It sounds like it might be tendonitis to me, which is very treatable:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...donitis&page=2

We were recently talking about this on another forum, and below is MY response(s):

"I have had tendon problems, in my elbows and shoulders, plenty of times. Physiotheraphy and assigned exercise routines have always rectified it though.

I "feel" like I have tendonistis when I get spasticity, but it goes when the attack lets up, so it's not "real" tendonitis.

That's my experience."

When I was asked which exercises I do at home:

"Sure. Hope I can explain it so it makes sense though . . .

For my shoulder, I use elastic hosing, about 3 ft (when unstretched). It is tied to the handle of a closed door. I stand facing 90 degrees away from the door, and reach across my body to grasp the hosing. My elbow is tight in to the side of my body as I slowly swing my forearm back and forth in front of my body in a disciplined way. My hand ends up touching the inside of my body (ribs) and then swings to the far outside of my body. The hosing is stretching as I am doing this.

For my elbow, I use a 5 lb weight (I think . . . I have a dolphin statue that I've been using ). The best tool would be a bar weight though, or anything cylindar shape. I rest my arm on a comfortable & level surface, like the arm of the chair. I lift my hand so that it is pointing in the air, and my wrist bent. I grasp the weight, then slowly lower it until it is level with the front of the arm rest. I take the weight out with my other hand, lift my hand, and do the same thing again.

I do both of these exercises in reps of 10, take a rest, and do it 2 X 10 more times. I do these exercises 3 times a day.

I am normally getting ultrasound treatments every few days for the first week, and a couple of times the next. With these exercises, I usually recover within 2 - 4 weeks.

(You might want to try to look these exercises up on the internet if my instructions don't make sense. I suspect they are fairly "standard" . . . )"

And an explanation of my impression of the difference between tendonitis and MS-pain:

"I can't remember if my physiotherapist said "calcification" or "scar tissue" . . . but I left the tendonitis for too long a few times, and it was definitely much harder (and longer) to treat. Every time though, the ultrasound, his painful probing/massages within the joint, and consistent exercise routines have fixed the problem.

Leaving it has NEVER resulted in it clearing up on it's own, although my doctor has threatened cortisteriod (?) shots if I couldn't get it under control myself. Apparently this is a good option too . . . but even he recommends it as a last ditch effort.

When it is true tendonitis, for me, there will be a spot within the joint that hurts when pressed. When it's MS-related ("feels" like tendonitis), I don't have the pain in the joint, just the muscle-type pain in areas extending from the joint."

Just my experience . . .

Cherie