Pain in left arm getting worse

[Westie2012]

Around 2 months ago I started getting a bit of pain in my left arm if I moved my arm too quickly , it was fairly mild pain and went after a few seconds . This has gradually got worse and happens more frequently , I’d say pain is around 7/10. A couple of days ago I was putting a few clothes away in a drawer , I wasn’t reaching up or down , the drawer was at shoulder height . Anyway our cat decided to leap up at my hand and I very quickly moved my arm away and the pain that struck hit me like a strike of lightening , it shot all down my left arm and I also had a pain went across my shoulder towards my collarbone , it felt very warm inside my shoulder and I couldn’t move for a few minutes , pain score would have been 15. The rest of the night my arm was painful with the slightest movement but only 4/10. The following morning it was fine again . Im going to try to get a gp appointment but if the pain hits like that again is it worth a long wait if I go to an urgent care centre to get checked out on the same day ?

[strongmouse]

An appointment with a GP sounds a good idea. We have a local hospital which does see people with minor injuries the same day. Unless you are in a lot of pain or can't move the arm or hand or got pins and needles (i.e. possible trapped nerve) I wouldn't go to A and E at the weekend, personally, as the wait locally would be very long. You can phone 111 if you're worried about it. I presume you've tried paracetamol and perhaps applied some warmth / heat to shoulder / collar bone to try to relieve the pain?

[BenHall1]

Hiya Westie,

On 15 November 2023 I had a similar experience. I got up the the wee small hours to go for a bathroom comfort stop. Despite leaving night lights on, on my way I tripped over our cat. Went flying through the air - thrust out my left arm violently and smashed into the floor/door jam of the entrance to another room. The pain was beyond pain ......... yeah, I'll go with your count of 15. Maybe more.

My wife rang 111 and they advised pain killers ( of which I had plenty anyway ) and they made an appointment for me with our local Minor Injuries Unit. Went there and they X-Rayed the shoulder and confirmed nothing broken, sent me home with orders to rest up for a few days and keep on with pain killers. I can only use CoCodomol 30/500.

As it happened that day I had an appointment with our Surgery Physio ( for something else ) . She gave me some exercises to do .... I remarked to her .... how does she expect me to do exercises when I can hardly move the bloody arm anyway. I then took 7 days off work and rested up. Returned to work ( I drive buses part time on college services ) ..... stupid thing to do. Only lasted a few days and so rang GP who gave me a telephone consultation and signed me off sick from late November through to 15 January. She also organised an Ultrasound for early January 2024. I had torn the tendon of the left shoulder rotator cuff.

Surgery then organised an appointment with a specialist Physio and the only appointment I could get was 75 miles away at the end of February. Unfortunately approaching that date I had to cancel due to some pressing family issues. I have now got another appointment for 15 April but more locally thank goodness. Meanwhile the tendon seems to be repairing itself.

I still use pain killers, but not so much, I also use a 'U' shaped hot water bottle ( have a look online - Amazon ). I have also found a change in the weather makes the pain worsen considerably. Unfortunately, both shoulders have osteoarthritis anyway, so I'm on a hiding to nothing. The right shoulder has had the benefit of a steroid injection 2 years ago and is actually pretty good. My biggest problem is sleeping .... I'm a side sleeper, and a restless sleeper at best and I am now constantly waking up in pain on my left side ........ can't remember when I had a good nights sleep.

Weird thing is GP won't give me a steroid injection in left shoulder and I can never understand why it took her so long to decide to give me an Ultrasound. Frankly this NHS is so rotten it is beyond comprehension. My personal view is that CoVid gave the government the excuse it needed to dismantle the NHS on the pretence of saving money going forward. I think it is gross ngligence by government ....... they could always have sacked their highly paid, over paid, over staffed executives.

I hope you are gradually improving and also that my words here may give you some thoughts for your own comfort moving forward. Good luck,

John

[Imagine1]

I would definitely get it checked out as soon as you can. My husband has been in agony for over 6 months and he can't sleep in bed or lie down, he's is different from yours he had a broken shoulder which became a rotary cuff tear once it was healed, now his arm is really bad but the MRI scan showed that he had Tensynovitis which is really sore. Maybe you have that too. By the sounds of it, it could be, but I would definitely get it checked out. Let me know how you get on.

[Blackknight1989]

I have early onset osteoarthritis (just regular old man’s arthritis that hit at 32 and has cause double hip replacements in my late 40s double ankle fusion in my early 50s and double knee replacement at 54/55 I’m now 57 and shoulders are starting to go quickly so I feel your pain…it’s been my experience that shoulder/elbow pain is a bigger problem then ankle/hip pain (maybe because I use the wheelchair often and mostly just have a walker now if I’m am trying to ambulate…nonetheless I’d get it seen about as soon as possible as the pain of shoulder/arm especially with the way we use them so much without thought or consideration UNTIL something like stabbing pain reminds us how much use the shoulder gets…but as someone with tremendous joint pains and issues I wouldn’t ignore the issue as it could turn into a long-standing nagging problem….my best to you!