Shoulder Impingement Syndrome

[LoadToadBoss]

Well, it seems I have the dreaded Shoulder Impingement Syndrome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impingement_syndrome)complete with bursitis and tendinitis.

I had been having some right shoulder pain off and on for about 3-4 months. Finally the pain became chronic and I began having weakness in my right arm. I wasn't able to some of the simplest tasks like pour a pot of water into the coffee maker without pain. I found that I had little lateral strength moving against resistance. Driving with my hands at 2&10 made my whole shoulder & arm ache like crazy.

I finally went to my family practice doc who referred me to a doctor of physical therapy (didn't think there were DPTs). The practice is run by a husband and wife team. Both are DPTs and he is a sports medicine specialist and weight lifter. He was off today, so I got to see the wife (who is 8.5 months pregnant). She put me through some diagnostic range of motion tests and made the pronouncement. They'll try to keep me from having surgery. He will take over my treatment starting next week.

First day's treatment included acupuncture needles stuck into my pain points with a mild electric current to relax the muscle. They also used heat and vibration therapy. On Monday they'll begin some range of motion exercises (sounds like fun times ahead).

Of course weight lifting is on hold. No lifts of over 1 lb over my head. She gave me some exercises to do at home with an exercise band to increase the strength of the muscles that make up the rotator cuff. Insurance will pay for 24 visits, but they think I'll need less as long as I'm a good boy and lay off the weights for a while.

Since I broke my left big to the other day, my only exercise will be the bike. Oh, and did I mention that I was also diagnosed with exercise induced asthma last week? So now I take Singulair once a day and use an Albuterol inhaler an hour before exercising. It's a pain getting old.:crying:

[BradD]

Crap, that situation stinks. Recommend to search the CrossFit and SS boards to get more info and see how folks helped themselves get better. CFers get this a lot.

Can you add bodyweight squats, trunk work like hypers and situps, etc. to add something else to be working on?

Good luck dude. I agree that it stinks getting old.

[California Jack]

Since I broke my left big to the other day, my only exercise will be the bike. Oh, and did I mention that I was also diagnosed with exercise induced asthma last week? So now I take Singulair once a day and use an Albuterol inhaler an hour before exercising. It's a pain getting old. Bad deal LTB.

I have asthma and sometimes it is exercise induced. Anectdotally, what has helped me is low carb or paleo. Try going wheat, milk and rice free. I do not wheeze anymore. I had asthma as a kid and it got worse in my late 40's. It is under control now medicine free.

Since going low carb and kinda paleo my blood pressure is down too.

[California Jack]

Oh yeah, I meant to tell you, before going low carb, I had much better luck with Advair instead ov Singulair.

Broken toes are painful.

[Eyescream]

So what caused this?

I ask because I had a wicked case of tendinosis that was brought on by poor form lifting and overuse of the joint.

Physical therapy helped quite a bit, along with just not doing anything with it for a while, and then I eased back into lifting with very light weights and very high reps to flush the joint and muscles surrounding it with blood and healthy stuff (and also to relearn proper lifting form for my upper body pressing movements).

Now, almost six months later, I'm just about totally pain free. My shoulder's got a crackle in it from time to time if I move wrong, but I have zero pain lifting and I can basically do whatever I want.

Bottom line is that probably the best thing you can do for it right now is just rest it and enjoy your time off. There is light at the end of the tunnel, though.

[BCR]

Sorry to hear that.

I had a messed up Supraspinatus for a while and a torn miniscus in the same shoulder, and have been dealing with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome for many years.

Shoulders are quite inury prone.

We're all falling apart.:dunno:

[dotsun]

We're all falling apart.:dunno:

I was thinking the same, I saw a chiropractor this week. :faint:

[BradD]

We're all falling apart.:dunno:
My wife was just standing over my shoulder and saw this thread. She said this stuff reminds her of her father who was a private pilot for years. He and his buddies flew cessnas 150s and such. All of them got killed eventually except for the couple of them who were pro pilots. Falling off like flies.

