| If you have ever woken up at night with a painful | | | | obvious when lifting the arm straight upwards, you |
| shoulder, you're not alone. It's a very common | | | | may be suffering from a degenerative condition |
| complaint in the over 50s, and could be hiding a more | | | | which is affecting a small joint located between the |
| serious problem, but one that could be dealt with | | | | collarbone and shoulder blade. Again, the majority of |
| quickly and simply. | | | | patients can be helped with a course of |
| Things that go bump in the night | | | | Hydrocortisone injections. |
| It's a strange occurrence that shoulder pain is | | | | Patience is an unnecessary virtue - Symptom 3 |
| generally much worse at night. People often think | | | | Truly agonising pain and progressive stiffness in the |
| that it's simply to do with the fact that at night, the | | | | shoulder are symptoms of a 'frozen shoulder'. |
| brain doesn't have anything else to concentrate on. | | | | Extremely painful, the condition progresses in three |
| However, although not yet fully understood, there is | | | | stages. The first 6-8 months is characterised |
| a scientific reason that goes some way in explaining | | | | predominately by pain, the second 6-8 months by |
| the phenomena. It's all related to our body's natural | | | | pain and stiffness and the third, by mainly stiffness. |
| rhythms, as our cortisol drops to its lowest level in | | | | Be warned, this condition does not show up by X-ray |
| the early hours of the morning, so the pain increases. | | | | or by scanning as both of these simply appear |
| But if you are suffering, what can be done, and what | | | | normal. The good news is that by 18-24 months the |
| is the probable cause? | | | | condition will have naturally run its course and |
| Dread getting dressed - Symptom 1 | | | | resolved itself. If you think that you have a frozen |
| Sufferers who have a combination of steady pain | | | | shoulder and do not want to wait, you may be able |
| when the shoulder is at rest and more intense pain | | | | to benefit from a manipulation of the shoulder under |
| when the arm is raised to shoulder height, for | | | | anaesthetic. This should break the natural cycle of |
| example, when reaching for objects from a shelf or | | | | events and help restore movement and reduce the |
| even when driving, may be suffering from a tendon | | | | pain. |
| injury. This is where the tendons have changed | | | | Grinding to a halt - Symptom 4 |
| shape, which may have happened for a number of | | | | Grating in the shoulder, together with progressive |
| reasons. | | | | pain and stiffness, and a restriction of all movements, |
| Most sufferers of this type of shoulder problem can | | | | could be a sign of osteoarthritus. This is a condition |
| be helped with a series of three Hydroctorisone | | | | that needs to be managed and is best controlled with |
| injections. | | | | analgesics and anti-inflammatories. Fortunately, only a |
| However, there is some effort required by the | | | | very few patients with this condition require shoulder |
| patient, as an exercise regime will help to strengthen | | | | replacements, and those that do can be cheered by |
| up the other muscles in the shoulder to prevent | | | | the fact that this generally has excellent results. |
| them rubbing against the tendon. | | | | So if your stirrings in the night are due to a painful |
| Hands Up - Symptom 2 | | | | shoulder, don't hesitate. Go and see an orthopaedic |
| Generally, if the type of pain you are feeling is | | | | surgeon. There's really no need to live with the pain. |
| localised on the tip of the shoulder, with pain most | | | | |