Pain when lifting my left arm.

[Otter-Ottav]

When I lift my left arm about the height of my head, it feels like it was punched 100 times... I am loosing sleep at night because that's when it is hurting the most. The pain is coming from my mid-upper arm, to my shoulder. If anyone knows what this is, I will be very thankful!

[gabkad]

Sounds like a rotator cuff injury. These things take quite some months to heal. Check with your doctor. If you've fallen, you may have a bone injury. Most of the time its a soft tissue injury and middle aged women get shoulder injuries easier than men. We are not as well-muscled in the shoulder area. It's easy to get shoulder injuries by doing things like yanking up on a heavy object or pulling hard and suddenly on something that won't budge.

If it's a rotator cuff injury, don't lift your arm in the direction that it hurts because when you do this it aggravates it more. That's the fastest way to reduce the inflammation.

When I had this (from reaching behind driver's seat to get my bag and then driver slammed on the brake and my shoulder got injured) it took almost one year to stop hurting if I lifted my arm out to the side. The pain during sleep took a couple of months to chill out.

My doctor told me that studies indicate physiotherapy does not speed up resolution. Makes no difference except it's more painful. I did nothing until the pain stopped. But there was limitation on movement. Then I did intense stretches ever other day for 3 weeks and it was fine. That was back in 1998. For years though, when I'd swim freestyle, after about 20 minutes the shoulder would make clunky noises. Now that my thyroid meds are probably good, I notice the joint has become stable during swimming.

I injured the other shoulder as well some years later. Not as severely. Bonus points! That time was from picking up a heavy handbag from behind the passenger seat when the vehicle was stopped......... Okay, I learned my lesson. I now get out of the car and retrieve my stuff through the back door. Slow learner.

[Parbrook]

I would strongly advise a visit to your GP, or A&E.

I experienced what felt like a muscle ache in my left shoulder and arm.

After putting-up with this for a few days.

A visit to my GP rapidly followed by hospital revealed that i had experienced a silent heart attack, which was a very big surprise.

The ache was caused by Angina and i ended-up having two stents inserted.

[gabkad in reply to Parbrook]

Good call. Had not considered this as a possibility.

[rosetrees]

I'm with the previous posters. Get it checked properly to be sure it's nothing serious. I'm beginning to think that shoulder pain etc is a symptom of poorly treated thyroid.

My (in)famous neighbour is currently being investigated for shoulder pain. I'm just smiling sweetly and not even mentioning thyroid. We share the same doctors. What does that say?????

[gabkad in reply to rosetrees]

Definitely. Connective tissue heals slowly anyway. Low thyroid makes it take forever.

[nightingale-56]

I have had rotator cuff injuries to both arms (at different times) and although they both healed within a year each time, when my thyroid levels are low (right now with rubbish meds) my left shoulder is the first one to begin hurting. This was the first to be damaged, and the worse one.

[Bustersmum]

Sounds like frozen shoulder - very common with hypo and characterised by pain on moving arm between horizontal arc and above head and night pain. Putting on coats etc can be agony. Unfortunately it lasts a long time (can be up to 2 years) but does eventually resolve, albeit slowly. Need to see your GP for diagnosis and then find an osteopath/chiro/physio who practises trigger point therapy as that will give you the most relief.

[vanessa2]

I also suffered with terrible pain in my left shoulder. Could not dress myself. Doc said it was arteritis, sent me for physio. No help. I came of Levothyroxine & started to take NDT Armour. My pain disappeared within a week & has never returned, 2 years on.