Shoulder and Arm Pain

I am 49 year old female and I work in a saw mill grading lumber.  Several years ago I started having shoulder pain and it progressively got worse and involved my whole arm.  The doctor said bursitis and possibly carpal tunnel because I had tingling and trouble holding on to things. For a period it felt like the arm was not even mine.   For 6 months I could barely use my arm and was in constant pain.  I had a nerve test and no capal tunnel.  I did physical therapy and light duty till I could use my arm again.  Basically the only thing that didn't go away for the most part was a sort of weakness in the arm as if I can't do certain tasks that I could always do before.  My children took to calling me noodle arm when I was attempting something that I should be able to do and couldn't anymore.  Occasionally there would be pain but it would go away with rest and didn't affect me outside of work.  About 8 months ago I started getting really bad pain in my shoulder again..the top and the front...with a burning sensation down the back.  I started taking a lot of Alieve to get through a day at work but it just kept getting worse till once again my whole arm was involved.  The pain never leaves.  The intensity changes from time to time. I stood there one night and felt like somebody was hitting me in the shoulder with something really hard.  The pain made me sick and I had to go lay down in the backseat of the car during lunch till it subsided.   Shooting pain, tingling, sometimes I can raise my arm...sometimes I couldn't unhook my own bra or felt terrible pain trying to remove my arm from the sleeve of my shirt.  At times I can carry something heavy using both arms and at times If I try to put a couple plates in the cabinet my arms trembles and feels so weak as if I'm lifting weights.  I finally insisted they let me see a doctor.    My employer said to go back to the same doctor I had seen before and he said tendonitis of the bicep.  He gave me an anti inflamatory and I continued to work till I just hurt so bad one night and couldn't make my arm work that I went to the ER.  They gave me a shot for pain and vicodine and I was still awake all night with a pulsing pain in my shoulder and the bend of my arm.  I was put on light duty again for about 4 weeks and had another nerve condution test.  The neurologist said it was negative. Not using it and physical therapy helped alleviate some of the symptoms.  My hand and forearm doesn't hurt and the numbness hasn't been present for a few weeks but the shouder, upper arm pain and the strange inablity to make my arm do what is supposed to is still there.   This is the most frustrating thing.  I've experienced my first ever anxiety attack at the thought of having to go in those doors and try to do my job but I'm back in there doing it and I stuggle every second that I'm there.  I'm a person that rarely....very rarely goes to a doctor for anything but this is just something I couldn't take. I had full range of motion when examined so he said it wasn't the rotator cuff.  I don't know if I'm not describing my symptoms enough that he can have an idea or what it is.  It's hard to describe every symptom when you've been having them for so long.  I am so tired of being in pain and having it affect my life this way. I'm harrassed at a job I've been doing for years and years because I can't perform to what they think I should.   My 70 year old mother helps me do things I should easily be able to do with that arm and just looks at me baffled.  The doctor doesn't seem to have a clue and I just hurt all the time and don't know what to do myself.   How do you get a diagnosis and treatment for this type of thing?  Any idea's....anybody?  

[Godofredo MD]

Hi.

Has an MRI been performed to check your shoulder? Your shoulder symptoms seem to suggest either a rotator cuff tear or an impingement syndrom (syndrome) (bursitis), although rotator cuff tear may be more likely, especially with the finding of weakness in the affected joint.

Were both active and passive range of motion tested? In bursitis, active and passive range of motion is commonly reduced but "passive" range of motion can be normal in rotator cuff tear, which might be what your physician noted.

You should talk to your physician about this and the possibility of an MRI being done. If rotator cuff tear is present, it could be seen on MRI.

Good luck.

[birdyjo]

Thank you.  I have never had an MRI done either time it was hurt.  Just a nerve conduction test.  I'll ask that one be done on me.  

[birdyjo]

If there is a tear somewhere does it heal on it's own and how long does it take?

[Godofredo MD]

Hi.

Generally, rotator cuff tears do not particularly heal well as time goes on. However, even without total healing, symptoms can resolve.

Initial treatment of rotator cuff tears involve anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone injection, and physical rehabilitation.

Surgical treatment procedures include open repair and arthroscopic repair. These are indicated in cases where conservative treatment has failed, severe presentation of symptoms, and large tears.  This is best discussed with your surgeon.

Hope this helps.

[birdyjo]

I had an MRI and the results came back showing no tear.  I have no trouble moving my arm MOST of the time but the pain is constant and at times very severe.  Nothing I have taken has any effect on the pain.  I had a cortizone injection this morning and the doc says it has something to numb you that takes effect very quickly.  So far nothing.  It hurts terribly.  No tear, no carpal tunnel.  How can something be this painful for such a long time and there be nothing there?  I'm so frustrated.

[AOKarim]

It all comes from Atibiotic such as Cipro. And may be you have Artheritis.

[jkj92200]

First off, since this happened at work and they seem to be ignoring you, go ahead and see a lawyer, then talk to your supervisor at work, and before that talk to your supervisor at work and explain that you were hurt on the job, still in pain, and using the arm makes the pain worse. Put it in writting to your employer. Go back to the same doctor and compain of the pain. Say you want a MRI done so you can see if it's a pinched nerve or not.Get a referral for a bone doctor and for a neurologist.  Right at this very moment I'm having the same pain shooting down my arm....I'm going through the hoops presently to get to the right doctor. I was prescriped oxycodone for the pain then I com-plained to the doc that it wasn't working an I wanted a nerve pain medication and they gave me gabapentin. It worked for a minute, just long enough to get to sleep for a few hours.

Document everything because your job/livelyhood depend on it.
Best of luck!
I feel your pain!