What has caused this pain for more than 20 years?

[simon43]

I'm interested out of curiosity, rather than seeking medical treatment.

 

Some 20 years ago I fell while carrying my new born daughter.  To protect her I fell onto my left arm.  The pain in my upper arm was very bad but I did not seek medical treatment.

 

Over the years I have fallen again and again on my left arm (mostly falling off ladders when making/adjusting my ham radio antennas!). Each time the pain is intense and it takes a few weeks for the pain to subside to a dull ache.  

 

I can lift and utilise my left arm as long as I keep it close to my body. I can raise it above my head.  If I put my left arm behind my back (similar to a police 'arrest'), the pain is intense.  This pain seems not to be in the upper arm bone but rather in the center of the biceps muscle. The pain is worst after sleeping, presumably because I've slept on that arm or moved it into an awkward position.

 

Go and see a doctor for an x-ray?  Yes of course that is a good suggestion. But do the symptoms point towards a particular ailment?

[JimTripper]

It could be anything. Get it checked out at your next physical.

[KhunLA]

@simon43 At a guess, I suspect you injured a ligament, that simply never healed correctly, after repeated agitation/injury.   Most do heal themselves over time, if allowed, others simply do not, as the tear is too much to heal by itself.   Since intense pain when extended when behind your back would indicate that.   

 

Less chance it's a tendon, as they do heal better than ligament, and don't require surgery as much.

 

Disclaimer:  I am NOT a Dr

[LS24]

AC joint, rotator cuff injury, median, ulnar and / or radial nerves are all around that part of the body. Have a read on them and see if any of the symptoms match.

 

[Old Croc]

My rotator cuff injury, caused by a fall from a faulty chair in an internet shop in Phuket also about 20 years ago, has been giving me pain recently. I put it down to age and arthritis.

[4MyEgo]

  On 11/27/2023 at 6:44 AM, simon43 said:

I'm interested out of curiosity, rather than seeking medical treatment.

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Choose your flavour.

 

For what it's worth, I suffered from a lot of lower back pain, stiff neck, Sciatica type symptoms coming and going for decades and could never work out why.

 

Some of us are thicker than others, then I recalled one day when I was about 6 on a school trip playing football, I got tackled and my neck hit the post as I slid and scored. was knocked out for a little while, neck was stiff for days, then again a diving board accident, the dipstick behind me didn't give me time to clear and landed her a$$ on my head as I was surfacing.

 

I totally forgot about these accidents until recently, so I went and got an X-ray, C5 & C6 in my neck are pretty warn, suffice to say, pain travels, my neck has never been the issue, always the lower back and buttocks area every now and again, suffice to say, sitting for long periods can bring it on, so I invested in a good pair of walking sports shoes (cushioned) and notice the difference straight away, i.e. the pain in my legs, knees, back would go as I tried to get used to these new walking sports shoes, I also stretch a little and lay down when I feel a little tense in the middle back area, a few cracks (manually) to take away some pressure and good as gold.

 

Your problem could be stemming from a different area, have a good read below, keep searching and hopefully find where your issue is stemming from.

 

https://www.healthline.com/health/pain-in-left-arm

 

[Moonlover]

I have just recently cured my own shoulder issue following a fall some 18 months ago. I'm not one to running to the doctor's office with every ailment and much prefer to use my own knowledge and recourses. Mine is Qigong, a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

 

I'm guessing you don't know Qigong otherwise you wouldn't be asking on the forum for advice. But there is an alternative. Do you have access to an acupuncturist? Even better if there's one who also practice's therapeutic massage.

 

Your arm/shoulder problem is just the sort of issue that they very good at curing because they address the problem holistically, not just 'fix' the symptoms.

 

Good luck.

[gargamon]

I had something similar. I couldn't lift my arm above my shoulder for a long time, not 20 years but more than one. You're going to kick yourself if what I had done fixes the pain.

 

Go to a Dr. Get a cortisone shot. The Dr should be able to determine where to do the shot from your description. My pain was gone within a couple of days and hasn't returned. No problem raising my arm any more. 

[PJ71]

I think you've damaged the arm.

 

20 years is a long recovery - lol, should really get it looked at.

[metisdead]

An unhelpful troll post contravening our Community Standards has been removed.

[bignok]

  On 11/27/2023 at 9:07 AM, Old Croc said:

My rotator cuff injury, caused by a fall from a faulty chair in an internet shop in Phuket also about 20 years ago, has been giving me pain recently. I put it down to age and arthritis.

