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Shoulder pain and diabetes.

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Browser

Browser

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Very recently diagnosed with Type 2, while attending GP for high blood pressure. For a couple of months I have had shoulder pain in my right shoulder, which restricts and causes pain with certain rotational movements, e.g., lifting arm to put clothes on. Ironically and much to the amusement of sceptical friends, the swinging of a golf club is hardly affected. I've googled this topic and was surprised to read that there is a strong correlation between diabetes and frozen shoulder type symptoms. I mentioned it briefly to the GP ( before Diabetes diagnosis) and he shrugged it off as 'not frozen shoulder' but more likely damage to the muscles/tendons. He said he could refer me for NHS physiotherapy but that I would wait for months for an appointment. I am concerned that this could develop into full blown frozen shoulder or become a permanent handicap ( one for the golfers, 🙂) Does anyone have experience or knowledge of this issue?
 
Thanks for the links.
 
Browser said:
Very recently diagnosed with Type 2, while attending GP for high blood pressure. For a couple of months I have had shoulder pain in my right shoulder, which restricts and causes pain with certain rotational movements, e.g., lifting arm to put clothes on. Ironically and much to the amusement of sceptical friends, the swinging of a golf club is hardly affected. I've googled this topic and was surprised to read that there is a strong correlation between diabetes and frozen shoulder type symptoms. I mentioned it briefly to the GP ( before Diabetes diagnosis) and he shrugged it off as 'not frozen shoulder' but more likely damage to the muscles/tendons. He said he could refer me for NHS physiotherapy but that I would wait for months for an appointment. I am concerned that this could develop into full blown frozen shoulder or become a permanent handicap ( one for the golfers, 🙂) Does anyone have experience or knowledge of this issue?
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Sounds more like rotator cuff degeneration/possible bursitis than frozen shoulder Browser. They can usually tell if it's frozen shoulder as it's very restricted and agony!
I fell last year and completely tore my rotator cuff right through. I've had physio since but it's still severed. The physio keeps the muscles around it strong and stops the 'capsule' seizing up.
You need specific exercises to stop it getting worse. Try to push for an earlier physio appt.
I appreciate your situation and the right exercises can help.

https://patient.info/health/rotator-cuff-disorders
 
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Amigo said:
Sounds more like rotator cuff degeneration/possible bursitis than frozen shoulder Browser. They can usually tell if it's frozen shoulder as it's very restricted and agony!
I fell last year and completely tore my rotator cuff right through. I've had physio since but it's still severed. The physio keeps the muscles around it strong and stops the 'capsule' seizing up.
You need specific exercises to stop it getting worse. Try to push for an earlier physio appt.
I appreciate your situation and the right exercises can help.

https://patient.info/health/rotator-cuff-disorders
Click to expand...

Thanks Amigo. I'm not sure about bursitis, as a couple of years ago I had bursitis in my elbow and I had a huge red swelling on the tip of my elbow and extensive inflammation as far as my wrist, which needed antibiotics. I'm not optimistic about an early physio consultation so if it continues I might just bite the bullet and go for private physio.
 
I had a bad shoulder for over a year before I got diagnosed. Once I knew I was diabetic & got my blood sugars under control, it completely cleared up. Of course, this may have been coincidence.
 
Mark Parrott said:
I had a bad shoulder for over a year before I got diagnosed. Once I knew I was diabetic & got my blood sugars under control, it completely cleared up. Of course, this may have been coincidence.
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Fingers crossed.
 
Browser said:
Thanks Amigo. I'm not sure about bursitis, as a couple of years ago I had bursitis in my elbow and I had a huge red swelling on the tip of my elbow and extensive inflammation as far as my wrist, which needed antibiotics. I'm not optimistic about an early physio consultation so if it continues I might just bite the bullet and go for private physio.
Click to expand...

Yes I was going to mention a private physio but it seemed presumptuous not knowing whether it was an option financially. When my rotator cuff was very sore and restricted following the fall, the physio mentioned the possibility of bursitis having joined the 'party' but there was no obvious swelling or redness. It may be different when it occurs in a shoulder joint.
Ideally of course you should have an ultrasound or an MRI to diagnose it but there's such a tendency now for doctors to go straight to physio without diagnostics 🙄

Hope you get it sorted soon.
 
Hi I too have shoulder pain which has got worse. I didn't know it was associated with diabetes until today. I will speak to my gp about it
 
AngieL said:
Hi I too have shoulder pain which has got worse. I didn't know it was associated with diabetes until today. I will speak to my gp about it
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Hi @AngieL , welcome to the forum, yes it’s a good idea to speak to Gp about it.
 
Hi Guy`s, Fibrositis is a common ailment which plagues most of us. It affects normally the top half of the body, eg shoulders, neck anything to do with upper muscles. You can work through it, takes time but eventually comes good.
 
Thanks for the welcome, I really didn't know about the shoulder thing, you learn something new every day x🙂
 
I can raise my arm it seems to be stretching for something or any backward motion or lifting in certain positions like when I do yoga x
 
AngieL said:
I can raise my arm it seems to be stretching for something or any backward motion or lifting in certain positions like when I do yoga x
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I started this thread a year ago when I was diagnosed with type2. The shoulder pain, mainly felt when reaching backwards, lasted for a few months but disappeared eventually. I might be wrong, but I think the improvement was linked to the gradual improvement of my blood glucose.
 
A few years ago I had pain in my shoulder too, I am an Electrician & spend a long time working on lights (8ft fluorescent in one hand, screwdriver in other). Balanced on steps or ladders. Went to physio for it. Sorted 🙂
 
I had a bad shoulder a couple of years ago. I had a steroid injection by my GP which was useless. Further investigation by X-ray and ultrasound showed severe tendonitis and I had another steroid injection by guided ultrasound. Did the trick nicely, and it hasn't recurred. The only problem was that the steroid sent my BG control out of the window for a week or two.
 
I had two sets of steroid injecs, one did not work & one did. 😉
 
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