Pain in upper arm

I started with this in 2013. The pain in my upper arm would started twinging about 4 am ish and I had to get up to sit in a chair this went on for about 4 mnths.

It turned about to be arthritic bone spurs on my right shoulder which had frayed the tendons so they looked like an unravelling rope, quite pretty on the surgeons photo.
The biceps and rotator tendons are now anchored to a metal anchor in my shoulder bone. It took a long time to heal and was painful but it worked and it is as mobile as before. I do need to be a bit careful with certain movements.

I am waiting to see physio had injection in shoulder which did nothing X-Ray shows wear and tear have a lot of pain in elbow can't do much with arm at moment brufen helps a bit fed up now think I might go private !

Quick update - spoke to physio yesterday, she told me to stop all exercise until I see her on Monday.
If anything the pain is getting worse, I can hardly lift my arm away from my side now. Ibuprofen only takes the edge off it. Fortunately my lovely DH is around to help me with getting dressed etc - it had been many years since he undid the back of my bra!!!! ???
Also, I'm running a low level fever and don't feel 100%, don't know if it's just from the pain but have made an appointment with the GP for this afternoon. Fed up!
Right, end of rant......

It might be a good idea to ask for an X ray or better still, a scan, to ascertain exactly what the problem is Margsus

I had rotor cuff injury and had three or four sessions of physiotherapy and used a resistance band like phoenix(NHS). The physiotherapists (different one each time!) did some gentle movements then got me doing gentle exercises which progressed to more robust ones later on.

It did take quite a while to settle down in fact; I don't think you can expect instant miracles (more months than weeks, sorry )
But do take care of it and avoid any repetitive movements like vacuuming, shampooing carpets, mowing lawns etc if you can.

Margsus
Sorry, I intended to say 'hot water bottle alternated with ice treatment'....I must have dozed off for a moment there!
I have a 'hottie bottle' that I half fill with cold water and pop in the freezer, it's a lot easier than frozen peas, and less wasteful too, I'd rather eat the peas!

Private osteopath said torn muscle, but had to give up after 5 appointments, as I couldn't afford it.

GP referred me for NHS physio in January, eventually got an appointment in April

He says it's a "globally unstable shoulder joint", so now have a resistance band and a set of exercises to do.

I can't say it's any better, would like to have an x-ray to confirm diagnosis, but I suppose I should finish the course first.

PS Physio chap is very full of himself, a right know it all, and (imho) an absolute tw*t.

Thank you for all the advice. Juggernaut, the physio told me to put a pack of frozen peas on my arm rather than heat treatment! Fortunately I don't have a problem with ibuprofen so am taking them. I called the physio's clinic, she wasn't there but the receptionist told me to stop all exercises and the physio will phone me tomorrow.

Acupuncture is worth a try as well.

Don't do anymore of the exercises until you've seen either your GP or your physio. If you carry on with them, you may do lasting damage. I had a session with a physio for my frozen shoulder and she gave me exercises. I only saw her once (she looked about thirteen!) and then was assigned to a second physio who took one look at the exercises and said "these are ridiculous, you shouldn't be doing them, they're too taxing for your injury!" . juggernaut's advice is good, and when you start to get some movement back into it, I found that gentle swimming helped me. Hope you get some relief from it soon!

If you're okay taking Ibuprofen, take that to help reduce the inflammation.
A compression bandage, either the 'tubigrip' type, or the sort that you wrap around and it sticks to itself, not too tightly around your arm, just enough to give some support.
Hot water bottle against the arm at regular intervals, sleep lying on your other side, and rest the arm as much as you can.
I have rotator cuff damage from many years ago, when I slipped on the stairs of a moving bus as it was cornering, and took all my weight on my right arm to save myself. I have flare ups every so often, and the things I recommend are what help me, so they're worth a try.
When you've recovered, gentle exercise is good for shoulder strength, but not so much while the injury is 'active'.
Hope you feel better soon, it's no fun!

perhaps spending too much time on the computer? Im guilty of that! repetative strain thank goodness for deep heat, smelly but it works.

I have torn one of the tendons at the rotator cuff. My physio told me never to exercise the shoulder to the point of pain. I dutifully visited her each week and gently stretched at home, which eased the movement for a while then I just seized up! It has now been 6 months since the last physio, and at last I have less pain and more movement (as far as shoulder height).
I had an ultrasound scan which confirmed a full thickness tear to the supraspinatus tendon plus other inflammation. It was helpful to confirm that the correct diagnosis had been made.
An injured shoulder can be incapacitating, I hope you will improve soon Margsus. I have mastered various contortions in order to get dressed and am so pleased that I bought a sock putter-onner .

You need to see an orthopaedic surgeon to have it properly diagnosed. Otherwise it's all guesswork. I had a cortisone injection, which helped so much for the pain. Then physio. But only after I had scans and a consultation with ortho to make sure what was actually wrong. You say 'apparently' I have inflammation of the rotator cuff but who diagnosed this? Your GP? If so, I'm surprised he/she would be so sure, unless they specialise (as some do, but rare) in that field.

Thank you ladies. Did any of you have any sort of scan to confirm your diagnosis? I don't know whether to request one.

I've had similar but didn't go to the doctor for months, until it got really bad. It turns out that my shoulder blade has 'come loose' in my back and I've been seeing the physio. She strapped up my shoulder and I have exercises to strengthen the muscles that hold the shoulder blade in place.

I didn't think a few exercises could work but regular practise has been beneficial.

Sounds like a frozen shoulder to me. I have had one for 17 years(!) and recently underwent some treatment consisting of an injection to loosen the scar tissue,then some fairly intensive physiotherapy for 4 weeks. Seemed to help considerably.

I went to a private physio with a frozen shoulder . It worked wonders after a few weeks. I went every fortnight. Not cheap.

The gp recommended I went private meantime she would contact an NHS physio for treatment. That was September!!!! Just think she didn't bother. It was a locum and she ignored the arthritis I also went with.
Anyway the physio was wonderful, he recommended me exercises, did some massage and had a wonderful massage machine. Worth the money if you can afford it. Pain was hard to bear at the time.

I had a cortisone injection in my shoulder for a similar problem and it worked like a charm. My GP is very good with skeleto-muscular problems. I can't see that exercise would do anything but make matters worse!

I would be inclined to get in touch with the physio and tell him/her the catastrophic result of the exercises. I would rest the arm but not to the extent where it becomes stiff. Do very gentle exercises such as flexing and extending your arm.