Expand  

Take 3 magnesium tablets daily

Report back in 10 says

Be amazed if your arthritis hasnt improved

[JackGats]

Looks like frozen shoulder following vaccination.

[JensenZ]

  On 11/27/2023 at 7:30 AM, KhunLA said:

@simon43 At a guess, I suspect you injured a ligament, that simply never healed correctly, after repeated agitation/injury.   Most do heal themselves over time, if allowed, others simply do not, as the tear is too much to heal by itself.   Since intense pain when extended when behind your back would indicate 

 

Less chance it's a tendon, as they do heal better than ligament, and don't require surgery as much.

 

Disclaimer:  I am NOT a Dr

Expand  

Tendon injuries can become chronic and permanent as the tendon degrades over time.

 

Chronic Tendon Injury

 

My guess is the OP has chronic tendinosis (explanation in the article I linked above) in the bicep tendon.

 

You can rule out rotator cuff injury with some simple tests. This one is quite comprehensive:

 

Rotator Cuff Tear PT Evaluation with Rotator Cuff Special Tests

[daveAustin]

Sucks getting old. Stretch and smoke some <deleted>! 

[bignok]

If you need drugs try this

[simon43]

  On 11/27/2023 at 2:00 PM, JackGats said:

Looks like frozen shoulder following vaccination.

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Which vaccination would that be? A tetanus vac that I had 20 years ago in my right arm?  (I'm left-handed, so always have jabs in my right arm)

[simon43]

  On 11/27/2023 at 2:08 PM, JensenZ said:

Tendon injuries can become chronic and permanent as the tendon degrades over time.

 

Chronic Tendon Injury

 

My guess is the OP has chronic tendinosis (explanation in the article I linked above) in the bicep tendon.

 

You can rule out rotator cuff injury with some simple tests. This one is quite comprehensive:

 

Rotator Cuff Tear PT Evaluation with Rotator Cuff Special Tests

Expand  

Thanks for that video.  Based on those simple tests, it is not a rotator cuff injury.  I have no issues with my shoulder movement. It is a pain in the center of my biceps muscle and which is particularly sharp (causing me to cry out in pain) if I suddenly move the arm (if I move it at a normal pace, then there is no pain unless I try to put my arm behind my back).

[bignok]

  On 11/27/2023 at 3:42 PM, simon43 said:

Thanks for that video.  Based on those simple tests, it is not a rotator cuff injury.  I have no issues with my shoulder movement. It is a pain in the center of my biceps muscle and which is particularly sharp (causing me to cry out in pain) if I suddenly move the arm (if I move it at a normal pace, then there is no pain unless I try to put my arm behind my back).

Expand  

Torn bicep 

[bignok]

https://www.mercy.com/health-care-services/orthopedics-sports-medicine-spine/specialties/shoulder-upper-arm/conditions/bicep-tear-strain

[Lacessit]

IMO it is easy enough to rule out any bone injury with an x'ray. After that, a deeper dive with a CAT  scan or similar for ligaments and tendons.

Until the OP actually knows what the problem is, any form of treatment is experimental.

[swm59nj]

It could be a torn rotator cuff or some other tendon tear.  But the only way to get a specific diagnosis is getting an MRI.  

[Moonlover]

  On 11/27/2023 at 3:42 PM, simon43 said:

Thanks for that video.  Based on those simple tests, it is not a rotator cuff injury.  I have no issues with my shoulder movement. It is a pain in the center of my biceps muscle and which is particularly sharp (causing me to cry out in pain) if I suddenly move the arm (if I move it at a normal pace, then there is no pain unless I try to put my arm behind my back).

Expand  

During the recovery phase of the injury that I mentioned yesterday, I also had pain in the same spot and under similar conditions. It continued until I had regained full use of my shoulder and it does still occasionally twinge, but not badly enough to bother me.

 

My own assessment is that it not actually in the muscle. Rather I think it's in a nerve running through that area from the shoulder. It's often called 'referred pain'. It could actually originate in the neck or shoulder, but is felt elsewhere, in your case and mine, the bicep. I can still induce if I move my shoulder carelessly.

 

I hope you find that useful.

[LikeItHot]

  On 11/27/2023 at 6:44 AM, simon43 said:

I'm interested out of curiosity, rather than seeking medical treatment.

 

Some 20 years ago I fell while carrying my new born daughter.  To protect her I fell onto my left arm.  The pain in my upper arm was very bad but I did not seek medical treatment.

