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OH NO, not again... :(
- Thread starter ChrisROCK
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glucosamine is best for joints/arthritis...your problem would appear to be soft tissue. the curls could be irritating because the long head of your biceps tendon runs under the same area as the bursa. you are icing, right?
Oh yeah...i iced twice last night. 20 minutes each session. That helps!
I'm sitting at my computer with my left arm in a sling. I just had open shoulder surgery. The ortho surgeon said I had two tears. My Medial Deltiod was torn in half and disconnected from the tendon/bone where it was supposed to be. My Posterior Deltoid was completely torn away and had moved down into my back! He put in 3 bone screws and anchored the two torn muscles to the screws. The surgery was very painful with a one night hospital stay. Now I have to keep it imobile for 4 weeks then start PT for 4 weeks. Then no lifting for 4 months. I'm sure I'll lose a lot of weight during all this. Your story sounds just like mine. I had some pain off and on. Did the rubber band gig, took some time off from the gym, avoided frontal movements, (because they really hurt) and tried to "work it out" and work around the pain. Eventually, the MRI reaveled the inevitable. If I were you I would go back to the ortho because it's less of a recovery period if there is less damage. He told me my one tear separation was 4 centimeters, which is almost 4 inches and one of the biggest he ever saw. If I would have had it repaired at, say, a 1 centimeter separation I could recover much faster. Go to the doc.
Barry,
what were you diagnosed with initially though, early on? My diagnosis was bursitis. I had 2 MRIs done, and I can't even recall exactly if i was told i had a tear or not. If I was, he said it was practically unnoticeable on the image. Your case sounds particularly extreme.
what were you diagnosed with initially though, early on? My diagnosis was bursitis. I had 2 MRIs done, and I can't even recall exactly if i was told i had a tear or not. If I was, he said it was practically unnoticeable on the image. Your case sounds particularly extreme.
Initally, the ortho guy took x-rays and said my collarbone had a end with a sharp hook on it. (Your collarbone extends over from your neck and ends on the top of your shoulder.) He said this sharp hook was digging into my Medial Deltoid whenever I did front raises or side raises. Twice he gave me Cortisone shots which would work wonders for about a month or so, then the pain would come back. Finally, he suggested an MRI and then realized the tears. If it's been a while since the last one, I would ask for another MRI. X-rays only show bones. MRI's show muscles and the Bursa which is like a soft jelly sack in your shoulder socket. Sometimes you can have damage to the Bursa. But if you have a muscle tear it's only going to get worse. I put mine off for two years and made it worse. They told me I had a bunch of scar tissue, which is scarred muscle, that also had to be removed. All because I kept eating Motrin and lifting and lifting. Plus, if a muscle tear is left too long it can curl up like a window blind and then is beyond repair. Then you lose range of motion. Not trying to scare you but this is what my good ortho guy told me.
Hey Kimber, anyone...what are your thoughts on products like Tiger Balm? A buddy at the gym suggested trying that prior to working out. Good idea, bad? Thx
Only problem with tiger balm and the like is that they mask the pain so you don't know if you're doing yourself more harm than good. if you're gonna lift come hell or highwater and just want the pain to stop for awhile, go ahead, but chances are you're gonna hurt worse when it wears off. 
Its probably not the best idea until you know exactly what ya got goin' on in there....if its your bursa again, irritating it will only make it bigger and more inflamed. Been to the doc yet?
Its probably not the best idea until you know exactly what ya got goin' on in there....if its your bursa again, irritating it will only make it bigger and more inflamed. Been to the doc yet?
not yet..
Kimber...thanks for checking in. Much appreciated. It's been OK, i haven't done ANY overhead pressing movements...and I've only once done any shoulder work...Laterals and reverse cable flyes (and it felt perfectly fine after that). I've been doing resistance work and wall angles everyday. The odd thing is when my shoulder flares up the most is when i do biceps. I try to keep my form so strict, but I know with heavy bi work it recruits the front delt a bit...and thats where mine is the most sore. Also you mentioned that the bicep ties in under the bursa, correct, so i'm guessing it impinges more at that point?
Hopefully it'll calm down and you'll be able to get back to your normal workouts soon. Injuries suck! If you talk to your doc you may be able to get a cortizone injection or anti-inflamm. drugs....if it is your bursa, it would probably help! good luck!!
i'm going to my ortho next wednesday, we'll see what he says.
Saw my ortho this week. It's been two years since my last MRI, so he wants me to get another based on what I've told him. He put me through a series of resistance type of tests (ie. arms out, he puts pressure, and i resist). He said in anyone else, based on my results, he would NOT reccommend an MRI...but b/c i lift he says the surrounding muscles are so developed that they can hide a weakness inside the shoulder.
so, MRI is the next step. While he said a tear is unlikely, the shoulder bone does seem to impinge on the rotator cuff, which is causing the inflammation and pain. He said he could go in with two pinhole size opening and shave away the area that is impinging. My last MRI showed no tear, only a slight degeneration of the RC. He said with that procedure (it takes 45 minutes) and I would be back in the gym within 3 weeks supposedly.
Thoughts? Kimber?
so, MRI is the next step. While he said a tear is unlikely, the shoulder bone does seem to impinge on the rotator cuff, which is causing the inflammation and pain. He said he could go in with two pinhole size opening and shave away the area that is impinging. My last MRI showed no tear, only a slight degeneration of the RC. He said with that procedure (it takes 45 minutes) and I would be back in the gym within 3 weeks supposedly.
