HAVING a painful shoulder can be an agonising experience, but is all too common for people suffering from the arthritis.

Treatment, such as injections and drugs, can help, and different types of surgery are now widely available, including shoulder-replacement surgery, which is now a well established operation, and can be very successful.

Now leading medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign has produced a booklet called The Painful Shoulder. With a foreword by cricketer Mike Gatting, the booklet explains the different sort of treatment and help available, and ways of reducing pain.

The booklet is free and available from the address below:

Helen Huddless,

Arthritis Research Campaign,

St Mary's Gate,

Chesterfield,

Derbyshire, S41 7TD.

Updated: 11:22 Monday, March 12, 2001