Neck/Shoulder pain - had enough! What next?

[NormaSnorks]

I've had occasional shoulder/neck pain on and off over the last few years. Usually a week of painkillers, extra yoga and sometimes a couple sessions of (private) physio has sorted it out.

This year I've had it every couple of months and it's taking longer to get better. This is Week 4 this time and it's impacting my daily life - can't sit at PC too long, not sleeping well, painful driving.

I saw the MSK physio at my GP surgery last week and she basically said 'keep doing what you're doing' and 'you're not a candidate for an MRI/ surgery...'

I'm so fed up and tearful today. Feel scared and like my life is on hold. I don't know what's causing it and I can't get it under control.

Any ideas/ suggestions? Back to the GP and insist on further investigations?

Have you got a really good orthopaedic pillow? The good ones are £50 upwards?

You could also wear a neck cushion in the house. Also are you bending over into your mobile phone a lot?

Yes, I’ve got a special pillow but I’m a side sleeper and I don’t find it that comfortable!
I’ve been wearing a heated a oaty bag around the house.
And yes! I did wonder if it was ‘tech neck’ so I’ve tried to really limit my phone & iPad usage, especially when holding them!

I just don’t know when I should get worried in case it’s more serious? I did have a couple of days of arm tingling but that’s gone now.

Find a better physiotherapist. I started similar to yours and didn't get it sorted properly, ended up with a torn supraspinatus (and almost frozen shoulder) a year of weekly physio and two steroid injections. Could have avoided it if I'd seen a more competent physio earlier.

Chiropractor, j hac similar andv4 months later I'm slowly recovering, 600 quisd poorr though, but got my lifd back !

I was really struggling with similar recently. 4 weeks of agony when sitting or driving.
I had a session with a physio who did acupuncture and it was gone within the week. It had been getting slowly better before the appointment to be honest but I think it helped.
Sympathies. It was horrible and I don’t think I got a full nights sleep for the duration.

Did you ever get this sorted?

I'm suffering from the same.

Have you tried an osteopath? They can work wonders.

Well, yes and no!

I saw a physio and had two sessions of acupuncture and it helped so much I almost cried with relief!
However it's now a month later and it's back again. I think a number of things seem to be triggering it: driving, 'tech neck' phone use, possibly diet/inflammation.

I was at the GP for something else this week and she's agreed to refer me to the 'next level' physio, but I may try to get some more acupuncture before that.

Sorry to hear this! Mine has been going on for around four years now, first time it wasn't so bad but took a few months to settle down, then I just had intermittent episodes of it that were short-lived and not too bad. But now I've had it constantly for the last two weeks and it's driving me nuts! Mine is mostly one arm/one side, but then will suddenly switch to the other side just so that side doesn't feel left out.

I get pain in upper back, around the shoulder blade/s, in the shoulder sometimes, up the back of the neck, sometimes in the arm as well. Pain moves around a lot. I often get a kind of prickling type pain around my bra strap area. All of it is triggered when using my arms. It's usually ok ish / more settled if I don't use my arms! It also gets worse when I walk, lots worse, and if I try and carry a bag on one shoulder I get a massive headache.

Is yours worsened when you move your arm/s?

When it's mostly on one side mine feels like a shoulder problem, but when it goes to the other side, I think neck problem. I can't imagine getting much help from NHS for this, though am going to see GP today.

Yep chiro,sorted mine out, regular stuff but also did some laser treatment on it

Are you in (peri) menopause? Frozen shoulder is one of those weird symptoms that you'd not think is hormonal but is so common in women at this stage of life that some people think it may be linked. Worth looking into in case this is what is going on.

www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/frozen-shoulder-and-menopause-is-there-a-link/

I'm postmenopausal (58) but funnily enough it first started about 10 years ago!
I've tried so many things and nothing seems to work. I often seem to have it when I'm travelling/ away, so I've come to the conclusion some or all of the following may be at play:

• sitting/ driving/ not moving in cars/ planes
• dehydration (not drinking as much water when travelling)
• looking down at phone too much (when travelling!)
• worse diet when away from home - more/too much sugar causing inflammation?
• could also be different/uncomfortable pillows when away?