Shoulder pain

[Djohnston1971]

Shoulder pain with RA, any pain relief ideas?

[Madmusiclover]

You might be able to get steroid injection depending on where it’s hurting. Or physio might help. All depends on location of pain.

[vonniesims]

Physio gave me an excercise which worked really well

[JGBH in reply to vonniesims]

That’s most interesting. Would you be able to tell the what the exercises are? Perhaps your physio has a specific name for the exercises that I could request. I have extreme pain in my shoulders, wrists and hands… Thank you if you can help.

[vonniesims in reply to JGBH]

Rheumatology referred me to physio. This is the one she gave me.Stand sideways to a wall with painful shoulder to wall and elbow bent so forearm is at a right angle. Push against the wall with forearm not a big movement. It doesnt seem to be doing anything, but it does.

Firstly though you need to find out what is causing the pain

[JGBH in reply to vonniesims]

Thank you. Have seen 2 physios but no help so far, at times a little improvement that doesn’t last… Some days I can’t even do any exercise because the pain is so intense. Will keep on asking for more help. Fingers crossed. A steroid injection just before Xmas last year helped relieve the pain for about a month.

[Runrig01]

I had to have a steroid injection to settle mine down. Worked for a year then needed repeating.

[Haz58]

The only thing that sorts mine is a course of Prednisolone.

[helixhelix]

physio, exercises and eventually steroid injection into the joint. But they don’t last that long with me.

You do need to talkto a doctor to find out the cause first - can be bursitis, shoulder impingement, or general osteoarthtitis. The shoulder is a very complicated joint.

[Fra22-57]

just experienced that trouble.Got emergency appointment with rheumatologist and he gave me two cortisone shots and sent me for an X-ray.I had been trying to manage with ibroprofen gel and co codamol but pain was in my elbow and wrist too.Pain can be so draining so best to get help.good luck

[stbernhard]

This is a link to a series of exercises I do to keep my shoulder pain at bay. I do them 2 or three times three times a week when my shoulders are OK. Occasionally the pain gets bad and then I do them every day and things get better. Good luck.

nhsaaa.net/musculoskeletal-...

[Lolabridge]

Having read this post and your previous ones I think your current medication regime is not properly controlling your RA any longer. Flares should only last a few weeks in my opinion and what you describe is more than that.

Shoulder pain can be very debilitating - it’s how my RA started and I struggled to raise my arms so washing and dressing myself was so difficult. Steroid shots into each shoulder helped whilst we tried various different drugs to try to get my RA under control. It was Rituximab that did that for me and it enabled me to continue to live alone and independently.

So I do think you should let your Rheumy know what’s happening and ask for a review. Physio could be useful as an extra but I think you may need additional/alternative medication first and foremost.