Shoulder Pain - Help!

[Mz Black]

I don't write very much here but do appreciate all the opinions and discussions. They are very informative.

I do have a problem - my left shoulder. I'd appreciate any help I can get! Whenever I lift something of considerable weight straight up (to the sky) in front of me, or push something from left to right I get this pain that makes me stop. It almost feels like a weakness when it is painful. The pain is in the front of the shoulder right at the joint and seems to be around the biceps tendon insertion area. It affects my massaging. I try to ignore it.

I've had myofacial work done several times. I get relief for about a day. If I wait too long (about 4 weeks) I can feel tightening up to my jaw and into my occiput. It also goes into my rhomboids.

I also had the chiropractor work on it. The last visit he said my pec had some strain on it or the bursa could be inflamed. My teres were definitly hurting. I've iced it and of course only about a day of relief here too.

Anybody have any ideas? I hate to even think of rotator cuff injury and/or surgery!!!!! Thanks up front for any thoughts.

 

[Geoff The Phantom Skier]

I hate to tell you this, but the symptoms you are describing are exactly like mine. Same shoulder even.

I've had 2 surgeries and don't plan on having any more. I'll just live with the pain.

My 2nd MRI showed a partial tear to the rotator cuff (specifically the tendons of supraspinatus and infraspinatus) but when they did the 2nd surgery they couldn't find any tears. So.....who knows?? The diagnosis they give now is something to the effect of chronic excessive inflamation.

According to the doctors the pain should greatly subside or even go away if I quit doing massage. No thanks....I love massage too much to give it up.

What helps: limiting the number of massages I do, ice, ice and more ice, advil, an occassional darvocet, using an tens unit, stretching, MFR specifically myofascial unwinding which I get at least 2xs a month and a cortisone shot once or twice a year.

Thanks to PT and massage, I have functional ROM. As long as I have that, I can deal with the rest.

I certainly wouldn't advise you to rush in to surgery, but perhaps PT and rest would help.

Good luck,
Angie

 

[_/=twihard:)/cc:)=\_]

I have had a similar problem and was told that rhomboids are weak and need to be strengthend. Are your shoulders rounding inward? If they are, then pecs need to be stretched. Work along the clavical and the sternum to try to loosen pecs up. Some neck stretches will also help as will some door frame stretches for pecs and upper back. My dr. said that because of the type of work we do we tend to have the head downward and the shoulders forward a lot, which tends to cause this kind of problem. Hope this helps.......

 

[Trekinsinia]

I've had myofacial work done several times. I get relief for about a day. If I wait too long (about 4 weeks) I can feel tightening up to my jaw and into my occiput. It also goes into my rhomboids.

You could consider treating it like a real injury. What do you tell clients who are injured. Definitely that it will take more than "several times" to get some healing occuring.

Rest is important. Remember you are human too. *winks*

Consider rolfing if the institute is anywhere near you or a trade can be made. You are in Colorado! Wheeeee!

Get an excellent referral for an acupuncturist. Moxa and needles did my shoulder wonders the last time I blew it out.

If you go the NSAID route, (anti-inflammatories), I have seen MD's script patients for to _x_ - _x_ mg (mg left out at my discretion, d/t "people on the internet" :shock: ) at a rate of 3 - 4 times per day for 2-4 weeks. This said not as a suggestion, but so you know it is sometimes a good month for the anti-inflamms to get working. You'd want to see your orthopedic for an evaluation of course.

BTW, good luck. There are also a few posts with the nice scapular strengthening exercises somewhere on the forums.

 

[MikeyKid!5]

Thanks everyone. Definitly not the things I wanted to hear because it all confirms what I suspected.

Surgery is my last resort. I don't have insurance to randomly go from dr. to dr. let alone a surgery bill. The chiropractor and bodywork has kept us healthy for 25 years now so I'll continue on that path.

I'm going to look into the accupuncture. It may help my husbands old hockey body too -- old injurys, not old husband And also those stretches and strenthening exercises.

Thanks again everyone!

PS - Yea for CO - we had snow! The high country is just covered! Too bad ski season doesn't start until Thanksgiving - unless of course a person wants to hike!

 

[~ <3 ~]

I have heard of the bicep tendon coming out of the groove. I wonder if this could be it. Also you could try some orthopedic special tests to see if it is bicep tendonitis. Or....you could see a doctor or a kinesiologist that does muscle testing.

 

[Homefries86]

Thanks all for the great suggestions. I've been icing, resting, MFR & Chiro. Every now and again I get a instant of pain but not near as bad. I'm hoping I'm mending. I'll keep in mind that even tho if feels better it still needs attention.

I do want to go thru with accupunction. I need to call my dr for something else so I'll have her look at my shoulder then.

Thanks sooooo much everyone! You guys/gals are great - always ready to come to someone's aid (guess that's what we are all about!)