Shoulder pain for almost a year
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Hi,
I'm 21 years old and for almost a year have experienced pain in my shoulder. This pain defintely only comes on after I've been using my shoulder and normally the pain comes on gradually, peaks after a few days after the use, and then a few days later goes. I think it might have been an incident that sparked it. Many years ago I was a gymnast and about a year ago I did some stretches I probably wasn't used to doing anymore/flexible enough to do, that I used to do. I think maybe I didn't warm up properly, or just wasn't flexible enough and cause some subtle injury that has had these repercussions.
I hate my shoulder, it really upsets me and gets me down. I live in constant fear that basic activities like hoovering up will agrivate it and the next day or so I will be in pain. The pain isn't sharp, but it is more a dull, uncomfortable pain when I move it. I used to do a lot of running and exercise, now all I can do is walk to keep fit ;(.
I have been to see a consultant and he couldn't tell me what was wrong. I have full range of movement, but it's just that the next day I get the symptoms I described. I have even been to see a physiotherapist and I did the exercises she gave me as described for months and saw no improvement.
I would honstly love to know what is wrong with it and if there is any hope for me. I am young, only 21, but have to look at old people exercising when I go out in envy. It really gets me down.
1 like, 16 replies
bjhodg greenapple395
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greenapple395 bjhodg
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Hi bjhodg,
Thanks for your reply. It isn't painful to sleep on. Maybe pain is the wrong word, it almost feels achey and tired, a tiny bit tingly. But it is only when I move it. I can do everything with it - full range of movement and lifting. However, I know that if I do this, the next day, or in a short while, the ache and tired feeling will be worsened. I'm always worried that if I try to do all the things I want to, if there is a chance it could heal, I might disrupt that process.
greenapple395
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The extent of these symptoms is directly related to how much movement and lifting I do. I have learned this, so generally things aren't too bad, but in the past, when I have done a lot of movement/lifting, it has been very bad after.
bjhodg greenapple395
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greenapple395 bjhodg
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Thanks so much for sharing your experience with me! May I ask how much pain/motion you had prior to your scan? Do my symptoms sound anything like yours? Do you know what might have caused the tear?
bjhodg greenapple395
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I moved the entire contents of my house all by myself in several loads using my car and a small utility trailer, over the course of a few weeks. I made ingenious plans using furniture dollies and ramps off the porch into the trailer hooked to my car to move things that were far too heavy to lift. Usually a load before or after work. Then I carried many things up 3 flights of stairs to my new condo that I should have gotten help to do. Looking back, I should have arranged with friends and family to assist me. I was pretty sure that I had only strained a muscle and it would get better. Soon I learned to protect myself from the pain by "chicken winging" it (tucking my right elbow into my side and anchoring it there. The greatest pain was from reaching out above shoulder level, and lifting with just my right arm (especially lifting waist high and above). Eventually, I went to my family doctor who had me hold my arm out to the side at shoulder level and he pushed and turned it and when I cried out in pain, he said, "rotator cuff buddy - I'll refer you to an orthopedic doctor." The MRI was necessary to confirm what sort of damage there was and whether it was significant enough to warrant surgery. I specified which surgeon I wanted to see so that I went to one of the best.
greenapple395 bjhodg
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sandy1506 bjhodg
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Hello @bjhodg,
Here is my post if you want to reply to it: https://patient.info/forums/discuss/right-shoulder-pain-from-last-3-months--610833
May I ask how much time I need for rotator cuff injury? I am working as Software Engineer professional and it's my right side shoulder. I can't take too much days/weeks off from the work. I just need my right side wrist to do work. Can you please comment on that part if you have any idea?
cbc123 greenapple395
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Definately have a MRI scan and if you already have, go back again and ask for another!
My whole arm ached most days,sometimes it went into my shoulder blade. It seemed to be after doing an activity, lifting etc. When I first had the MRI, it showed everything was fine. I had physio, but this did not work. I put up with it for a long, long, while, but it did get worse. Finally a MRI scan did showed that I had an impingement in the rotar cuff, so desperately I did more physio to try and avoid an operation. This did not work and six months later I had an ultra sound scan which showed I most likely had a tear; and finally an operation proved this,. I also had a tendon fray. Like you, I had a full range of movement. Good luck getting to the bottom of this, I know how difficult this is for you x
greenapple395 cbc123
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Hi,
Thank you so much for sharing this with me! Particularly interesting that you also had full range of movement and that two MRIs were necessary.
Initially was it the doctor's recommendation that you do physio rather than an operation? Is impingement not sufficient to merit an operation, only if you have a tear? You say an operation proved it, were they not certain before the op? Do you think an ultrasound is better at diagnosing than an MRI scan in your case?
Thanks so much!!!
cbc123 greenapple395
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Hi
By, over 2 years things were getting much worse, so I had a months of physio again, and it was finally suggested I had another MRI scan during this time. That is when the impingement was discovered. I had been through so many different exercises, but now we knew the problem, I was hopeful that I would now be doing the correct exercise and that would make the difference. I was offered to have the bone shaffered at this stage, but also told that it was not guaranteed to work and in some causes can make things worse. It is always advisable to try and avoid an operation if you can. So I decided to keep with the physio. Another 6 months passed with no results. I went for an appointment to a different consultant, for another opinion, so that's when the ultra sound equipment came out! He could compare the picture to my latest MRI scan and could see it looked more inflamed, so it seemed likely it was a tear. I don't know if it was the positioning or size of my tear, but going in my shoulder seemed to be the only way to know for sure. The frayed tendon did not seem to show on a scan, but it was there! I think in my case, the impingement was what possibly caused the tear, no amount of physio could ever repair that!
I hope this helps you in some way
greenapple395 cbc123
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How is your shoulder now after your operation? How long does rehabilitaiton take? What are the likelihoods of operation making it worse?
cbc123 greenapple395
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greenapple395 cbc123
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greenapple395
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Hi everyone,
So I eventually had an MRI scan on my shoulder and there were a few subtle irregularities that may be causing me grief, although nothing major was found:
- "Inferior labrum looks slightly blunted"
- "Mild capsular thickening and early cortical irregularity at the AC joint"
?Any ideas if you think physiotherapy can really work in alleviating my symptoms? Secondly, do you think doing exericse and using my shoulder, making it sore, will make things worse?
Thanks so much for any help you can offer!
cbc123 greenapple395
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