That Stabbing Pain Behind My Right Shoulder

[Radbird]

I'm thinking my 2012 includes something like this.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

My right shoulder is about to fall off. seriously, I can not lift my elbow above my shoulder. If i ttry to extend my arm while straight out to the side, I get a shooting pain in the front of my shoulder and I either have to stop or the pain continues.,. I can extend it to the front, but it isn't comfortable. If I have my elbow at a 90 degree bend, try to get my elbow as high as it will go and rotate my wrist/hand upwards, it is torture. Where is HJ? I need advice on how to make this all go away and get back to normal.

[Hungary Jack]

My right shoulder is about to fall off. seriously, I can not lift my elbow above my shoulder. If i ttry to extend my arm while straight out to the side, I get a shooting pain in the front of my shoulder and I either have to stop or the pain continues.,. I can extend it to the front, but it isn't comfortable. If I have my elbow at a 90 degree bend, try to get my elbow as high as it will go and rotate my wrist/hand upwards, it is torture. Where is HJ? I need advice on how to make this all go away and get back to normal.

You need to see an orthopede and get an MRI, but you'll likely find some significant issues with your rotator cuff and be prescribed anti-inflammatories and rehab, which you should pursue religiously.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Sweet. Rehab I can handle. I don't want a surgery though. FML.

Thanks

[Hungary Jack]

Sweet. Rehab I can handle. I don't want a surgery though. FML.

Thanks

Many shoulder problems might feel like WWIII but are pretty treatable with PT.

[jim]

I'm thinking my 2012 includes something like this.

Yep, me too. The cortisone shot that I had recently has all but wore off. I can't sleep, night is the worse. Day is ok, mild throbbing etc... let's me know it's there and of course if I lift it the wrong direction I get a very sharp pain. But that goes away immediately when I put the arm back down.

I'm going to go back in for another shot, put off surgery until fall and then just fix it. I'm about out of pain meds, I need a refresh on that rx. I generally try to limit my intake to 2 or so a week - right before bed. Basically if I haven't slept well in 3 straight days I'll take one, or sometimes if I wake up at 3am or before because of pain I will take one. Never two nights in a row, I'm scared to death of becoming addicted to those things. I totally see how it can happen though.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

I feel jim's pain. I barely slept last night. There is literally not a single position that I can stay in without it hurting. Went to doc, headed to ortho in a couple weeks. For now, I'm just stuck looking like a stroke victim with my right arm. It is difficult to even type.

[jim]

Thanks to this thread it prompted me to do something I have been meaning to do ... set another appt. up. Can't get in until Mar 1 which is fine, I think I can stretch the pain meds I have out that long.

AW - one thing that has helped some with me is when I say on my side (left, lying on the right side is impossible) I have a big pillow that I prop my arm on when I lay on my left side. If it dangles down it kills after a few minutes. I'm generally a back sleeper but I have problems as I have hit middle age - lying straight on my back for the entire night causes stabbing pains in the middle of my back. Just bought a new mattress last week and it really didn't help that. So I really need to roll on my side, and getting that pillow to prop the arm up does allow me to do that some.

Shoulder injuries are a real [expletive].

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Thanks for the advice jim. Got the go ahead to get an MRI tomorrow so when I get into the ortho guy that'll be done. I guess my PCP could tell enough to go ahead and schedule it just from the xray? Who knows. Good to not have to wait a couple weeks, see ortho, get mri, wait a couple weeks to get back in with ortho and just make this first visit the one that counts.

Hopefully, like HJ says, it will just be rehab.

Thanks for the advice jim. I will try that out tonight. Probably take an ambien as well just for the [expletive] of it. Haven't had one in a couple months.

[jim]

Thanks for the advice jim. Got the go ahead to get an MRI tomorrow so when I get into the ortho guy that'll be done. I guess my PCP could tell enough to go ahead and schedule it just from the xray? Who knows. Good to not have to wait a couple weeks, see ortho, get mri, wait a couple weeks to get back in with ortho and just make this first visit the one that counts.

Hopefully, like HJ says, it will just be rehab.

Thanks for the advice jim. I will try that out tonight. Probably take an ambien as well just for the [expletive] of it. Haven't had one in a couple months.

xray's won't show anything most of the time. When you go to the ortho get some pain meds - hydrocodone acetam.. They gave me the option of that or rx strength tylenol, which is stupid because you can just take 800mg yourself of Advil (4 tabs) and it's the same. Also ask about cortisone. Even though my pain level is about 90% of what it was before the cortisone shot, it was down to about 40% for a couple of weeks and then slowly worked it's way back. But it's still better now a little than it was before the shot, and it definitely gave me some relief for a month or two. Worth it to me.