Thoughts? Kimber?
Chris--Hi! 
My thoughts...if your ortho is saying that your shoulder bone (acromion?) is abnormally shaped or sized and that's what's causing the impingment then shaving it down is probably a great option. It would widen the space to "normal" and hopefully remove that irritation and keep it from coming back. One thing to consider with that though is your shoulder has ALWAYS been abnormal and the problem has only appeared since you started lifting heavy (is that right?)--basically what I mean is that your muscles have had to work with or around that abnormality your whole life which would lead me to think its a biomechanical problem or muscle imbalance due to undertrained stabilizers in proportion to your upper traps/delts. Does your "good" shoulder have the same abnormality? (if you know)
If the bone is actually normal and the space under it is normal then the problem is IMO muscular and shaving the bone may only provide temporary relief. It could still be very effective to have the surgery but you'd have to be religious about working your stabilizers to keep the problem from coming back. (Which you probably should be anyway
). How's your shoulder been with just the exercises and icing?
The MRI will give you some good information. Sit down and talk with ortho when you get that back and see what he says. I get the impression you respect him (and certainly trust his judgement over my ramblings since he's the one who actually examined you). If you're comfortable that he's not just treating the symptoms instead of the cause, surgery is a good option. Its also possible that it would be just treating the symptoms and give the inflammation a chance to calm down so you can work on your stabilizers painfree and that would prevent it from (hopefully) coming back (although a cortizone shot might be the easier way to go if that's the case). Arthoscopic surgery is very safe and non-invasive--and you'll be back in the gym in 3 weeks!
Short Version? If your ortho is convinced its the bone thats the problem, surgery is good. If he's not, ask him for alternatives and consider all your options. Either way, keep with the exercises--the stronger your stabilizers are going into the surgery, the quicker you'll bounce back after.
All that make sense? 
My thoughts...if your ortho is saying that your shoulder bone (acromion?) is abnormally shaped or sized and that's what's causing the impingment then shaving it down is probably a great option. It would widen the space to "normal" and hopefully remove that irritation and keep it from coming back. One thing to consider with that though is your shoulder has ALWAYS been abnormal and the problem has only appeared since you started lifting heavy (is that right?)--basically what I mean is that your muscles have had to work with or around that abnormality your whole life which would lead me to think its a biomechanical problem or muscle imbalance due to undertrained stabilizers in proportion to your upper traps/delts. Does your "good" shoulder have the same abnormality? (if you know)
If the bone is actually normal and the space under it is normal then the problem is IMO muscular and shaving the bone may only provide temporary relief. It could still be very effective to have the surgery but you'd have to be religious about working your stabilizers to keep the problem from coming back. (Which you probably should be anyway
). How's your shoulder been with just the exercises and icing? The MRI will give you some good information. Sit down and talk with ortho when you get that back and see what he says. I get the impression you respect him (and certainly trust his judgement over my ramblings since he's the one who actually examined you). If you're comfortable that he's not just treating the symptoms instead of the cause, surgery is a good option. Its also possible that it would be just treating the symptoms and give the inflammation a chance to calm down so you can work on your stabilizers painfree and that would prevent it from (hopefully) coming back (although a cortizone shot might be the easier way to go if that's the case). Arthoscopic surgery is very safe and non-invasive--and you'll be back in the gym in 3 weeks!
Short Version? If your ortho is convinced its the bone thats the problem, surgery is good. If he's not, ask him for alternatives and consider all your options. Either way, keep with the exercises--the stronger your stabilizers are going into the surgery, the quicker you'll bounce back after.
All that make sense?
Kimber,
He hasn't alluded to it being abnormal persay, simply that it impinges. He attributes it to years and years of repetitive overhead motions with heavy weights. Stop the weights, and eliminate the pain.
I believe both sides have the same issue, it's just that the left side progressed further and at a quicker pace. This problem first reared it's ugly head while sleeping. I had pain sleeping on my left side, which was always the side i slept on. So, from the respect, I think the right isn't as bad...but would probably follow along the same path in due time.
I respect my ortho...He comes highly recommended by my primary and I've heard from others how great he is.
We'll see what the MRI tells me. In the interim, I've actually been ok with frequent icing...after every workout basically. I've avoided overhead movements...and can pretty much do shoulders fully without pain...no frontal movements either though. It flares up the most when i do chest...and biceps. Which I guess makes senses since the pain i feel is on the top of the shoulder, towards the frontal region.
He hasn't alluded to it being abnormal persay, simply that it impinges. He attributes it to years and years of repetitive overhead motions with heavy weights. Stop the weights, and eliminate the pain.
I believe both sides have the same issue, it's just that the left side progressed further and at a quicker pace. This problem first reared it's ugly head while sleeping. I had pain sleeping on my left side, which was always the side i slept on. So, from the respect, I think the right isn't as bad...but would probably follow along the same path in due time.
I respect my ortho...He comes highly recommended by my primary and I've heard from others how great he is.
We'll see what the MRI tells me. In the interim, I've actually been ok with frequent icing...after every workout basically. I've avoided overhead movements...and can pretty much do shoulders fully without pain...no frontal movements either though. It flares up the most when i do chest...and biceps. Which I guess makes senses since the pain i feel is on the top of the shoulder, towards the frontal region.
Its good you've at least been able to keep up with most of your workouts....hopefully your doc will get you fixed up so you won't have to deal with this anymore. Keep me posted, k? It would be great if this can all be taken care of by such a simple surgery. Good luck!
