Arm Pain since 2000

So my condition may not be as serious as some, but it affects my quality of life nun the less.  I have had arm pain in my left shoulder since the year 2000, I had it checked out at onset with MRI's, X-rays and visits to the doctor... no result. Over the past decade it has come and gone. I could have it every year, or I could skip a few, there is nothing definate about my pain except that I dont know what causes it, and I dont know what turns it on, only that it usually stays for a month (worse at night). I've had this pain again for the past month, I'm in the fourth week and it seems to be waining, I've actually slept the last couple nights, but not really the rest of this past month. Recently I've had an EMG with nuerologist, chiropractic care, massage and nothing works, no drug works, I take ibuprophen, but I don't know if its doing anything. Today I saw a orthopedic doctor, he told me a month of pain every three or so years isn't so bad and that I just needed to work out, there is no helping this...

The pain usually starts in my shoulder, a deep dull pain gravitating towards a more sharp ultra heated pain... it starts small and grows like a wave till its unbarable. This time around the pain has affected (shoulder, neck, chest, stomach, back) I think its getting worse, its not hurting right now, but I'm in the fourth week.

Anybody share my pain, any advice?

Hi Armpain and welcome to the CP forum!

It's a shame no one has found the cause of your pain. If I were in your shoes I'd push to find a reason or at least rule out the more obvious ones. I have fibro and can attest to the fact that it's a possibility. Also, I get bursitis in the should and shoulder blade area and that's pain that is hard to describe!! It lasts for several weeks until it backs off. But the doc at least is able to tell me what is causing it. There are more solutions for your pain and I hope you would see a couple more doctors to find out what is is.

Have you been to an orthopedic doctor or a rheumy like Char suggested? These type of doctors specialize in areas that would be more inclined to find your problem...IMHO. Plus, have any of the doctors you've seen offered injections for the pain? When mine gets bad my PCP will give me injections of something called Marcaine. It's a slow release numbing agent. It lasts about 5-10 days and by that time whatever area is either knotted up or irritated has had a chance to calm down. In turn it tend to unknot the surrounding areas and by the time it wears off the majority of the pain is gone. I call to get this done when others at-home remedies aren't working.

Another area to check is a cardiologist. I know that sound a bit strange or scary but it's very real. In your case since your pain has been going for such a long time I would doubt that it would be your heart BUT...in many people, especially women, angina is felt in the back between the shoulder blades. This happened to my mother and unfortunately she was going to Group Death (or as others know it, Group Health) at the time and they treated her for months and months as a pulled muscle. This was just 3 years ago! and it's been knows for a long time that this type of pain in women can likely be heart related. She ended up having a massive heart attack and a cardiologist working the ER that night literally pulled her back from the jaws of death after they had told us there was nothing more they could do.

Anyway, I do think you still have a lot of options and avenues to explore to get some relief from your pain. Give some ideas a bit of thought and try something, anything...everything! until you get some answers. And in my opinion..."There's nothing we can do" is not an answer.

Good luck and keep us posted.
Chutz