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mtcwby t1_j1uiyq9 wrote

A frozen shoulder was some of the worst pain I've ever felt. It got so breathing was painful and the slightest bump or wrong move would take me to the floor. PT and exercises for it only seemed to make it worse after a couple months. I avoided it as long as I could but finally had a cortisone shot which thankfully got the inflammation down enough that it healed. Still only about 90% with that arm for range of motion. I can't imagine having it worse than I did but based on the article apparently you can.

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Feudamonia t1_j1xu3vs wrote

I can concur. I would get excruciating electric shocks coursing down my arm leaving it paralysed for a few seconds whenever my arm would swing backwards. I had to get help getting dressed and even pulling my pants up after the toilet. My Dr didn't even suggest pt or medication. I just had to wait it out. Took 2 years to defrost.

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mtcwby t1_j1xw720 wrote

Mine was good about setting up PT and it wasn't until the PT guy said that he was concerned it was getting worse that I broke down and got the shot. He did make sure I had an orthopedist do it and it was a huge needle but it really didn't hurt with topical and the way they had me positioned.

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Q8DD33C7J8 t1_j1u9k45 wrote

SOMETIMES. My husband got nerve block many times. It's supposed to last for weeks it may have lasted for a day or two. Also they package the nerve block with a steroid to combat swelling. Which means no sleep for 24 hours after the shot because you're hyper af. Not a doctor but I don't see the benefits.

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Jaded_Prompt_15 t1_j1uif6s wrote

I got a couple in my neck for migraines...

The second one hit the actual nerve and it felt like I knew where all the nerves were on one side of my skull.

Craziest feeling ever, and last time I got that shot

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ut_pictura t1_j1w3kif wrote

Hey, on the plus side you had a great provider! You aim for the nerve and always hope that you found the right spot… they sure aimed well!!

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theVokster t1_j1xfipk wrote

I had an epidural steroid injection in my lower back for a sequestered disc and they hit the nerve on the second injection. It fucked me up for 6 months and took about a year to fully recover

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Feudamonia t1_j1xudst wrote

Better than getting an epidural for a c-section and have it not work. It only numbed part of my skin, not underlying tissue. It felt like someone was using a blowtorch to get my baby out.

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HILLIAM_SWINNEY t1_j1ua7ii wrote

Yep. I had a temporary nerve block for a surgery on my elbow, and they assured me I wouldn’t feel my arm for at least 24 hours. It lasted for about 3 hours post op, leaving me in way more pain than the pain meds could help with

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Q8DD33C7J8 t1_j1uad4a wrote

Yep. I don't know how it can go sooo wrong? Like I get that it won't work exactly the same on everyone but geez weeks versus hours is a bit of a range.

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midge_rat t1_j1uwby0 wrote

Is your husband a redhead by any chance, or have a redheaded parent?

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Q8DD33C7J8 t1_j1wrsu0 wrote

He had a red cast to his hair as a child

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WonkyHonky69 t1_j1xa9b0 wrote

This is probably not the reason. As much as I’m aware, the red hair anesthetic resistance was tested discovered for inhalational anesthetics, which do not have the same mechanisms of action as local anesthetics.

The real answer to your question could probably better be answered by an attending anesthesiologist (I’m only an intern), but you’re asking hours vs days as if all nerve blocks are created equal. They are not. Some local anesthetics last longer than others and there is an element of proceduralist dependence (in the case of a few hours vs 24 hours like OP stated). What the other commenter was talking about (weeks) is almost certainly a steroid injection, which is intended to reduce inflammation around the nerve, which will indeed last weeks. A local anesthetic nerve block for a surgery will not.

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Q8DD33C7J8 t1_j1xau1o wrote

I know that's his red hair isn't a contributing factor in why his meds don't work.

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midge_rat t1_j1wy0hz wrote

that might be the answer!

