Hi Jenna,
I too would like to welcome you to Healing Well. I am so sorry that you have to be here but very glad that you found us. It is just amazing the number of people that are afflicted with CP and the lists grows daily. Yes, you are so right, this group of people is the very best out there. It is so nice to have a place to come to and be able to sit down and write what is on your mind, or how rotten you may be feeling that day and know there are others right there with you that totally undrerstand.
It is almost like if you did not have bad luck you would have no luck at all. Wow, two falls on the same shoulder is just awful. Yes, I am sure the 2nd fall knocked you back months and months. Making a comeback is always so difficult.
I read about the therapists wondering if you have developed RSD. I would suggest that you google RSD, by the way they have added a new name to it too and I am at a loss at remembering what they call it, lol. Thats one of the pitfalls of CP, memory lapses. Go into one of the reputable websites once you google it and read about RSD. It is a whole new can of worms in itself. They will list many of the symptoms associated with it and you can decide if any of those fit. It is bascially similiar to a bunch of nerves sort of like they are misfiring. I cannot properly put it in writing what I am trying to say. I am very familiar with this stuff and remember when it first started being diagnosed by pain mgt drs back in the early 80's. No one believed the drs and ins companies would not pay for the testing said it was not a medical condition and yadda yadda. Boy, did they have to eat those words. RSD can be caused by trauma or injury too. Some of the sypmtoms include shiny skin to the afflicted area, skin discoloration, temperature changes in the skin, of course just pain from haitis and many other symptoms. Being put on effective pain meds is a start in handling this problem and that is where a good PM dr comes in. Check it out on a good site. There really is no one test out there to dx RSD, its like putting all the symptoms together and coming up with the dx. The best drs available to handle this is a pain mgt dr knowledgable of the condition. Not every PM dr can properly handle a patient with RSD so be sure to ask any potential dr if they have patients they treat with it. It was pain mgt drs in the very beginning that were dxing RSD in patients.
I would ask the PT person if they know of any good pain mgt drs that treat RSD. Then find out if they accept your insurance. You will need to be ref by another dr most likely to see a PM dr. Rarely will they see you without a referral. Some folks do PT, have SCS implants, even pain pumps implanted for RSD. There is no cure for it either. The drs have to find what works best for the patient in controlling the symptoms. For your sake I do hope this is something that can be ruled out with you.
How I became so familiar with RSD is I worked most of my life for attys that handled worker's comp, personal injury, med/mal, & SSD claims. I saw first hand many illnesses that happened as a result of injury or trauma. I remember when they first started dxing carpal tunnel syndrome and no one believed in it like the RSD. People that worked at GM here in Tx used tools that vibrated 8 hrs a day and these tools were used by thewir hands and their work was repetitive in nature. These folks were being dx'd with carpal tunnel syndrome and could not get help for a long time. All of our claims were denied and we had to file lawsuits left & right, lol. These drs and ins companies literally stick their heads in the sand for many years when a new medical dx comes along. Of course, it was always the patient that paid the price for their ignorance. They loved throwing out that the illness was not recongnized by the AMA therefore it did not exist, lol.
And as one of the other posted, be sure that you have had a proper workup on your neck. Many, many times neck problems cause shoulder and arms problems.
Anyway, just wanted to say hi and welcome aboard. One thing that is nice to know is you are not alone in this battle. Take care and keep posting about yourself.