I'm 30yrs old and for the last 11 yrs I have had chronic pain in my left shoulder. It sucks. The kicker is that NO ONE knows what it is or what is causing it. I have tried everything:chiropractor(who told me I had the back of an 80 yr old man when I was 19),many rounds of physical therapy, acupuncture, deep tissue massage. I have also had every test done twice! In 2004 and 2012: MRI, xrays, nerve tests. I have seen every specialist available to me as well. The last shoulder DR I saw was the first to actually give me a diagnosis. Chronic sub-scapula pain. Well DUH! I have huge knots that run all around my shoulder blade. My family physician who has been helping me by "shutting the pain up with medication" has given me many trigger point injections as well. They work for maybe 20 minutes if I'm lucky. Personally I think just stabbing a needle in the knots and wiggling it around would feel pretty good. Anyway, he stopped filling my pain medication in April because he said he thought I was making up the pain just to score drugs. I was completely shocked! Who the hell would spend thousands of dollars, concoct a chronic pain lie, and stick with it for over 10 yrs??? I'm not stupid, I understand that aside from the knots which can be felt, all my tests have come back showing absolutely nothing. I felt angry and betrayed. Et tu brute? He sent me to a pain guy and he gave me some news that never once even entered my mind. He told me I would have this pain the rest of my life. I cried. And cried. I have always had hope that it would be fixed eventually with new technology coming out every year. He said he wanted to do some trigger point injections w botox. As always, I'm down for whatever and will try absolutely anything. As soon as I got home I researched this concept. After hrs on the computer and reading the comments from people who have used it, I realized I was yet to read a single thing about botox being used in the shoulder. I stumbled on a website from a very accredited neurologist in new york who has written a few books and been practicing for 35 yrs. Very informative website. It was on this site that I read about botox trigger point injections and how the sucess rate is 60% and u need them every few months. Naturally my insurance doesn't cover this, big surprise, but if it was gonna work I will figure out a way to come up with the thousands of dollars this was going to cost. Then the good dr went on to say that in no way should these injections be used between the spine and shoulder blades!!! Which is exactly where I needed it! WTF?? I called this guys new york office (I live in kansas) to find out why. Its because it is incredibly risky area and you can easily lose complete use of your arm until the botox works its way out of your system which takes a few months. It is painful to administer and not even guaranteed to work at all. Not cool. I have a 2 yr old and caring for him requires both arms. I place neurologists higher on the food chain than pain guys. Especially those that are so brilliant and experienced at what they do that they have been published authors, twice! This completely made me disregard a pain guy from podunk kansas. I refuse to give up on finding something that works. Afterall, I will try anything. I will NOT let this pain control me for the rest of my life. I want a job, to contribute to society, and most importantly, get to a point of feeling good enough to take my son to the park. He is just 2 and asks me at least twice a day if mama feel better? Breaks my heart.

Hi, and welcome.

If you've had multiple xrays & MRIs that show nothing, I'm wondering on what the chiropractor based his/her statement... but I guess that's neither here nor there.

Sounds like it could also be chronic myofascial pain. My first suggestion would be to find/see a certified myofascial trigger point therapist -- CMTPT (not just a physical therapist or massage therapist who says they know all about trigger points or have taken courses/training). They do not use injections. Even if your insurance won't cover it, it won't break you. If they can help, they can also teach you what you need to know to help yourself from then on.

Doc

Thanks you so much for your suggestion! I just checked out the link you sent and everything in the symptoms section I have. Do you need a referral to see one of the therapists?

No referral required.

Don't be too upset with your doctor; most just aren't familiar with this science/therapy (other than shooting drugs into trigger points), even though it's been around since the '60s. JFK had chronic myofascial pain, and it was his personal physician, Janet G. Travell, who did much of the groundwork.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigger_point#History

myofascial trigger point therapy

I don't know what's causing your pain, but your description sounded familiar, so this was just my suggestion. I sincerely hope it works out for you as well as it has for us (wife has trigger point issues as well).

Doc

You can even try some trigger point on yourself, with a tennis ball a friends' thumb, or anything similar that will work well for you.

Use it against a wall ,counter top or even on the floor..
It might be something that will make a difference for you. And best thing is it is free..
I've done it for my TOS/RSI/CMP issues.

I also went to a chiropractor that did a variety of modalities, low level laser, IF stim, ultrasound...NIMMO.

If you can't fully get all of them resolved a pro should be able to get those pesky ones..

Here's a sticky thread on TRPs from our TOS forum -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread125577.html


This is one of my favorite sites to locate TrPs for upper body-
http://www.pressurepointer.com/pain_reference_chart.htm

NIMMO? I can't find that on any of the acronym sites.

As my therapist explained it, with TP complexes like mine (and Fixmeup's, as I read it) the TPs have to be addressed/released in a specific order/pattern in order for the therapy to be most efficacious. Doing them in a different order may result in only temporary or incomplete release. This is also explained in the Trigger Point Therapy Workbook.

Once the therapist evaluates the patient and establishes the pattern, the patient can take over and help themselves in the future because they'll know exactly what to do & how.

Doc

You said your wife has trigger issues. Does she know what they are? I have got to find out what mine are because I will have one day where I have zero pain, it happens few and far between so I appreciate a pain vaca, unfortunately that day in paradise is followed by a week in complete hell. Any suggestions???

Sorta. She's got some TPs in her neck & shoulder that... "go off" (for lack of a better term at the moment) when she gets overstressed or pushes herself too hard. Our therapist helped her locate them, and told us what to do & how. When they go, it can put her down for 1-2 days. She's got a regimen of modalities she goes through to resolve them. One involves my helping release the TPs. She also uses a theracane and a TP massager stick (not endorsements -- just what she has/uses. I'm sure there are plenty of other fine gizmos too.) If all that doesn't work, some prescriptions.

Doc

Oh my gosh. The more I read about this the angrier I become. How is it that of the MANY doctors and specialists I've seen over the yrs not once even mention this as a possibility??? I've been seeing a bunch of total idiots! I really can't thank you enough.

Thanks, but I'm old enough to be your father and my dear fibromyalgic wife would kick both our patoots into the next galaxy...

Doc