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DeadlyInertia t1_j1yul8y wrote

Seems like this study uses desflurane, an inhaled anesthetic. Good study but nerve blocks are done using injectables

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midge_rat t1_j1yzfli wrote

The results have been replicated with Novocaine and lidocaine

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bbpr120 t1_j1x32ux wrote

when I was in for one of my (many...) knee surgeries the guy next to me was getting a nerve block for shoulder surgery. They turned off his arm and took him shortly before it was my turn under the knife.

I woke up to him screaming in agony as the nerve block had worn off already...

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PoopIsAlwaysSunny t1_j1uvoup wrote

Depends how bad it is. Nerve blockers give me about 40 minutes to two hours of relief. Not exactly worth the cost and expense.

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MindTheGapless t1_j1vsz6a wrote

Got is a few weeks ago. I didn't see much benefit. Ultrasound is doing something, but very slow.

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total_fucking_chaos t1_j1ubzng wrote

Nerve block from my shoulder surgery wore off 4 hours later. Leaving me in agony and behind the pain so much it took another 8 ours just to become bearable.

Nothing like having surgery to fix pain, to be placed in far more pain than ever.

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gogozrx t1_j1vadyv wrote

nerve block for hand surgery wore off during the surgery. woke up from the anesthesia, looked at the surgeon and said, "I'm awake and I can feel everything."

He said, "Ooooo, sorry, Can't stop now. this is going to hurt."

he was right.

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HellHathNoFury18 t1_j1vkj68 wrote

Anesthesiologist here, you had an injection with local anesthetic for acute pain. Depends on what they use, blocks tend to last anywhere between 6-24 hours. This is why I tell all my patients to start taking pain pills before they go to bed as yes, the blocks do wear off.

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ImprovedPersonality t1_j1us8d3 wrote

The good thing about post-surgery pain is that it should go away pretty quickly. I’ve had multiple surgeries (cubital tunnel (elbow), 2 hip impingements, appendicitis, wisdom teeth removal …) and the post-surgery pain was always much better than the pain before. Not to mention that the surgeries fixed fundamental, disabling problems which were severely impacting my life.

Just the knowledge that the pain is from healing and not from ongoing damage and inflammation makes it so much more bearable. Similar to how DOMS is much more bearable than a tendonitis.

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total_fucking_chaos t1_j1ut1mq wrote

3 spinal fusions, one shoulder, two knees. My experience has been very different.

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Jetztinberlin t1_j1v3tps wrote

Holy cow. Are you hypermobile, or some sort of athlete?

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total_fucking_chaos t1_j1v7w39 wrote

I was found unconscious on the ground in a small pool of blood.

I don't really know what happened. I had been released from the hospital that same day for basically a runaway unknown infection. I was home for four hours. So cracked skull, lacerations, shoulder out of socket, multiple level back injury.

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Jetztinberlin t1_j23gvnr wrote

OMG, you poor thing. I'm so sorry this happened to you, and hope you're doing better now.

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Contagion21 t1_j1uqpcf wrote

Crazy. The nerve block I got during my rotator cuff repair surgery lasted 5 days before I could even feel my fingers. Like disconcertingly long.

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saefas t1_j1va9u9 wrote

Same for me. I had a nerve block in my leg twice for ankle surgery, and both times it lasted nearly a week.

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bbpr120 t1_j1x3hcu wrote

my shoulder nerve block (SLAP and a Bankart repair) wore off about 12 hours, woke up in absolute agony thru a couple of big damn percocets.

Not again thank you.

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giuliomagnifico OP t1_j1u8ggi wrote

> From a total of 54 patients, 27 received a steroid injection into the shoulder joint, along with physiotherapy and the suprascapular nerve block at the 3-monthly intervals, while the other 27 patients received the steroid injection and physiotherapy with a placebo injection.

>“We found those who received the nerve block reduced the duration of their symptoms by an average of 6 months, while also reporting lower pain and disability scores and improved range of movement, compared to the placebo group,” says Professor Shanahan.

>“For patients in the placebo group, the average time for their symptoms to resolve was over 11 months, while for those who received the nerve block this was practically halved, down to around 5 and half months.”

