Answer Summary

Members shared their experiences with sudden shoulder pain radiating to the elbow, offering reassurance that cortisone injections can take up... Read more

Members shared their experiences with sudden shoulder pain radiating to the elbow, offering reassurance that cortisone injections can take up to two weeks to work and sometimes include a numbing agent for immediate relief. Several members described their own diagnoses, which ranged from inflamed bursae and referred pain from damaged shoulder joints to complete rotator cuff tears, herniated discs in the cervical spine, and even misdiagnosed angina that responded to nitrate spray. A recurring theme was the importance of follow-up imaging like MRIs or CT scans, consulting specialists such as cardiologists when symptoms persist, and understanding that shoulder issues are common with rheumatoid arthritis but may have multiple underlying causes requiring thorough investigation.