Extreme shoulder pain

[jwnini]

I had a surgery (for a weight revision) in February 2020 and since then I've had extreme shoulder pain. Just recently I had an MRI for it and it showed up clear. The pain is so sharp and is pure agony that I just wish for it to be cut off because it would probably feel less painful than whatever this is. It's not exactly the shoulder. If you put your hand over your heart, where the end of your fingertips touch is where the pain is. It feel like it's it the very center and it even hurts when I simply breathe. The sensation is so deep that you couldn't feel it or apply pressure to it if you wanted. The only way I could think of explaining it since neither an ultrasound or a MRI shows anything is my muscles deep into that shoulder is maybe inflamed and perhaps rubbing on the bone? I'm not sure and that's why I need your help. No doctor can explain it or find anything wrong so it HAS to be my Fibromyalgia. I'm 24, I can't work, I don't have any previous injuries to that shoulder so I'm just wondering if this is one of those things I'm going to have to deal with from now on.

My PCP tried to say that during the surgery they will lift your arms above your head and it may have injured something, but if that was so why wouldn't it show up on any test, nothing's torn, there was a little swelling I think, but nothing concerning, he played it off as nothing and even my last appointment I told him that it was so bad I felt like I wanted to die and my mom to cut off my shoulder and was in tears and he was like, oh it's not that bad. Yeah, right.

Either way please let me know if anyone has experienced this or might know why the pain is so severe that it makes my body go rigid and I feel like someone's stabbed me in the shoulder with a long metal rod and is trying to pull it back out.

I attached images of where the pain is located, it's just my left shoulder and sometimes it just starts throbbing as my chest rises and falls.

 

[sunkacola]

Yes, I have had that pain, or at least something I would describe the same way. What helped me the most was my chiropractor. I am not saying every chiropractor would be helpful with this, as some (or maybe many) would not be. But I have a super good one and he knew what to do. I walked out of his office feeling 80% better. If you can find one that is good enough, it could help you too. You could also try massaging that area yourself. I know that will hurt! But my chiropractor suggested I do it anyway, as I could tolerate it, and it does help. Just gentle pressure on the area, nothing fancy or heavy.

 

[Creola17]

I have shoulder pain as well and find that pain lotion helps. If it gets really bad I spray bio freeze to numb it. It wakes me up sometimes.

 

[longtimer]

Hi - I have radiating pain in my left shoulder down to my shoulder blade, across the left front and down the ribs, down and my arm and it can be very sharp like you describe - I think it too might be the result of surgery I had - the breast lift perhaps or the spinal surgery I had on my neck - my doctor just dismissed it as fibro last year, but sometimes I think that fibro is used as a catchall for whatever pain the doctor can't help or define. I am going back in to get it looked at again. I have been doing yoga at the easiest level on the app DownDog and I set the program to especially work on shoulders and upper body - it is mostly gentle stretching, and I find it is helping somewhat. But I am already on pain medication, so I don't know if I can get any help for it - so I feel for you. One thing I have learned from having chronic pain is that you just keep getting up in the morning and keep trying to find things that help you - hot baths, massage, meditation whatever - you are unique, and when it comes down to it you have to take charge of your own health because doctors aren't gods, they're just people like us and they don't have all the answers.