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KnottaBiggins t1_j1x2b1r wrote

That's one study. Has it been reproduced, in larger and more statistically significant numbers?

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HellHathNoFury18 t1_j1vkubc wrote

Anesthesia here, please don't confuse this steroid injection with the local anesthetic injection you had for surgery. Very different mechanisms for different problems.

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KnottaBiggins t1_j1x2257 wrote

Yeah.
Takes 1-2 weeks to have full effect, only lasts another 2-3 weeks.
And insurance only covers it once ever three months.
And the more often you get it done, the less effective it gets.

This is the voice of experience speaking.

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LeeHarvey81 t1_j1vlecp wrote

This just blocks the pain. Unless you’re rehabbing the joint nothing is getting fixed

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YeahitsaBMW t1_j1v1e9d wrote

Pain is better than paralysis. My opinion anyways. Had a nerve block on my arm, it was the worst 24 hours of my life.

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Godzillrah t1_j1xu1l5 wrote

I got one prior to shoulder surgery and I can no longer crack my neck. Weirdest feeling every when I woke up post op.

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Hydrocoded t1_j1w4a3q wrote

They will do literally anything but give people opiates, won’t they

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KnottaBiggins t1_j1x2inw wrote

Yes, because the one doctor at my pain clinic refused to reduce the opiates he was giving my wife.
Those opiates killed her.
He no longer works there.
(They are big on "we help you get off of opiates.")

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Hydrocoded t1_j1xa4bz wrote

Opiates are the only thing that keeps my pain in check. They are a miracle, without them I wouldn’t have a life. These opiate restrictions are tantamount to torture

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BlueNinjaTiger t1_j1xh0an wrote

yet thousands of lives have been ruined because of inappropriate usage of opiates. They have their place, but they were definitely being abused and too freely given.

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Hydrocoded t1_j1xnmsy wrote

I agree. They need to be freely available to people who understand and consent to the risks. They also need to be kept away from people who do not understand and consent to the risks, with emergencies and such being obvious exceptions.

They are a true miracle drug. One of the most amazing chemicals humanity has ever produced. They are also dangerous when used excessively.

Too much use and too little use are both tragic. Erring in one direction is unacceptable.

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KnottaBiggins t1_j2bwfyt wrote

Yes, I can understand that. When absolutely nothing else works, they can be a miracle.
But they are very risky. Be careful with them, and make sure your doctor keeps an eye on your blood chemistry. That was my wife's situation, she never took any more than prescribed yet they still built up to a fatal level in her body.

I can't stress this enough - if you are on potentially fatal medications, make sure your doctor is staying on top of your labwork. Twice a year at least.

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Hydrocoded t1_j2cchjw wrote

Thank you for your concern. I wish I didn’t have pain, but for almost 20 years these have been the only thing keeping me sane. Chronic pain is a horror, and chemical dependence sucks, but if given the choice it’s no choice at all

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KnottaBiggins t1_j2do1iw wrote

Believe me, I understand. Just the other night, my back was in such pain that I had to take an opiate myself. (Half of a low-dose Vicodin, but still...) Pain sucks.

I hate that I had to take one, too. Opiates are one thing my daughter and I choose to avoid as much as possible. (We also lost her brother to them.)

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coojw t1_j1um0qj wrote

As an inflammatory condition, reducing the body’s inflammation is a likely way to treat this condition. This should be able to be addressed through diet. Removing inflammatory foods such as any seed oils, canola oil, vegetable oil, as they are highly oxidized and promote inflammation is a start. Cooking food in animal-based oils such as lard, beef tallow (from grassfed cows), and ghee are all great options. Putting a patient on a Ketogenic, or Carnivore diet could do wonders. Especially with a Carnivore diet being an elimination diet (Grassfed beef – yes the food chain matters-, not feed or grain fed beef, salt, and water). Eliminating processed foods, and potential problematic phytochemicals to reset a patient’s baseline health can help immensely. If inflammation is the root problem, address the root problem.

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