 

Over the years I have fallen again and again on my left arm (mostly falling off ladders when making/adjusting my ham radio antennas!). Each time the pain is intense and it takes a few weeks for the pain to subside to a dull ache.  

 

I can lift and utilise my left arm as long as I keep it close to my body. I can raise it above my head.  If I put my left arm behind my back (similar to a police 'arrest'), the pain is intense.  This pain seems not to be in the upper arm bone but rather in the center of the biceps muscle. The pain is worst after sleeping, presumably because I've slept on that arm or moved it into an awkward position.

 

Go and see a doctor for an x-ray?  Yes of course that is a good suggestion. But do the symptoms point towards a particular ailment?

Expand  

Dull or burning pain is nerve pinch or damage possibly originating in your cervical vertebrae.  I think between 6 and 7 is the nerves that run down your arm.  An MRI on your neck should show a pinch.  

[wombat]

id try CBD and see what happens

[Moonlover]

  On 11/28/2023 at 6:01 AM, LikeItHot said:

Dull or burning pain is nerve pinch or damage possibly originating in your cervical vertebrae.  I think between 6 and 7 is the nerves that run down your arm.  An MRI on your neck should show a pinch.  

Expand  

That's very much in line with my thinking as well. The O/Ps problems started with a fall. It's possible that as well as injuring his arm/shoulder, he could also have sustained a whiplash injury to the neck. Many such injuries go undetected. 

 

Did you see this article @simon43? Read the full article in Thaiger.

 

 

[pacovl46]

  On 11/27/2023 at 7:30 AM, KhunLA said:

@simon43 At a guess, I suspect you injured a ligament, that simply never healed correctly, after repeated agitation/injury.   Most do heal themselves over time, if allowed, others simply do not, as the tear is too much to heal by itself.   Since intense pain when extended when behind your back would indicate that.   

 

Less chance it's a tendon, as they do heal better than ligament, and don't require surgery as much.

 

Disclaimer:  I am NOT a 

Expand  

There are no ligaments in the middle of the biceps.

[BusyB]

  On 11/27/2023 at 6:44 AM, simon43 said:

I'm interested out of curiosity, rather than seeking medical treatment.

 

Some 20 years ago I fell while carrying my new born daughter.  To protect her I fell onto my left arm.  The pain in my upper arm was very bad but I did not seek medical treatment.

 

Over the years I have fallen again and again on my left arm (mostly falling off ladders when making/adjusting my ham radio antennas!). Each time the pain is intense and it takes a few weeks for the pain to subside to a dull ache.  

 

I can lift and utilise my left arm as long as I keep it close to my body. I can raise it above my head.  If I put my left arm behind my back (similar to a police 'arrest'), the pain is intense.  This pain seems not to be in the upper arm bone but rather in the center of the biceps muscle. The pain is worst after sleeping, presumably because I've slept on that arm or moved it into an awkward position.

 

Go and see a doctor for an x-ray?  Yes of course that is a good suggestion. But do the symptoms point towards a particular ailment?

Expand  

 

Do yourself a favor and go see a good orthopaedist. Worth their weight in gold. Experience talking here.

[Moonlover]

  On 11/28/2023 at 2:41 PM, pacovl46 said:

There are no ligaments in the middle of the biceps.

Expand  

Yes, many of us know that but as I've already pointed out, pain does not always manifest at the site of the trauma. I suffered a similar accident to the one the O/P had and I also had pain in the bicep, still do sometimes. It's called 'referred pain'. 

 

If you had read the whole thread instead of trying to a smart alex, you'd know about that.

[pacovl46]

  On 11/29/2023 at 1:27 AM, Moonlover said:

Yes, many of us know that but as I've already pointed out, pain does not always manifest at the site of the trauma. I suffered a similar accident to the one the O/P had and I also had pain in the bicep, still do sometimes. It's called 'referred pain'. 

 

If you had read the whole thread instead of trying to a smart alex, you'd know about that.

Expand  

Did it ever occur to you that not everyone has the time to read the entire thread of an article? People read the main article and then scroll down to comment! 

 

If you had thought it through before replying to me instead of trying to a smart Alex, whatever the hell that means, you'd know that. 

[Skipalongcassidy]

  On 11/29/2023 at 6:09 PM, pacovl46 said:

Did it ever occur to you that not everyone has the time to read the entire thread of an article? People read the main article and then scroll down to comment! 

Expand  

That's a poor excuse... if you don't have the time to read all the information and insist on commenting then it's you who is the problem... that's the problem in the world today... to many opinions based on half the facts.

 

PS... it's smart "ALEC" not "ALEX"