Shoulder Injury help (X-Ray img)

Posted , 5 users are following.

Hello there, introducing myself first, i am a 16 year old guy, 145lbs im 5'5 and i've been training for more than a year now, started in December 2015.

First of all for my injury, i don't know how i got it injured because i never noticed it happening, after time it started to be clear that it was bad, i went to the doctor and got it X-rayed, he told me it's fine you have no fractures or anything, but still, when im training now my shoulder is fine (left one is the injured one) but in my right shoulder when im doing lateral raises i feel it cracking/popping everytime i do that exercise, my left shoulder (the injured one) is fine when im doing them, also visually i can see it, it's like further away from my body, dont know how to explain this, it just looks like it's longer in some way (left one).

It's kinda strange, the injured shoulder is fine when im doing lateral raises, the opposite one which is fine, is causing me trouble...

But im still curious to know my injury cuz the doctor said nothing was broken/fractured or anything, hope someone can help me by looking at the pictures. Would appreciate it.   

Also im kinda new in the forums, dont know if this is the right topic so sorry if im wrong ;S

1st picture is Left shoulder

2nd is Right shoulder

1 like, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Posted

    Sorry, 1st picture is Right shoulder and 2nd is Left shoulder
  • Posted

    Hello afan,

    An x-ray will tell you if there's bone damage (breaks, spurs, arthritis, etc.). It does not tell you if there is soft tissue damage such as the rotator cuff or labrum.

    Cracking/popping is tricky. Sometimes its normal and other times it means something. Often, when one shoulder is injured, a person naturally puts more pressure on the opposite shoulder and it too gets irritated. This is very common - i would just be aware of this when you work out and try not to over exert.

    To get a better read on your injury you should go to an orthopedist. He/she should check for tendonitis and other things with physical tests. The doctor may then send you to an MRI to get a close up on the tendon and muscles if he feels its needed.

    • Posted

      Dear Jon, I totally agree with afan. (The differences you see on the xray could totally be "shadows".) Muscle and tendons don't show up on xrays. You need an MRI for that. You may need therapy, rest and ice. If there is some sort of tissue injury present, continuing to "work out" may aggravate a possible injury. You are totally on the correct site for this issue you are having. smile Wishing you luck and good health. Hope you feel better soon. Let us know what you end up doing!

  • Posted

    I might be wrong here but I don't think xrays are good for diagnosing soft tissue injuries such as rotator cuff problems. Xrays are great for bone fractures and other things such as fluid deposits. Perhaps a more qualified person can come in here. A rotator cuff injury can give you the "popping" and crunching sounds. You may need an ultrasound or MRI.

    • Posted

      Thats right 2spark. Xrays are for bone conditions primarily. MRI gives you a good read on soft tissue. The popping can be for many reasons. A common one is when the RT muscle/tendon slides off the bursa which protects it from direct contact with the shoulder blade (resulting inflammation is tendonitis). However not all clicks/pops are this and many people go their entire life clicking and without injury.

      Afan should go to an orthopedist for diagnosis and next steps.

      Yes,

    • Posted

      Thank you all for your responce,i thought no one was gonna reply

      I am looking forward in the next days to visiting an orthopedist for a diagnosis and i will be back here after i do so, thank you all..

  • Posted

    Hi,

    I went to the doctor about 2 weeks ago and this time i told him about my shoulder problem becoming even worse and he straight up instructed me to go visit a physical therapist, so i did, the physical therapy was helping me a little but not that much I would say.

    The physical therapist tested my shoulder range of motion, also did alot of exercises, went there for a single week and he' said i will be fine and i should continue doing those exercises i did in the therapy at home.

    When performing the exercises my shoulder always felt weak and fatigued cause alot of reps, this includes: Shoulder rotation, side raise like 40 times without a weight, then added 1-3kg overtime to make it challenging, push and pull strengthening exercises for the shoulder muscles etc.

    After doing these exercises the shoulder always felt more loose like, fatigued (don't really know how to describe it.)

    But as i did them like i felt my shoulder was getting more damaged than cured lol.

    Now when im training in the gym ((side delts)) i feel less cracking/popping but still, there is some and my shoulder feels more loose than ever.

    I don't know if this therapy test helped me or nah, any advice on what to do next??

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