Do any of you get excrutiating pain in your shoulder blades when you have a flare? This is the second time this has happened and it is so hard to move when every little movement creates such terrible pain. The right is worse than the left because I favor the left. Please write me and let me know if this has happened to you? I so hope not. I called the Doctor and he upped my prednisone. I am caught now because I just started Arava and it takes a while to build up in your system and I have sometime to go before it gives me some relief. But knowing if others have delt with this would help. I truly hope you are having a better evening than I am. Susan Lee
Thanks sooo much for answering. Yes, I do use heat and ice. I usually have a good pain tolerance but this is wearing me out. I am so sorry you are going through this too. There is an area right on the side of my shoulder blade that is just awful. Like there is a hole there that is filled with inflammation. Know what I mean? I am sorry you are hurting too. Hope you are feeling better really soon. Has anyone else experienced this? Please write us. Susan Lee Susan, I think I understand what you are saying! My chiropractor explained it to me, that it feels as if there is a joint under our shoulder blades, but in fact there isn't, but acts like one. I describe it as if someone has thier fingers under my shoulder blade and trying to rip it out!!! I should start going back for adjustments... that is one thing that helped me a few years ago, before I was actually diagnosed.
Terinski...What have you done to help with inflammation and the pain since being diagnosed? How do you deal with it? SusanLee
I understand how you feel. I hope your guys have a
better day tomorrow!!
You really shouldn't ignore this pain. I did for about a year and now I have some permanent damage. Next visit with the doctor, emphasize this. When they finally did the MRI, they found a bone cyst, bone spur and tendonitis. If they had found it earlier, PT might have kept me from losing function. Now, they can't do surgery either and there are things I can't do with that arm or shoulder any more to the point that I have to give up the work I've been doing. I did complain, but obviously not loudly enough.
Get it checked out.
Hi Susan Lee, I'm so sorry you are having to deal with the shoulder blade pain. Is it the pain that is under the shoulder blade, between the blade & spine? If so, I had that pain, left shoulder for many years before being diagnosed with RA. The thing that helped the most was trigger point injections directly into the area. Would give me some relief for about 3 months. They determined that the pain was coming from my spine, in my case. But I have OA throughout my body and RA as well.
I also still see a pain management specialist, due to chronic pain from OA, degenerative disc and joint disease, scoliosis, neuropathy, etc.I have been on narcotic pain relievers for about 5 years. They take off the edge and make the pain liveable.
I sincerely agree with Deanna. You should have an MRI on that area ASAP to find out what is going on. It could be so many things, but they should be able to do something to ease your pain. In any case, they need to know what's going on in there.
Please let us know how you are doing! Hope you feel better soon
Nini
Thank you everyone for all you info. As for the MRI that has already been discussed by a neurologist and I cannot take it because I have trouble breathing due to polio. So I cannot lay flat. So I do have an appointment with my lung specialist so we can figure out how to do this. But my real question to you is the following...when you have shoulder pain from RA does it effect that area? And is that one of your symptoms of RA? That answer would be so appreciated. Susan Lee