Pain in arms and shoulders, including elbows?

[Artyrosie]

After years (almost 20!) of Fibro mostly affecting my legs/mobility, for the last few months I've had severe pain in my arms as above - right (I'm right handed) much worse than left. I've had occasional elbow pain before, but never this bad, and its really disabling not to mention the fact that my existing pain medication isn't touching it. Does anyone else have experience of this and/or any helpful suggestions? Its rather depressing to be getting worse after all this time ....

[LindseyMid]

It's always best with new symptoms to get checked out by the doctor again.

Fibro should cause widespread pain that affects any part of the body. Because it is mostly a central processing problem it doesn't itself usually cause predictable localised pain, although conditions that are common with Fibro, such as myofascial pain, can cause this kind of localised pain. However, many of these (including tendonitis and myofascial pain) actually need different treatment approaches, so it is worth isolating exactly what is causing symptoms.

If your doctor rules out all they can, it might be worth asking for a referral to physiotherapy and/or seeing someone else, such as an osteopath, to work out exactly what's going on. That way you'll be able to target treatments.

[Artyrosie]

The pain clinic are referring me for specialist physio so will have to wait and see I suppose. I suppose I have always had this problem, but relatively mildly .... its the increase in pain levels which is difficult to tolerate. Stress may well be a factor here

[mooo1967]

Yep know this one just been for xrays this morning, very similar pain to tennis elbows both injected luckily worked for mine, gp says probably need injections in shoulders aswell ; (

[Malwimmy27]

Hi Artyrosie, my arms particularly elbows are mostly effected. Sometimes it feels as though I've wrenched the muscles in my forearms even though I've not lifted anything heavy. It's good advice to go and see your GP with any new symptoms. I hope you manage to get the pain under control soon.

[Hidden]

My gp had a cons look into my pain in shoulders upper arm cramps etc i. Turned out I. have severe spondolytis in cervical area which is neck don't know if I spelled it right..... the pain is incredable and unbearable cant lift even a mobile at times. Can never raise my arms or carry shopping push trolleys etc and even if not used the pain is always there nothing seems to help it.I am only telling u this so you wont be fobbed off with frozen shoulder and physio they tried thst it was excruciating ask for an mri on neck and shoulders it doesnt always show on normal xrays.

[Artyrosie]

Gosh faded blossom, I never thought of anything like spondolytis - although I think my osteopath might have picked that up if it were present? I can still lift a mobile but a full cup of coffee is painful, and anything requiring push/pull is out of the question. My elbow is so sore I can hardly rest it on the table ...

I'm not sleeping so well (I used to) because I keep waking up when I roll onto my shoulder.