Unfortunately, none of us are pro athletes...

[BradD]

I was thinking the same, I saw a chiropractor this week. :faint:
For what?

[dotsun]

For what?

Tightness in my lower back. It started during a moderate squat session, just got real tight and hasn't let up for 3 weeks. :crying:

[BradD]

What did the chiro say is the problem?

[BCR]

My wife was just standing over my shoulder and saw this thread. She said this stuff reminds her of her father who was a private pilot for years. He and his buddies flew cessnas 150s and such. All of them got killed eventually except for the couple of them who were pro pilots. Falling off like flies.

Unfortunately, none of us are pro athletes...

You should be a motivational speaker. :supergrin:

Luckily my Cessna is in the shop. But I do plan on dying in my Dodge. :rofl:

[dotsun]

What did the chiro say is the problem?

He said my hips were misaligned putting pressure on a nerve that's keeping some odd muscle I'd never heard of tight. I don't know if he's blowing smoke up my butt or not, but if he gets me squatting again I'll buy it. :supergrin: I asked him when I could squat again and he said prob 2 weeks, so we'll see.

Oh, and I got super lucky with the doc as he used to powerlift in HS.

[LoadToadBoss]

So what caused this?

I ask because I had a wicked case of tendinosis that was brought on by poor form lifting and overuse of the joint.

Physical therapy helped quite a bit, along with just not doing anything with it for a while, and then I eased back into lifting with very light weights and very high reps to flush the joint and muscles surrounding it with blood and healthy stuff (and also to relearn proper lifting form for my upper body pressing movements).

I may have injured it while lifting, but the pain has just now become chronic and impairing. I've had some transient discomfort over the last 4 months, but nothing like what I have now.

The DPT noted that I have a physiological contributor. I have "winging" of my scapula that creates pressure on the weaker rotator cuff muscles while the major lifting muscles get strong and big.

[Eyescream]

I may have injured it while lifting, but the pain has just now become chronic and impairing. I've had some transient discomfort over the last 4 months, but nothing like what I have now.

The DPT noted that I have a physiological contributor. I have "winging" of my scapula that creates pressure on the weaker rotator cuff muscles while the major lifting muscles get strong and big.

Hm. It wouldn't surprise me if she came up with some exercises for you to do that helped the little muscles specifically. That's what my PT did when I went to him with tendinosis. Lots of reps with bands and whatnot that were boring as all get-out; but they got me back to lifting.

[LoadToadBoss]

Hm. It wouldn't surprise me if she came up with some exercises for you to do that helped the little muscles specifically. That's what my PT did when I went to him with tendinosis. Lots of reps with bands and whatnot that were boring as all get-out; but they got me back to lifting.

Yep. Four exercises with the exercise band stuck in the door. One exercise is a row, one resembles tricep press downs, the other two are inside and outside shoulder abduction-type exercises.

The exercises are designed to strengthen the "weak" muscles like the teres minor.

[Eyescream]

Yep. Four exercises with the exercise band stuck in the door. One exercise is a row, one resembles tricep press downs, the other two are inside and outside shoulder abduction-type exercises.

The exercises are designed to strengthen the "weak" muscles like the teres minor.

Awesome. That's exactly what I was gonna tell you that I had been given to do if you asked.

I get the impression those are pretty standard exercises for this; and also that this type of injury is very common.

[LoadToadBoss]

Had my first PT visit that included rehab manipulation of my shoulder. After about 30 minutes I was ready to confess that I was Bin Laden.:crying:

I'll try to "man up" next time.

The DPT was sympathetic. He is a lifter and he knows that it's a little embarrassing for a guy who once was benching 250 to have trouble doing a lateral arm raise with a one pound weight. He also said that the impingement often happens when the outer strong muscles (Delts, Traps, & Rhomboids) get so well defined that they impinge on the underlying rotator cuff muscles like the teres minor, subscapularis, and supraspinatus).

