"I just have some pain in my shoulders and back, how can it be lung cancer?" Faced with the diagnosis results, Uncle Chang was incredulous and wondered if the doctor had misdiagnosed.
Uncle Chang, 52 years old, has been suffering from shoulder pain lately, and at first he thought it was caused by rheumatism or frozen shoulder, so he bought a plaster at a clinic near his home, combined with a massage.
However, after more than half a month of treatment, the effect is not ideal, but the progress is more serious. Uncle Chang had no choice but to go to the hospital for an examination accompanied by his son, and the result was that he was found to have sharp lung cancer.
Such a result makes Uncle Chang's family unacceptable, why is it that the shoulder pain is diagnosed with lung cancer? The doctor explained that cancer that occurs at the tip of the lung can cause shoulder pain.
1. Why does lung cancer cause shoulder pain and what is the difference between it and frozen shoulder?
When it comes to the symptoms of lung cancer, many people will think of respiratory symptoms such as persistent cough, coughing up blood with phlegm, chest tightness and shortness of breath, but lung cancer may also have some atypical symptoms, such as the shoulder and back pain mentioned above, which can easily make patients mistakenly think that they have frozen shoulder, cervical spondylosis, etc., and do not pay enough attention to the disease and cause the disease to be delayed.
Relevant data show that about 12% of early-stage lung cancer patients will have shoulder and back pain symptoms, and there may be two conditions for lung cancer patients to have shoulder pain symptoms.
One is bone metastasis of lung cancer, resulting in lytic bone cortical destruction of shoulder bones, resulting in shoulder and back pain symptoms;
In another case, the tumor grows on the superior sulcus of the lung, and there are many plexuses around the superior sulcus, and the tumor progresses to compress the plexus, which may lead to symptoms such as muscle pain in the shoulder and back or frozen shoulder.
Liu Xiaoqiang, director of the pain department of Shibei Hospital in Jing'an District, Shanghai, pointed out in an interview with the media that shoulder pain caused by lung cancer has the following five characteristics:
- Pain tends to worsen progressively.
- Even if there is no movement in the shoulder, there is pain.
- The pain is mostly located in the armpits, and it presents with a burning pain, especially at night.
- The treatment effect of acupuncture, painkillers, physiotherapy and other treatments is not obvious.
- In addition to shoulder pain, it is accompanied by symptoms such as cough and sputum production.
Shoulder pain caused by frozen shoulder generally has the following 3 characteristics!
- Shoulder pain: Shoulder pain is paroxysmal at first, and then progresses to severe, with obvious pain symptoms at night, and the shoulder pain will be exacerbated when the climate becomes cold or overworked, and most people have tender points in the shoulder joint.
- Limitation of shoulder joint movement: The movement of the shoulder joint is obviously limited, and as the disease progresses, it may be difficult to complete actions such as washing face, combing hair, dressing, and crossing the waist, and in severe cases, it will also affect the function of the elbow joint.
- Fear of cold: The shoulders should not be blown by the wind, and the shoulders should not be cold in summer.
2. There are 3 signs of shoulder pain or serious illness, so pay more attention
Many people have shoulder pain symptoms, the first suspicion is frozen shoulder, but in fact, frozen shoulder causes only 15% of shoulder pain, and some other shoulder diseases can also cause shoulder pain, the most common of which are the following.
1. Rotator cuff tear
Patients with rotator cuff tears will have symptoms such as lifting weakness and shoulder pain, but the movement of the shoulder joint is not limited, and the rotator cuff tears in young people generally have clear trauma, while the elderly are related to joint degeneration and wear.
The disease usually does not heal on its own, and if the damage expands, it may need to be replaced.
2. Frozen shoulder
Patients with frozen shoulder have limited shoulder movement, paroxysmal shoulder pain in the acute stage, and the pain symptoms continue to worsen, and in the chronic stage, the pain symptoms will continue to decrease, and generally achieve spontaneous recovery in about one and a half years.
3. Cervical spondylosis
Patients with cervical spondylosis generally have abnormal symptoms such as neck discomfort, numbness of fingers, dizziness, etc., and most of them are accompanied by neck movement restriction accompanied by shoulder pain symptoms.
4. Acromial impingement syndrome
Acromial impingement syndrome mostly occurs in people who often need to lift their upper limbs, such as hairdressers, decorators, teachers, and badminton enthusiasts, and is an occupational disease, which is generally severe pain at a specific angle.
5. Calcific tendonitis
Calcific tendonitis causes severe shoulder pain, accompanied by redness, swelling, heat and pain, and the pain is more pronounced at night.
In addition to being associated with shoulder-related diseases, shoulder pain can also be a precursor to other diseases.
1. Left shoulder pain
Left shoulder pain may be an early warning of heart abnormalities, and heart abnormalities may reflex to cause symptoms of left shoulder pain, for paroxysmal and regular left shoulder pain, it is necessary to timely investigate for angina, myocardial infarction and other heart diseases.
2. Right shoulder pain
Acute cholecystitis may irritate the nerve endings of the right phrenic phrenic muscle, resulting in reflex pain in the right shoulder pain.
3. Shoulder pain in different parts
If there are unexplained shoulder pain symptoms in different parts, it is necessary to be alert to tumors, such as lung cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, etc., which may cause shoulder pain.
3. What to do if you have shoulder pain, share 4 tips
Many people have been troubled by the symptoms of shoulder pain, which is divided into physiological pain and pathological pain, so how to quickly relieve it after being targeted by shoulder pain?
1. Warm compress
Patients with shoulder pain can choose to apply a towel to the painful area for 30 minutes before going to bed to promote blood circulation and relieve pain symptoms.
2. Massage
Massage can help relieve shoulder pain caused by muscle spasms, but it's best to have it done by a professional, otherwise it can backfire.
3. Self-stretching
Proper self-stretching can relieve muscle spasms, fatigue, and muscle and joint stiffness.
4. Pillow to pillow
Pillows will affect sleep and shoulder and neck health, so be sure to choose the right pillow, not too high, too low, not too soft or too hard.
Most people who experience shoulder pain symptoms will suspect a disease such as frozen shoulder or cervical spondylosis, but in fact, some unexplained shoulder pain may also be a sign of cancer. Once the shoulder pain is found, you can try to relieve it first, and if it cannot be relieved, you should see a doctor for diagnosis in time.
Resources:
[1] "[Five Medical Science] Inconspicuous shoulder pain, a check turned out to be advanced lung cancer! 》. Chengdu Fifth People's Hospital Service Number.2022-01-05
[2] "A woman's shoulder hurts, and it turns out to be lung cancer!" Attention, these 4 kinds of pain are not as simple as frozen shoulder". Henan City Doctor. October 20, 2020
[3] "Shoulder Pain | Four Ways to Quickly Relieve It. Beijing Tongzhou Yuntong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, October 12, 2022
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