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Suggest Treatment For Severe Pain In The Arm And The Ability To Sleep
Brief Answer:
Explanations on bursitis and further steps
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
If you are having pain in the outer aspect of your shoulder, that is worse when you raise your arm to wash your hair or reach something on high shelves it is very likely you are having shoulder bursitis. It is typical of shoulder bursitis to be worse when you are lying on your affected shoulder.
It is very important to help the pain and inflammation with moderate to high dose anti-inflammatory drugs. Naproxen 500 mg twice a day might be good to help with pain but sometimes when inflammation is strong it might not help enough and avoiding certain movements for a few days might be needed. Bengay can be used locally but also might not be able to reach the inflamed bursa in the shoulder.
It is recommended that if the pain is acute (strong) than full dose of naproxen should be taken and rest for a couple of days. The resting of the arm (shoulder) should not last longer than that as it might cause frozen shoulder so you will need to start soon with proper exercises to help mobilize the arm. It is best to see a physiotherapist to tell you which movements you need to avoid to not hurt the bursa and which are the proper exercises to help release the pressure there and improve the pain and the function.
To conclude i would say:
- if your pain is at the outside of the shoulder, is not related to trauma (falling), and is worse when lying on that shoulder or trying to reach high shelves it is very likely you have shoulder bursitis
- first you will need to quiet down the inflammation with high dose naproxen (500 mg twice a day after food to protect your stomach) and try to avoid movements that make you worse (this only for a couple of days)
- meanwhile try to find a physiotherapist to help you with the proper exercises to improve function of the shoulder.
- if these measures are not helping enough, your doctor might do an injection with lignocaine and steroid in the bursa to help reduce inflammation and help with pain and movements.
Hope I have answered your query.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Kind regards,
Antoneta Zotaj, MD
Explanations on bursitis and further steps
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
If you are having pain in the outer aspect of your shoulder, that is worse when you raise your arm to wash your hair or reach something on high shelves it is very likely you are having shoulder bursitis. It is typical of shoulder bursitis to be worse when you are lying on your affected shoulder.
It is very important to help the pain and inflammation with moderate to high dose anti-inflammatory drugs. Naproxen 500 mg twice a day might be good to help with pain but sometimes when inflammation is strong it might not help enough and avoiding certain movements for a few days might be needed. Bengay can be used locally but also might not be able to reach the inflamed bursa in the shoulder.
It is recommended that if the pain is acute (strong) than full dose of naproxen should be taken and rest for a couple of days. The resting of the arm (shoulder) should not last longer than that as it might cause frozen shoulder so you will need to start soon with proper exercises to help mobilize the arm. It is best to see a physiotherapist to tell you which movements you need to avoid to not hurt the bursa and which are the proper exercises to help release the pressure there and improve the pain and the function.
To conclude i would say:
- if your pain is at the outside of the shoulder, is not related to trauma (falling), and is worse when lying on that shoulder or trying to reach high shelves it is very likely you have shoulder bursitis
- first you will need to quiet down the inflammation with high dose naproxen (500 mg twice a day after food to protect your stomach) and try to avoid movements that make you worse (this only for a couple of days)
- meanwhile try to find a physiotherapist to help you with the proper exercises to improve function of the shoulder.
- if these measures are not helping enough, your doctor might do an injection with lignocaine and steroid in the bursa to help reduce inflammation and help with pain and movements.
Hope I have answered your query.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Kind regards,
Antoneta Zotaj, MD
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
Answered by
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