Has anyone had shoulder pain like this? | Arthritis Information

I am waiting on lab results to be confirmed as RA but the whole thing started with my shoulders and I read some info on PMR that makes me wonder if I also have this. I cannot stand to lie in bed or anywhere else for any significant period of time. I basically sit up in a recliner until the wee hours of the morning and then go to bed. I always wake up in such pain that I sit there rocking while waiting on my pain med to kick in. The pain is not only in the joints but the muscles in my upper arms as well. Sometimes I feel like my right shoulder is dislocating because lifting the upper arm helps some of the pain. My ortho originally thought it was bursitis since I have a history of this, but my rheumy thinks it may be RA because I get swelling and pain in my wrists and hands. I guess I have to wait and see but just wondered if anyone with PMR feels this type of shoulder pain?Hi, Bfils! I just recently posted about having shoulder issues recently and thought it may be PMR related. I never experienced any swelling with my shoulder or arm in any of the joints though like you are having. Sounds like your doctor is doing the right thing by having lab tests ran to rule out RA. An x-ray could be helpful to show if osteoarthritis has developed.

If the pain is subsiding when moving your arm into a particular position your next step may be a MRI of your cervical area (neck/upper shoulders). Before my cervical fusion my shoulder and arm would ache, have very sore spots along with tingling and numbness in my fingers. Moving the arm & shoulder in various ways would alleviate some of the symptoms, of course you can't live with your arm in that position for ever.

Good Luck and let us know what you find out!!!

Thank you for your input russellcat. The waiting is killing me. I'll post here when I find out more. Thank you again.

I have had Polymyalgia Rheumatica confirmed today, bfils the symptoms you describe are exactly the same as those I have been suffering.

I start Prednisone tomorrow morning, my doctor tells me I will have relief from pain in a couple of days, I hope so because I have been suffering for months and not able to sleep well because of the pain. Pain killers have not helped me at all.

Thanks Jeanne! The shoulder pain is the worst. I thought it was a rotator cuff thing at first. I hope you get relief soon. Prednisone did ease it quite a bit for me and each day seems to get a little better. At least I can raise my arms now. I just have to try not to lay on my shoulders while sleeping. Good luck with your treatment. Hi Bonita,

Like you, I thought I had rotator cuff damage. Was getting PT (physical therapy) for tendinitis and bursitis for two months. When I was finally diagnosed with PMR - and started treatment with Prednisone, my shoulder(s) got better with each passing day. For about a week or so I still had trouble lying on the one shoulder. But then that also got better with time (muscle inflammation eased with Pred.). Today I don't even think about which side I can lay on. Before being Dx'd with PMR, just turning over in bed was extremely painful!!

Hang in there. It will get better. It's great to hear of the positive reactions to Prednisone. It is so good to hear of the experiences of others - thanks. I'm so sorry for your pain. I'm new on the Forum and this is my first post. I was diagnosed with PMR in Jan. 2010 and so glad to find this Forum!

I haven't had shoulder pain or arm pain nearly as bad as yours, but my right upper arm is extremely painful when I try to do certain physical therapy exercises. It feels like the muscle inside is being twisted and the pain just kills me, to the point where it seems like I see colored sparks before my eyes (which are usually clamped shut from the pain). It's so strange that it is just my right arm. At times I have odd pains in my clavicles and shoulder blades. It's mystifying, like so much about this disease.

I hope you will get some relief and start feeling better.
One of my earliest symptoms was shoulder pain that started in one shoulder and then went to the other. It got so bad I could not do any exercises that involved putting my arms over my head as well as trying to hook a bra on and yes I have swelling and pain in my hands and wrists
Copyright ArthritisInsight.com