At Asbestos Justice we are always alarmed to learn of the variety of debilitating symptoms our mesothelioma compensation clients suffer with. As well as significant shortness of breath, coughing, weight loss, tiredness, chest pain, our clients also often complain of shoulder pain.
A new Polish study carried out has shown that the onset of shoulder pain can be seen as an early sign of the incurable asbestos related cancer, mesothelioma.
The research carried out a Dr Lorkowski at the Central Clinical Hospital in Warsaw between 2006 and 2012 involved studying the medical records of 49 mesothelioma sufferers which showed that over 14% of patients complained of shoulder pain as their very first symptom of asbestos related mesothelioma.
Initially, most sufferers advised that their shoulder pain was quite mild with an average severity on a medical scale of 1 to 10. However, 5 of the 7 patients who confirmed the onset of some form of shoulder pain also complained of restricted movement in their shoulders. One patient actually complained of very restricted movements affecting the shoulder which was describe as being “at an advanced stage.”
2 of the 7 patients were also found to be suffering with neuralgia, a stabbing or burning pain sensation that presents itself as a result of damaged nerves.
Whilst the Polish experts reported that shoulder pain can often accompany early-stage mesothelioma, what is far from clear is why the pain arises in the first place. Pleural asbestos related mesothelioma develops on the thin membrane which surrounds the lungs and eventually restricts the sufferer’s ability to breathe comfortably, igniting more common symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain and coughing.
In relation to the shoulder pain, the medical team concluded that mesothelioma may have what is known as a “pleiotropic” effect on the body, which means that this can impact upon unrelated body systems such as the motor and nervous systems.
Those who have been exposed to asbestos in the past will be wise to monitor their health and should any shoulder pain develop or indeed any other symptoms, should report to their GP and medical practitioners for further guidance.