Over the past year, my left shoulder has progressively became worse until just recently I couldn't use it much at all.
The pain began as a small "burning" sensation in my shoulder, then it radiated down the arm to the elbow, then ended in my wrist.
It became so bad that from August till now, I protected the arm, held it close to me, and didn't use it much. When it was hit or overextended, the pain was a 9 on the pain scale and got to the point where it severely impacted my life.
After a long wait, I was finally given prednisone tablets, and physical therapy. So here is what I learned from my doctors and PT staff.
After you age and use your arms a lot, nerves sometimes compress in your spine, up close to the base of the neck. We often overuse the shoulder when we are young, and it gives us problems when we age.
But the real reason I wanted to share this with you is my PT staff said that if you sleep on your stomach or sides, and you put your arm up and under the pillow, this will hurt you more than most of the things we do to damage the shoulder. I was the person who never slept on her back and now that I have no choice, I find it's the only way that doesn't make anything hurt.
My diagnosis was radiculopathy and here is a webmd link for you to check out.
http://www.webmd.com/search/search_results/default.aspx?query=radiculopathy
Now, I am not a member of any medical field so please be kind when you really want to tell me I shouldn't be giving out medical advice. I am simply passing on information that would help save you the pain I am having right now.
I hope I have helped.
PBP
Source: My medical experience.
By Sandi/Poor But Proud from Salem, OR
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Thank you for sharing. I am no health professional either but the advice you give is sound. I was fortunate when I was young and HAD to sleep on my back.
PBP, although you probably will think I am being a smart aleck in writing this I am not being one. You mention taking prednisone so please for your own safety check out long term use of prednisone especially since you have other health issues such as diabetes. Am telling you this information from first hand experience of a dear childhood friend who was kept on prednisone for a few years which doctors determined is what led to other health problems, including diabetes, which in turn caused cardiac arrest during a simple elective surgery.
The Mayo Clinic is a good place to start:
www.mayoclinic.com/
Thank you both. The prednisone was only for one week. If the PT isn't totally successful, it's a shot of cortisone in the shoulder and that should help. The next step is a shot in the neck, then surgery.
I am trying to be as diligent as I can be in my PT, finding that the pulley where I bring up my left arm with my right arm pulling down on the rope helps a lot, as well as a neck stretcher and of course, hot showers.
I had the same problem. My arm and shoulder hurt like that for almost a year. I finally broke down and went to a chiropractor. She adjusted me and put electric stimulation on my back three days a week for three weeks. That was 7 years ago and I haven't had any problems since. However, I go to the chiropractor every two weeks just so I don't have that problem again!
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