A while ago, I started having pain that extended from my left shoulder, up my neck, and into my lower left jaw. It would come and go, but seemed to be getting more intense. I thought I was developing heart problems and made an appointment with my doctor. She did an office exam and scheduled x-rays. I would have expected an EKG. She knew what she was doing. It turned out I had arthritis starting on my collar bone and shoulder area. I then saw a specialist. He looked at my x-rays and told me that I had arthritis and by the way it was or where it was, he believed it to be related to my extra use of my arms because of my SCI. He suggested trying to use my cane less and try to use my arms less with the heavy lifting and using my legs more. I could not figure out how to use my arms less when getting out of a chair or in and out of bed. I carry my cane in my right hand, but in the house, I don't use the cane. I furniture walk or I don't hold onto things. So working in the yard walking along the chain link fence without my cane. I use the cane for balance and it was more of a security blanket. I just felt safe having it in my hands. I got to the point that I was confident enough to walk without my cane. Strangely, NOT using the cane in my right hand helped my left shoulder calm down. Now, I try to avoid using my cane. I will use my walker, delux model with a seat, if I have to go out or I hold onto my husband if I need to. Otherwise, I ony leave the house when I am having a great day. SO after all that, the pain might not be what you think it is. As another poster replied that if ibuprofen and heat don't help, then you might want to see a doctor.
Candle "Scars remind of us where we’ve been, they don’t have to dictate where we are going." ~David Rossi of Criminal Minds *********************************************************************** ________________________________ From: Todd Daugherty <todd.daughe...@gmail.com> To: quad list <quad-list@eskimo.com> Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2012 8:55 AM Subject: [QUAD-L] Shoulder pain I am C6 inc functionally and use a manual chair always. I am transferring in/out of a low Honda civic a few times daily, taking chair apart, etc. I have not fallen but recently injured my shoulder somehow. I have a piercing pain behind my shoulder blade that extends into my neck, and down the side of my arm to my elbow. The pain down the side of my arm feels like a pulled tricep or deltoid. I can still do daily activities with some pain, but when it comes to putting all my weight on it to transfer (from a low to high place), it is weak, painful and sometimes gives out mid-transfer. Could an ER diagnose something like this or should I see a specialist? It has been staying the same and not getting better over 2 weeks, using ibuprofen and heat. Thanks, Todd
