shoulder and neck pain

[mkatiem18]

I am a type one diabetic and have been for 18 years. I'm 26 years old and my A1C has been between 7.5 and 10 for most of my life. For the past three or four years, it has been between 8 and 9. I also have thyroid disease and Celiac's disease. I have a healthy weight.

For two and a half years now, I've been suffering from pain in my back and neck region. Specifically the muscle that begins at the point in my shoulder blade and ends in the back of my neck. I feel the pain concentrated in the point of my shoulder blade. The pain is almost gone when I'm lying down with no pillow and is at its worst when I'm sitting. I can't wear necklaces or anything like a helmet because the weight hurts a lot. Advil helps very little. I've been going to physical therapy for six months, which has helped a little bit, but overall I've seen very little change in the amount of pain I have. I find that if I sit for more than 20 minutes, say at dinner, I have to stand up because the pain is too bad. The pain is usually in the right shoulder, but alternates to the left occasionally.

Does anyone else have any experience with this? I'd be so incredibly grateful for any help.


All best,
K

 

[izzzi]

Hi, K.

Have you had X-Ray and a MRI scan. I do hope your GP has recommended you to a consultant that can sort out your severe pain.

You have have had this problem far to long,

Best of luck

Roy.

 

[Stefano]

Hi have you ever heard of frozen shoulder ( capsulities)? It is quite common in diabetics. I had 8 years ago in my left shoulder (successfully solved with surgery) and now I'm 1 year fighting with the same problem in my right shoulder. The difference from what you say is that my pain is mostly when I sleep. Pain around shoulder, neck and back muscles.


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[rehill]

Definitely sounds like a frozen shoulder. Doctors may be able to give you a cortizone injection to relieve the pain and discomfort.

Otherwise, you would need an operation.

best wishes

 

[mkatiem18]

I had an MRI and Xrays which showed nothing. The pain isn't in my arm or in my shoulder joint. It's in the inner point of my shoulder blade right below my neck on my upper back. Could this still be frozen shoulder?

Thanks so much for the reponse

 

[Stefano]

X-ray showed nothing in my case. MRI showed only some point with scars but again almost nothing. Pain wise, as said before, it is mostly at night and if I try to move my arm up or on my back. Pain is now mostly on my shoulder blade. Orthopaedics have their method to try to understand if it is frozen shoulder and they usually follow the same pattern. First steroid injection and physio, then ,if it doesnt work, surgery and physio. In both cases the success rate is around 80%. Hope it helps.


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[mkatiem18]

Sounds a little different from what I have going on. My pain doesn't change when I move my arm. It gets progressively worse as I sit. Terrible on planes! If I recline in a chair it can ease it a bit. I also get relief while I hold the corner of a wall to stretch my chest. The relief stops when I stop the stretch. The type of pain is a constant and often intense ache, like my muscle is tearing.

 

[gfmoore]

Do you take statins?