He did say that I can continue to do moderate weight work that doesn't involve the shoulder. I can do some light seated rows, curls, tricep press downs, and all the legs and abs I can stand. No military presses or bench presses for a while.

I have 22 more sessions to go; 3 times a week.

[Eyescream]

PT visits just suck. Sorry, dude.

[S.O.Interceptor]

After some research I am wondering if this is what is wrong with my left shoulder. I'm starting to look for a good doctor who knows lifting, but I haven't found one yet.

It has gotten worse over the last few weeks and doing even the slightest task that involves extending or reaching and lifting the arm above shoulder height is getting painful.

Oddly enough lifting doesn't hurt. I felt some fatigue this morning during the bench when I strained out those last couple of reps, but the military press went fine.

Now picking up my car keys and cell phone off the bench was a hassle.

[BradD]

If you go over to CrossFit's board, you find lots of guys with symptoms that sound similar. I'd recommend going over there and seeing what they did, what happened, and what helped out. I had a shoulder injury about 3 years ago that took 5 months to heal. They are quite irritating. You might be able to back off for 2-3 weeks and then ramp back up and avoid such a long layoff.

[LoadToadBoss]

After some research I am wondering if this is what is wrong with my left shoulder. I'm starting to look for a good doctor who knows lifting, but I haven't found one yet.

It has gotten worse over the last few weeks and doing even the slightest task that involves extending or reaching and lifting the arm above shoulder height is getting painful.

Oddly enough lifting doesn't hurt. I felt some fatigue this morning during the bench when I strained out those last couple of reps, but the military press went fine.

Now picking up my car keys and cell phone off the bench was a hassle.

Yeah, you'll want to get checked out by a good sports medicine doc. I was able to lift, though I did have increasing soreness. Also, my overhead lifts became too painful.

What finally drove me to the doc was one night trying to lift a coffee pot of water into the coffee maker. I could not get the darn thing up over the coffee maker and I couldn't rotate my arm to pour. That was on a Saturday night before going to bed. In the morning, coffee is freshly made and I couldn't lift the pot over my cup or rotate the pot to pour. No strength at all.

Later that Sunday night at a church ice cream fellowship, I could not generate enough lateral force to move the ice cream scoop across the top of the ice cream. The scoop was the kind that you squeeze to release to ice cream. I couldn't squeeze the darn thing. Next day I made the appointment with my family practice doctor who referred my to the DPT.

I have two sisters with MS. My first thoughts ran to that, but thankfully that doesn't seem to be my problem. I can recover. My sisters will not.:crying:

[LoadToadBoss]

As of two weeks of therapy, I have improved shoulder mobility and strength with decreased pain. As the shoulder pain has subsided, I began experiencing some nerve pain shooting from my around the T1 or T2 area that travels across my traps, down my right deltoid and all the way to my fingers. Now they suspect an impingement in my neck. The DPT will add some neck manipulation exercises to my regiment. Fun, fun, fun.

[BradD]

Neck impingement from what? Bulging disc? That sounds like what I have. My C5-C6 disc is the one that's degenerating and it apparently presses on the nerve root going off to the left. If I sit in certain positions, my left thumb and fingers tingle a little--just a little. I have to pay attention to feel it. Sometimes also feel tingling along the inside of my upper arm. I felt some "weird" trap/neck pain during one set of deadlifts a while back, but no shooting pain.

Did they do some imaging of your discs?

BTW, I have a touch of shoulder impingement or something similar also. Weirdest thing. About 2 months ago, I walked to the car and had to wedge myself in between mine and the one next to it. I had to externally rotate my left arm quite a bit to get the key in the lock and I felt a quick, sharp pain in my left shoulder. Ever since then, if I internally rotate it like a Hawkings Test near its limit, I can feel about a 3-4/10 pain. It's not really gotten worse, but is not getting better either.

