Originally Posted by
Carbonfiberboy
See a doctor and get examined, maybe some blood draws. Metabolic panel and rheumatology panel at least. If ibuprofen helps, it's probably inflammation in your shoulders. Better to get a diagnosis than try random treatments for pain relief. Better to solve the problem.
Edit: of course could also be impingement, in which case hang by your hands for a couple minutes every day, or could be torn rotator cuff, in which case PT, but the doctor would catch those anyway.
Done, recently. Still in the process of getting a full medical workup to see what needs to be done. So far the main problem is a wonky thyroid that probably needs to be removed. I've been back on thyroid supplements for less than a week, not long enough to feel consistently better but some days are better than others.
And I'm going to try the VA clinic for the shoulder injury -- physical therapy and pain management. The other local hospital's health network is mostly geared toward emergency room, urgent care and surgery -- it's a teaching hospital and that's where the action is. They're not so good for routine maintenance, preventive care or physical rehabilitation. Unless or until my shoulder fails to heal and seems interesting enough for their surgical teaching team, I doubt I'll get any more assistance from them. So I'm hoping the VA will be better.