Pain down one side?

[mariacwelland]

Dear All,

I was wondering is it normal to get pain on one side of your body?

My neck, shoulders, arms etc are painful down the right hand side of my body

Weird or what???

[Kentish_Man]

Hi Marcia,

That happens to me on a regular basis. The first time it happened I thought that I was having a stroke.

[mariacwelland in reply to Kentish_Man]

Thanks for that - I thought I was going mad! If the pain was on the left hand side I’d be convinced it was my heart!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Well it definitely isn't NORMAL no! Nor is it usual in PMR - it tends to be bilateral.

But you CAN have one-sided pain in fibromyalgia (amongst other things):

"Q: Can you have pain mostly on one side of your body with fibromyalgia?

Dr. Pellegrino: Yes this frequently occurs. Typically a person will have pain all over but it could be worse on one side, often the dominant side. It may be that the side that gets used more is more prone to pain compared to the nondominant, less used side.

But I have seen patients with more pain on the nondominant side, and maybe the weaker side is more prone to pain in these individuals.

I always try to identify what the person is doing on a regular basis at work or daily activities and see if one side is being stressed more than the other, which may explain why the pain is favoring that side."

(from prohealth.com/library/showa...

And this is an older thread from another forum:

patient.info/forums/discuss...

[mariacwelland in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you soo much for your advice and the links you’ve provided.

I really think I have fibromyalgia - I’ll fix up to see my doctor tomorrow.What is the treatment for fibromyalgia?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to mariacwelland]

There is no real treatment - I think the prohealth link discusses the options somewhere. The basic difference between it and PMR is that pred deals with the PMR pain which is due to swelling and inflammation. Fibro is a fault in pain perception - and so much more difficult to deal with.

[Hidden]

My fibro mainly down left side with occasional joining in by right. Pmr for me definately both sides.

[mariacwelland]

Thank you so much for your help - this health forum is a God send!

[Hidden in reply to mariacwelland]

It is indeed. I know it might sound daft but give painful part a rub as hard as you can manage. As pmrpro says in fibromylgia and unexplained pain it's a problem of brain telling you you are in pain. I find painkillers help keep me mobile but confusing brain works better. Like a mother who rubs bumped knee the brain and nervous system get confused and pain eases. If pain persists you should get investigated. 😊

[mariacwelland in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for taking the trouble of trying to help - it’s much appreciated

[ninjapete]

My PMR actually started with a lower back pain and pain in my groin area and down my left leg. The stiffness in the upper body came next and then in both legs to the point where I could not walk or lift my arms above my chest. Once I got on the prednisone I was fine. Well, not fine but at least not in pain.