Shoulder issues stink. Actually, it stinks getting old. :faint:

[BradD]

...DPT will add some neck manipulation exercises to my regiment. Fun, fun, fun.
Hey, you haven't seen Jacob's Ladder have you? If not, then don't. :rofl:

[LoadToadBoss]

Neck impingement from what? Bulging disc? That sounds like what I have. My C5-C6 disc is the one that's degenerating and it apparently presses on the nerve root going off to the left. If I sit in certain positions, my left thumb and fingers tingle a little--just a little. I have to pay attention to feel it. Sometimes also feel tingling along the inside of my upper arm. I felt some "weird" trap/neck pain during one set of deadlifts a while back, but no shooting pain.

Did they do some imaging of your discs?

BTW, I have a touch of shoulder impingement or something similar also. Weirdest thing. About 2 months ago, I walked to the car and had to wedge myself in between mine and the one next to it. I had to externally rotate my left arm quite a bit to get the key in the lock and I felt a quick, sharp pain in my left shoulder. Ever since then, if I internally rotate it like a Hawkings Test near its limit, I can feel about a 3-4/10 pain. It's not really gotten worse, but is not getting better either.

Shoulder issues stink. Actually, it stinks getting old. :faint:
Brad,

The DPT palpitated my cervical and thoracic spinal area, but did not find any pain points. He doesn't think there is a degenerative/herniated disc issue. He did say that my muscles were too large to get a good feel for what's going on:cool:. No imaging studies yet. He thinks that there is a nerve impingement in the neck area and will help work it out. A nice neck/back massage would do nicely as well.:whistling:

If I keep my arm outstretched (like while working at my computer and reaching forward for the mouse), I feel a tingling across the posterior of my right trap and down the inside of my arm to my thumb (mostly) and fingers. Every so often I will have real pain in my upper back between my scapulae at the T1/T2 area.

My standing external shoulder rotations have greatly improved and are near pain free. My external rotations with resistance bands are not as fatiguing as they had been. Supine (laying on left side) external rotations are stronger as well. Initially I couldn't do 1 lb; now I'm up to 3 lbs.:embarassed:

Hope you get to feeling better, Brad.

[LoadToadBoss]

I had been complaining to the DPT during shoulder rehab about the pain, tingling and numbness across my right trap, shoulder, and down my arm, through my bicep to my fingers. He located the problem at T4. It's not herniated or degenerated from what he can tell. He referred to it at T4 syndrome.

He did the acupuncture needles with electro-shock therapy around the site.:crying: (I'll try to man-up next time.) He also manipulated my back to make it "pop". :steamed: I don't know how people who go to chiropractors stand to have their backs cracked. I just hate being manhandled like that. The DPT said to relax; I told him I was relaxed; he said my muscles were tight; I said they're not tight, they're hard.:supergrin:

My back has always hurt for as long as I can remember. Standing still for any length of time was always tear-inducing. Since I'm a pastor and I stand as I preach or teach, I've learned to shift, walk or otherwise adjust my stance so that I can last 30 minutes on my feet. I do have a stool that I can use if I need to sit and rest.

Arthritis of the spine runs in my family, so I always assumed it was the curse of the genes. Hopefully I can get some long term relief.

[BradD]

LTB, that doesn't sound like any fun at all!! I've never had acupuncture or any kind of adjustment. The popping and stuff looks terrible on TV. Next thing you know, they'll be hooking one arm to a column and the other to the back of a truck or come-along or something, LOL. I have to say that part of my hesitation in going to a chiro is this stuff.

I think it's funny that weight trainers are harder to work on. My wife says she can feel big knots of muscle in my traps, but it's hopeless for her to try to massage them out. I tried massaging with a tennis ball, but it does nothing. Been trying a baseball some lately and that seems to help some. And my traps aren't that big or strong.