YEAR AFTER PM AND MY LEFT SHOULDER, LEFT ARM, NECK HURT.

Shoulder pain

by Haz - 2019-03-24 18:27:20

Hello my pacemaker was fitted 3 months ago and I’ve had shoulder and neck pains ever since but the docs said it’s nothing to do with the pacemaker so I’ve no idea I’m just keeping a check on it so it doesn’t get any worse 

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by Mguns - 2019-03-25 03:07:54

Copy that.  Mine said it is a foreign object inside my body and that the body is making adjustments for it.  He said I will probably always have pain..

Drugs?

by AgentX86 - 2019-03-25 08:37:52

Your pacemaker shouldn't be causing that much pain, this far out. Just a stab in the dark... What drugs are you taking. Lisinopril caused me to have those exact symptoms. I was in agony for months and it was still getting worse. I stopped the lisinopril and saw immediate improvement. A week later and all was well.

Foreign object in body

by Theknotguy - 2019-03-25 15:26:52

For me, placement of the pacemaker irritated some of the nerves in my neck on the left side.  I'd have pain going up into the jaw on the left side as well as muscle spasms on my left side.  Also wasn't able to sleep on my left side for over two years.  Quite frustrating.  

What I did was to find a licensed massage therapist.  She was willing to go back to massage therapy training and learn about massage and pacemakers. It took a couple of years but she was able to chase down the trigger points that were causing the pain.  I no longer have the muscle spasms or pain in the jaw.  She is now working on problems from broken ribs and car accidents from years ago.  I feel a lot better.  

A caveat here.  I have another member on the forum who had a bad experience with a massage therapist.  It doesn't mean all massage therapists are bad,  but you do want to be careful about who you get.  In my state, massage therapists have to go through medical training and have to be licensed before they can hang up their shingle.  So my emphasis is on a licensed person and someone who is interested in therapy.  I also discussed the therapy with the both of my therapists before we started.  They have been careful not to do anything that would bother my pacemaker.  

I won't say it's a cure, but it can be something that helps.  
 

pain

by Mad heart - 2019-03-25 22:33:43

When a doctor says, “the device does not cause pain”, it’s called a deflection move, psychologists use the term and technique all the time. They don’t want to admit the device does in fact, cause pain because it looks bad on reports. Add all the damage to the chest to create the “pocket” and there is the added pain. Damage to muscle fibers, nerves, blood vessels, skin and new pressure from a device in the area equals pain. Example: Walking barefoot in the yard and step on a nail...what is the primary cause of the pain...the nail.

tearing

by Mguns - 2019-03-26 12:38:00

Even when I am getting out of bed it feels like my left pec is tearing.  Like the muscle fibers or whatever is attached to the pacmaker and by moving it just tears.  I have also had some muscle spasms.  So every morning pain.  I mean it is painful when I move after not moving from sitting or just being lazy on the couch.  

"Frozen "shoulder should be considered

by Gotrhythm - 2019-03-27 16:42:36

Have you seen an orthopedist? "Frozen" shoulder is all too ocmmon among pacemaker recipients--not because of the pacemaker, but because shoulder movementi is too restricted for too long after the surgery. I say "all too common" because it's easily prevented with gentle strectching exercises started early. 

Some people take the surgeon's cautions about not moving the shoulder far, far too literally. Then when they begin to use the shoulder again it hurts, and so they use the shoulder less and less, with the result that it hurts more and more.

Joints must move in order to remain healthy. The shoulder is the most complex joint in the body. It's movement involves not just the joint itself but the neck, the chest and upper back as well as the arm. The pain from frozen shoulder can be very widespread.

If you do have frozen shoulder, it's not likely to get better on it's on. You will probably need physical therapy.