I have had tendonitis of my right shoulder since I was a young teen (diagnosed at 15).
According to my then orthopedic doc/surgeon (one of the best in town) my tendon slips back and forth over the shoulder and sometimes sticks in between the shoulder bones. Since then I have had on and off problems with my entire right arm. Sharp elbow pains that strike with no warning and of course wrist pain from being a severe computer user.
In the last week or so I have noticed a “ball” that has developed on my shoulder where it meets the neck area. It seems to be on the muscle. It’s about three inches below and an inch over from the back of my ear. I don’t know the name of that muscle but it’s on my back area. It’s not a knot like you can get from a kinked up muscle but it’s a hard little ball that with massaging (does not hurt much, just a low ache at times) seems to become smaller but then comes back later. It’s the size of a small marble cut in half.
Any thoughts on this? Again, it’s not like a kink but it feels similar to a tensed muscle in the shoulder region, but is not painful to massage out. I have been working around the house a lot lately cleaning and getting rid of trash but no serious lifting and a lot less time spent on the computer – if that helps any.
Your help in this is appreciated, this is bugging me and I can’t afford to hit an orthopedic surgeon at this time as I still don’t have health insurance…but if any of the docs, nurses or whatever on the board might have an idea I would be greatful.
Sounds like one of your trigger points is getting tight in the trapezius muscle, techchick68. This is probably more of a symptom than the cause of your pain. I suspect an impingement syndrome in your shoulder could be causative (caveat: without doing an exam, all this is just hypothesizing, so keep that in mind). I’ve had the same thing, and it still acts up from time to time, but it got 99.5% better after a few cortisone injections into the joint. Of course, I did not submit willingly to those injections until I had an MRI scan of the shoulder to confirm the diagnosis, took anti-inflammatory pain-killers (naproxen) for months, and went thru extended physical therapy that only made it hurt more.
Bottom line: you need a good shoulder and arm examination. Failing that, one could take 2 over-the-counter Aleve tablets twice a day with food for at least 10 days, to diminish inflammation, if one had no history of sensitivity to such meds, and no history of stomach ulcers or GI bleeding or other contra-indications. But that is likely to be only a stop-gap measure.
Thanks Qadgop, It’s not a painful thing it just bugs me knowing it’s there. Like I said a dull ache at times, nothing spectacular. I tend to think my whole right arm will just fall off at some point in my life, I get sick of the pains and such I experience often.
Oh well, at least it’s not life threatening, thank God for that.
IANAMD and Quadgop is, but as a lay person I think you must rule out a possible tumor. You say it’s hard and hurts a little, which would, i think, rule out a cyst, which is soft and doesn’t hurt. As Quadgop suggested, you should not ignore it, but have it examined.
I have exactly the same problem except that it is more painful. My right shoulder hurts constantly. It is clearly due to computer use, especially the mouse, as it alleviates as soon as I am away from the computer for a couple of days… I just live with it… I know the answer is to get away from the computer but I’m addicted… what can I say? Ocassionally it gets to be so bad I cannot sleep at night due to the pain. But I can’t see a reason to see a doctor.
Me: It hurts when I do this.
Doctor: Don’t do it. That’ll be $50
Sailor, Sailor, doctors are your friends! But start with a good generalist, or family doc. simple meds or splinting could make a world of difference. And if it needs more than that, well, as an Orthopod friend of mine once said “If I can’t make it better, I can sure make it different!”
Really tho, if the pain keeps you up at night, it’s probably worth checking into.
Yes Sailor, what QTM said. Plus, don’t take this stuff so lightly. You have symptoms of RSI, repetitive strain injury, one of the most common occupational health problems around. I’m no M.D., but I do chair the occupational health and safety committee in my workplace and I’ve done a lot of research on this.
It may be just a minor nuisance now, but if you ignore it it’ll just get worse, and it can result in permanent, sometimes crippling, damage. RSI almost always responds well to conservative treatment if caught early, but if you leave it too late you may be looking at surgery eventually, which may or may not relieve the symptoms. Soft tissue injuries like this can be extremely painful and difficult to treat. Moreover, if you have a job that requires you to perform repetitive motions, like a lot of keyboarding, you may have a compensation case in some jurisdictions. If so, it’s important that you have documentary evidence from the beginning of your symptoms, proving that you did seek treatment. See a doctor, and if he/she/it tells you “Don’t do it. That’ll be $50” then you’ve got the wrong doctor. Most GPs should recognize RSI and know what to do. Protect yourself.