Chicken bald back

[Luvachicken]

I pulled a muscle in my shoulder a while ago.

I couldn't take the pain any longer so the telephone appt doctor gave me some anti-inflammatories.

I took these for a week and they did nothing.

I had a telephone appt again and was given Tramadol - very strong but didn't do much.

On Thursday I did actually see a really nice doctor who said I have Rotator Cuff Supraspinatus Tendinitis.

So, on Friday just gone, I had a cortisone injection and told to rest my arm. The doctor warned me my arm would be very painful for the next 24 hours. It wasn't and my arm hurts the same as it did before the injection.

The doctor said I had to wait 2 weeks before I could have another injection.

 

Do I have to wait so long ?

How long does it take to work ?

If my arm didn't hurt after the injection could that be a sign that it didn't work this time on me ?

[Old Speckled Hen]

Rotten luck. I know as an ex-runner how painful tendon injuries can be and that they take a while to get better.

Have you phoned your clinic to ask? They will know better than me but for what it's worth........................

I have a friend who has them for her back.

They take effect straight away.

[Purplemaniacs]

I am no expert but my first thought was quite quickly as my friend seemed to have relief quite soon after the injection.

 

As OSH suggests I would contact your doctor and check.

 

Chrissie

[Blackrocksrock]

Should get relief quite quickly - I had one in my knee 8 weeks ago but it had some local anaesthetic in it too which let it take effect immediately as I walked out of the hospital as if I had nothing wrong. It lasted for the 8 weeks and now is back again and the surgeon will only do it once!. Phone the clinic as they may do it again for you - what rotton luck - hope it helps.

[Olly]

I had a cortisone injection in my wrist for carpal tunnel syndrome just before Christmas - I wasn't in acute pain, this is an ongoing thing. The warnings I was given was that sometimes it works well, sometimes it alleviates symptoms partially and sometimes it makes no difference. I was also told it could initially cause a flare-up and it could take a couple of weeks to take effect. Obviously yours is a different condition and a different part of the body, so I don't know if that helps. I'd phone your GP and ask for advice.

[Grandmashazzie]

I had cortisone injection for a frozen shoulder,it worked within 24 hours,although the physio said I was lucky as sometimes the GP doesn't hit the 'right' spot.I would let the GP know and he may redo.

[Luvachicken]

What a day

The doctors were meant to phone me Friday afternoon/this morning to tell me if I could actually book the appointment .... so I popped in on my way home from work as hubby said no one had phoned.

Apparently I can't book the appointment for 2 weeks time ...... but I could book a private one with a doctor in May or June

The doctor who gave me the injection on Friday wasn't meant to have done it and shouldn't have said I could have another one. Not his fault, he was a locum and doing a lovely job.

They wouldn't even let me book an appointment just to discuss my shoulder.

 

In the end I told them not to bother and that I might just as well go home if I had to wait that long, I did say thanks for their help and left in tears.

Hubby then tried to ask them what had happened but couldn't get far because an ambulance arrived so we left.

 

Just now the doctors rang and she said the doctor would like to speak to me on the phone this afternoon, lets just hope he tells me what I want to hear.

[soapdragon]

OH says it possible that there may be a rotator cuff tear which would be diagnosed with MRI. Would be worth querying this with your GP as the injection does not seem to have worked. In the interim OH says that you might have a beak at Shoulderdoc.co.uk which is, apparently, very good!

 

Hope this is helpful.

[Luvachicken]

Thank you all for your advice.

It has all been very comforting

 

The doctor did phone me this afternoon, so I was pleased about that.

He said that the injection could take up to 4 weeks to start working so at least now I know.

He said he would give me another telephone appointment next Monday to see how I am getting on and depending what I say he might refer me to someone else.

 

Luckily we have hubby's insurance at work so if I need anything else hopefully it will get done sooner rather than later.

 

On another note, someone recommended Tiger Balm and Turmeric capsules for pain as opposed to doctor medicines, anybody know if they are any good ?

[bluekarin]

Tiger Balm is excellent for sore joints. Its nice and warming, much nicer than Deep Heat IMO, but you have to watch out as it stains everything orange! You can get a clear one, but I don't find it works as well. I've heard good things about turmeric for helping with pain relief. I think you can get it in tablets so might be worth a try.

 

I don't know if cortisone injections are the same as the steroid injections my daughter has for her juvenile arthritis, but hers have been hit and miss over the years. Sometimes they work really well, and for ages, others they take a while to work and don't last very long. Her consultant has said it can depend where in her arthritis flare up she is can determine how effective the injection is. If she is over the flare peak then it can work really well, but if she is just working her way up to the peak then it isn't as effective.