement 🤔 I'm wondering how the right assessment is made if without a scan.

When I told the GP about that pain he knew straight away what it was. I had a scan to rule out a tear. There was talk of a steroid injection but I didn’t have it, I reduced my weight at the gym on that arm and gave it time to heal. it did.

That sounds encouraging kangarookenny. Good to know if it's rotator cuff injury I should have a scan to rule out a test. I think that's probably what my physiotherapist friend meant. Use a scan to be clear about what I'm dealing with. I'm not in agony ..ipain just always there iynwim and it is worse not better since it began in March so hoping it's not a year. Other posters seem to have got gradually better over a few months 🤔

tear not test 😁

I had something like this and still have it since October. It hurts my shoukder and arm. However it’s not frozen shoukder.

Its nerve pain from the neck which runs down my arm. Apparently it gets better on its own. It is better than it was, but have physio as well.

I have tendonitis in one arm, and have just got over a torn muscle (same arm). I've been having treatment from am osteopath but I still can't lift my arm above chest height. I can't put it behind my back, nor twist it or weight bear. It's better than it was bit still got a lot of healing to do. It's been 2 months and the torn muscle really has set me back.

My DF had an injury to his upper arm/shoulder from a fall. He couldn’t lift it above shoulder height as it was too painful, so he put his hand on a hip height cupboard and bent his knees, this lifted it above shoulder height painlessly. He did this for a couple of weeks and it improved.

The nature of the pain, and its presentation and effect on mobility in different planes, give some info about the injury without a scan, OP.

I had a classic RC tear - was progressing with physio - then fell and the pain and location changed so I got a scan to rule out a labral tear (which would have needed surgery and which physio would not have helped with). Then went back to physio once we knew it was "just" RC. I am fine now, barely notice it, unless I stop strength training.

Thanks for all the helpful messages. My telephone doctors appointment is later today. I will come back and let you all know how I get on.😀

Just a quick update. The doctor wants to seee in person tomorrow and he says I should have an exray to rule out anything broken. He is also refering me to a muscular skeletal device. They will then decide if I need as scan, physio or anything so he was very helpful. Thanks again to everyone for helpful information

My surgery is currently operating on phone appointment first and if it's something they need to see you in person for to have a look, they fix the F2F appointment there and then with you. So hopefully yours is doing the same thing and you will be seen in person.

I've had similar @shiningstar2 , and had a steroid injection last week after months of discomfort and limited mobility. I was originally given some exercises by the MSK person at the surgery and this time, the exercises having made little difference, an injection was suggested. There was a slight difference the day after the injection and I think it's a little easier to move, but not as much as I would hoped for!

Bursitis was mentioned, after an examination. Presumably, after getting my to do a heap of exercises, she was able to tell it wasn't a rotator cuff injury. She said give it two weeks then I can start back at the gym.

Hope you get yours sorted soon!

@shiningstar2 that sounds like either a frozen shoulder or a rotator cuff injury... both will heal on their own with time and with some gentle physio... if it was a rotator cuff tear though, then it would need surgery to repair and stitch cuff properly - tears usually only happen from a severe accident or a brutal fall though so it's more likely to be some sort of injury... avoid shoulder injections though as often they become a necessity the more you have them...

CadburyCruncy. The doctor thinks it might be a rotator cuff injury. I am concerned that it could be a tear though as I had a bad fall back in April. The GP has organised an exray to rule out a break but I think this is a bit of a waste as he even said the area of pain and movement restriction indicated rotator cuff problem He has also organised physio but I think I need to have a scan first to rule out a year. Will mention when I go to physio as GP also said, as you have, that a tear would need a small op. Obviously don't want movement making a tear worse of I have one. 🤔

If it is a RC tear, physio may help. I have a full thickness supraspinatus tear and a partial thickness in one of the other tendons and strength train, barely ever feel it now, no surgery. Other muscles have kicked in to help. If eg the labrum is damaged, it is a different matter.

MsMartini. That is interesting. The GP said a tear
would definitely need a small op ..keyhole a couple of stitches is what he said. I won't rule out physio for a tear if it has helped you. Would definitely prefer physio than an op. 😀