neck and shoulder pain

[RelocatingtoFrance]

posting this here, as i suspect it to be an age thing, along other type of aches

i cannot sleep without waking with deep aching neck and shoulder pains (mostly on my left side). I ve bought all the pillows on the market - it s silly: the ergonomic ones, feather, self adjust, memory, cheap, expensive... nothing works.

i either get woken up at 2 or 3 or 4am with a sharp, intense pain, or wake up in the morning with a very dull ache.

i am shattered, because of this.

Has anyone ever had this and found a solution?

Do you still have good range of movement? Have you been to a physio?

I would have an assessment with an osteopath or chiropractor. If that doesn’t help, I’d speak to a GP about HRT.

HRT, exercise and a good chiropractor x

Hello. I do believe this is one of my main menopause symptoms. I have been on HRT for almost 4 months and it has eased but not disappeared. My physio who I saw for four months with this sore neck and shoulder insisted I was tested for B12 and it is low so have just had it redone by GP before taking next steps. Not sure how common it is to be B12 related but interested that that is what physio correctly suspected. Hope that is useful somehow!

i ve been on hrt for 4 months, with no improvement or substantial change on the shoulder. i have good enough range of movement, but a dull ache during the day.

physio recommended some back and shoulder exercises - and some after work stretches, which i already did. My next step is to do more resistance training focusing on shoulders and neck

i used to go to a chiro, but a bad manipulation (lower back) and reading more generally about stroke risk post neck adjustment made me rethink using them.

interesting re B12. i ve not had mine done for several years, pre covid, it was ok then (i also drink plenty of milk, eat dairy/fish).
but there s scope to recheck it, just in case.

It probably isn’t this but might be worth getting blood tests done to rule out inflammation ( if the readings are high it could be PMR, Polymyalgia rheumatica ).
I have it in my hips and legs but it is apparently most usually in shoulders and arms . Took months to get a diagnosis.
I hope you get better soon, awful to have constant pain .