Rotator cuff tear & hypothyroid?

[hairyfairy]

About 3 years ago I had to have a stroid injection into my right shoulder because I had impingement syndrome due to a rotator cuff tear in my shoulder. I can`t figure out how it happened, but the problem has returned, & I`m wondering if being hypothyroid could have predisposed my to this type of injury.

[puncturedbicycle]

Oh you have so many friends here! This does seem to be related to uat somehow.

First my left shoulder went, it took 18mos to get better and I had six months' respite before the right went. The right is less of a problem than the left, partly because I'm left-handed and partly because it didn't seem to be quite as severely affected.

Were you aware of injuring yourself in an 'incident' or did it just come out of the blue? When you say you can't figure out how it happened I assume it was the latter - ? I am not aware of anything I did, I just got an excruciating cramp in the muscle which only went when I put some pressure on the hand. The cramp became more frequent until it just didn't go away.

My heart goes out to you. It is breathtakingly painful. I found acupuncture and deep tissue massage helped (if you know someone who knows how to handle it to not make the tear worse).

[hairyfairy in reply to puncturedbicycle]

It`s not as bad as the last time, but it is annoying that I can`t lift anything much with my right arm, & opening cans can be difficult too.

[Hidden]

Yes, I have this too. It improved on thyroid meds, so did my painful neck. I still can't lift my arm fully, but at least the pain has improved by 90%

[Marz]

healthunlocked.com/search/f...

Shoulders do seem to be a problem with thyroid issues. Do hope it soon feels better....

[faith63]

Being Hypothyroid can cause the entire body to malfunction..from head to toe.

[faith63]

My shoulders click, like they are out of their sockets.

[SJaggs in reply to faith63]

Mine do this! Only started in the last couple of years though.

[Mouse]

Yes, I also have this problem and a weekly yoga class along with a monthly visit to a cranial osteopath keeps it in check.

[bestbuddy]

I am in recovery from yet more shoulder surgery 8 weeks ago....this is not to be undertaken lightly as the recovery time is long and I am still in a great deal of pain.

[missyunique in reply to bestbuddy]

Hi you poor thing, know how you feel shoulder pain is horrendous, even the painkillers don't seem to work, get well soon. x

[TigerTea]

I'm still fighting to get diagnosed, but feel sure from help, info & support on here that I have Hashi's, and I had same with right shoulder for years, right down to being unable to pick up a pen at times for the slight movement in the hand and wrist that caused the awful pain. That has thankfully resolved [shssh] mostly on it's own, with bit of chiropractic help at times, but now sadly I have unexpected same problem with left

[missyunique]

Only been diagnosed with underactive thyroid for 2 months although had the symptoms for couple of years and bloods were borderline at 5.8. Finally started on 50mcg levo although not feeling much better yet.

Anyhow last Christmas tripped whilst out walking and dislocated and fractured left shoulder, followed by six months of the worst pain ever, then got frozen shoulder and had ultra flow injection, one year on and still have pain and limited movement, wondering now if my thyroid condition has delayed my recover, after reading the above posts.

Shoulder pain is the worst thing ever, you cant lay on that side so disturbs sleep, you cant lift anything, really hard even to use the hairdryer and the hairbrush at the same time lol.

Tried physio and ultrasound but so far nothing has helped maybe I will try some acupuncture next as recommended above.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to missyunique]

It is the worst. When mine went it was at a time when I was having to do a lot of driving, and sometimes - just sitting there in the car doing nothing! - it would throb so badly I would be in tears. Painkillers took the edge off at best.

[missyunique in reply to puncturedbicycle]

Hope you have fully recovered now, feel so sorry for people who are in constant pain must be really awful. Did they operate or just leave it to get better on its own.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to missyunique]

Thank you. I'm almost there! V weak and still a little stiff, but not really painful anymore.

Because of various family-crisis-type things going on, plus the fact that I've utterly lost confidence in my gp, I'm embarrassed to say I didn't even see the doctor for it. In my experience, muscular stuff is not considered serious and there isn't much they can do so they don't give you the time of day. I didn't want an injection in the joint even if offered as I knew it was the kind of injury which takes a lot of time to heal, and I wanted to see how it did on its own before I went down that route.

The acupuncturist/physio said to keep it warm and rest it, but in truth it never felt better than when I exercised it (within parameters of comfortable movement, being careful not to worsen the tear). I was once forced to drag a heavy suitcase around in the snow and thought 'Oh no, it will feel terrible tomorrow' but in fact it provided some relief. So the kind of weight-bearing exercise that required little movement and caused no pain was good for me, though everyone is different.

