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