Age: 44.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: TDAP
Symptoms: Arthralgia, Chiropractic, Disability, Electromyogram normal, Grip strength decreased
Clinical narrative: After I got a shot (0.5ml) on 4/5/2018, I could not move left arm. Next day, I tried to lift left arm up, I could not move up at all because of acute pain. I did not go to see a doctor immediately after the shot because the nurse told me that Tdap shot is very painful. My left shoulder gradually started moving after while. About a week later, I could lift my arm up, but it was not normal (flexion: about 160 degree, extension: not as far back as before, abduction: okay so far but shoulder location was different from right side; that was as far as I noticed about left shoulder movement.) and I felt pain on left arm, which was not constant pain. At this point, my left arm was not weak, but limitation of movements. I thought that those symptoms were temporary and would resolve problem with mild exercises. However, unfortunately arm pain was increased in the middle of November 2018, and then I felt very sever pain around Nov. 23, 2018 on left arm on the same spot that I felt pain after the shot. After the sever pain, my left shoulder was suddenly stuck and became stiff. Eventually, disabilities have been developed on left shoulder, and weakness has been developed on muscles. I went to the hospital and explained everything what I experienced. I had rashes on left arm with pain and left shoulder showed deformity (inflammation with pain) at that time. The first orthopedic doctor said that I have frozen shoulder (adhesive capuslitis), so I would recover within 6 months without any medications and physical therapies. But I could not believe it. I decided to take MRI, which was showing abnormalities of muscles; deltoid and teres minot atrophy, and more details. I changed the doctor at this point. 12/28/2018, the doctor prescribed Methylprednisolone for 6 days and physical therapy 2-3 days a week. (He still said that it is a frozen shoulder maybe because I did not ask for a second opinion). Movements of left shoulder are very limited, (flexion: about 45 degree, abduction: about 40-45 degree, not much external rotation) and muscles are very weak, maybe could lift up around 1lb and very weak grip. I had new shingles on anterior shoulder at the beginning of January 2019 after quite severe nerve pain. I started physical therapy on January 9, 2019. After one month of physical therapy, my left shoulder movements are a little bit improved but not much (more details are on medical record). On the other hand, my nerves are very mad; burning sensation on left shoulder and deltoid, sometimes tingling fingers, pain on original spot on arm, on collar borne as well as neck, and pain in armpit, entire upper arm, elbow, and forearm especially brachioradialis muscle. Recently, it is very painful for me to fold left elbow every morning due to forearm pain, so I slowly move arm to fold left elbow for a few times to get function back every morning. In the meantime, Chiropractor is helping the movements of left shoulder joint and neck pain on both side. (Since I feel too much nerve pain, it sometimes compensate right side.) Also, trainer at the gym examined the movements of my shoulder and arm at the beginning of February 2019. He told me that I have a shoulder injury, not a frozen shoulder. He suggested me to do exercise with band to build strength on back shoulder muscles. I am not very sure whether I am really recovering at this stage.