When it began to heal I found it helpful it hold my hand against a wall as high as I could put it without pain, just to gently stretch the joint for a few minutes. Also helped to rub the shoulder against a wall with a tennis or squash ball in between, or to push something (the capped end of a fat marker works) gently and steadily into the joint, again, in a way that doesn't cause pain. (These exercises were recommended by a personal trainer.) The more I could loosen the joint the better it felt. But don't do anything that hurts! And if it is frozen or very very painful, rest and heat are better than anything that might worsen the tear.

Are you in the London area? My acupuncturist is magic. I have known her for over 20 years.

[missyunique in reply to puncturedbicycle]

Glad you are almost fixed, thank you for the above advice I will try and do the exercises you said, not near London live in East Yorkshire so too far to travel lol. Will find a local acupuncturist. You were probably right to self heal as I have seen 4 consultants this year which have all been a complete waste of time and effort haha. Even missed a fracture until I had an mri scan and by then it had started to heal, been nearly a year now and only just starting to feel slightly better.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to missyunique]

Oh dear, yes that would be quite a commute.

Poor you, I think it's worse somehow to do the round of doctors who look at you blankly and the sum total of their wisdom is that you should suck it up.

My mum had exactly the same thing, so she sympathised with me and said it would just take a long time to heal. And what else do we have in common? She also has Hashi's!

Good luck, and I really hope you find a good acupuncturist. I hope it helps you.

[Hidden]

Yes it is - i have a history of impingement, bursitus and latterly adhesive capsulitus, also degenerative discs and joints

There is an autoimmune component - that is the link. But the nhs is not interested and if you mention the link, they just look at you with that "so what " look

[BeansMummy]

I have had some very painful shoulder problems, which included a substantial tear. Doctors were certain that I must have "done something" to cause such damage, but I was on long-term rest for many months following spinal neck surgery, and not even capable of doing anything! I think they thought I was lying and must have been bungee jumping or something.

I am reading time and time again about people with thyroid issues having shoulder problems, but doctors don't seem to acknowledge it. I did mention any possible connection to my very nice orthopaedic consultant, but he said he didn't know anything about it. I guess he still had to treat my shoulder, no matter what caused it, and no-one ever seems to want to "join up the dots".

[Westietam]

I have weight trained for years almost 50 years in fact .around 14 months ago I was diagnosed with Graves .treatment for Graves left me hypo and in January while weight training got worst injury of my life .a really painful rotator cuff tear .11 months of physio later it's almost better .My age makes healing slower I'm 68 now. Now im hypo from radio iodine and other shoulder is hurting . So I think there is a link.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Westietam]

Im 47 and mine took 18mos, so it sounds like you're doing something right! I wonder if some of us get both shoulders because you have to overuse one while favouring the other, and if you're already vulnerable with thyroid issues, it is inevitable that the extra stress on the joint will affect it.

My arms are so weak now I feel like a T Rex.

[AL14]

Strange to read this post - Is this coincidence ? I was diagnosed with Graves Disease in January 2015 and at the same time started to suffer with pains and numbness in my right shoulder. I eventually had a scan and a steroid injection but was told that I had a 2 inch tear in my tendon plus a rotator cuff impingement problem. I am-now starting to have problems and pain in my left shoulder . Is there any link to my thyroid problem ?

[puncturedbicycle]

Forgot to say that heat was very helpful, possibly moreso than painkillers. I used to go to sleep with a heated gel pack on my shoulder, and during the day when I had pain I would tuck the gel pack under my bra strap.

[stiltzski]

I am hypothryoid (previously fibromyalgia). Been suffering for 10 years. I had problems with my right shoulder quite a few years ago which a steroid injection seemed to help but two years ago - when I was in France - after a rapid move to grab a mug which was about to topple over I felt something 'go' in my left shoulder and was in so much pain that I ended up in A&E. An ultrasound scan and xray showed a little pointed (ie sharp) mountain of calcareous matter which had torn the tendon in the rotator cuff. I could see it all perfectly. When I got back to the UK with copies of the scans, I went to see a shoulder specialist who decided to ignore the French scans completely and told me I had to have an MRI scan, which, for some reason was not clear enough, but he continued to ignore the French stuff! I was given some exercises but my shoulder is still painful two years on - especially now I have had to come off my NSAID following oesophageal and stomach problems. I find it difficult to get comfortable at night. Only this morning, I whinced with pain as I put my arm out to reach for something. It is interesting that there are so many forum members with this problem. I had never linked it with the thryoid before!