soft tissue damage- shoulder

[vickster]

Doesn't sound good. Did the hospital give you some beefy pain pills? You could also try a bag of peas wrapped in s teatiwek to help with the pain is the arm in a sling to give it a rest?

 

[MarkF]

At the moment, every time I move my arm, I feel sick and I have a fairly high pain threshold. GP is getting a phone first thing in the morning, and hopefully I can get an appointment that doesn't clash with my other appointment tomorrow.

Still early days yet, hope you manage to see the GP.

I had an accident and an xray and was sent home despite my protests, I knew something was wrong as my bicep was in completely different place to pre-accident. I had an MRI about a week later, then an operation 2 days after that, just before a cadaver would have been needed as my distal tendon was dying off!

 

[rivers]

Doesn't sound good. Did the hospital give you some beefy pain pills? You could also try a bag of peas wrapped in s teatiwek to help with the pain is the arm in a sling to give it a rest?

Yeah, the sling is just to take the pressure off. if I'm lounging about on the sofa or in bed, I'm to have it propped up on pillows. Just finished my round of icing and am holding off on the painkillers until I'm ready for bed.

 

[fossyant]

An MRI would show the extent of soft tissue damage.

 

[rivers]

Update: back to the GP yesterday as the pain hasn't really subsided, and range of movement hasn't improved. Finally got a referral for physio. The GP I saw on Friday didn't even look at me, and just wrote a prescription for stronger meds (which didn't do anything), and gave me an amended duties sick note. I saw my actual GP yesterday, who listened, looked and had a chat. Her immediate response was physio and to go private as I can't really wait. But the bad news is, no diving for 2 months at least, and cycling can resume once I can keep my arm out in front of me without pain. If physio doesn't help, I need to go and see a shoulder specialist as I might need surgery. So who knows if I will be able to cycle the tour de bristol next month...

 

[PK99]

the aussie physio I mentioned has now published an on line shoulder program, I used the ACL program and found it excellent

the link is:
http://www.physiorehab.com/rehab-programs-shoulder-injury-surgery-rehab

 

[vickster]

What does the GP think you've actually damaged? Lots of structures in the shoulder, they need different management, so wait until you've seen the physio

 

[rivers]

What does the GP think you've actually damaged? Lots of structures in the shoulder, they need different management, so wait until you've seen the physio

Rotator cuff

 

[vickster]

Rotator cuff

Definitely wait until the physio has given appropriate exercises Have you made an appointment? Find someone with an interest / expertise in shoulders

 

[rivers]

Definitely wait until the physio has given appropriate exercises Have you made an appointment? Find someone with an interest / expertise in shoulders

consult and assessment at 17:30 this evening

 

[vickster]

Good luck

 

[Drago]

You have my sympathy Rivers. I'm currently enduring a shoulder impingement, and when it twangs it hurts enough to make me feel faint. Shoulder pain is blummen miserable.

 

[rivers]

About 70% of my range of motion has returned, yay! But my physio isn't happy with the amount of pain I still have and a fun, loud, painful clunk that my shoulder makes when moved in a certain direction/way. So she has sent my GP a letter so I can get a referral for a scan. She wants an ultrasound for my rotator cuff and an MRI or CT scan to check for a SLAP/labral tear and an avulsion fracture. I'm going to push for a CT scan as I have a few piercings I would rather not remove.

 

[vickster]

About 70% of my range of motion has returned, yay! But my physio isn't happy with the amount of pain I still have and a fun, loud, painful clunk that my shoulder makes when moved in a certain direction/way. So she has sent my GP a letter so I can get a referral for a scan. She wants an ultrasound for my rotator cuff and an MRI or CT scan to check for a SLAP/labral tear and an avulsion fracture. I'm going to push for a CT scan as I have a few piercings I would rather not remove.

Hope it can be resolved without surgery - recovery from a labral tear repair isn't any fun at all

I think you'll need to remove the piercings for a CT scan too. Best to go for whichever scan is best suited to the job (I've had U/S and MRI on my shoulder, think CT is better for bony stuff rather than soft tissue)

@Cunobelin might be able to advise

 

[rivers]

I had my MRI last week. The results are in, but doctor won't discuss over the phone. Appointment is classed as non-urgent, so the earliest I can get in to see my GP is the 15th of June