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Old 05-22-2020, 08:31 PM   #41
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Originally Posted by gailwinters View Post
I had a shoulder impingement. I got up one morning and couldn’t reach behind my back, then realized I couldn’t reach above my shoulder. I saw my doctor, who sent me for an MRI, which showed several small rotator tears. She referred me for PT, which I did for a couple of months, and then my PT sent me to an orthopedic surgeon because I wasn’t making much progress. I ended up having two injections and six months of PT. The rotator cuff tears were not addressed, but I have been pain free for about 18 months.

I will say that the worst pain I have ever experienced was when the wind blew my hat off my head and I automatically reached for it with my bad arm. The pain brought me to my knees. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was excruciating.
Yes, that type of pain will do it to you. In the frozen shoulder "community" it’s referred to as a "zinger" - it has brought me to my knees several times, taken my breath away, etc.
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Shoulder pain - try this first
Old 05-23-2020, 05:52 AM   #42
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Shoulder pain - try this first

I’ve had a rotator cuff issue for many years - knock on effect from many years of baseball and in my earlier days poor approach to weight training. I’ve solved the latter later in life (see StartingStrength.com) with much success, but until recently have been hampered by the rotator cuff issue. Many years ago I went thru the same and normal progression you describe - the steroid shot to temporarily reduce the inflammation, but that was a short term fix, then chiropractor to try and avoid surgery, and then or throw optic surgery then rehab with bands and light weights. Didn’t solve the problem. But now, I actually have a recommendation for you I believe likely will help you, like it has me and many others if I can believe what I read / hear. Try Hanging! I know it sounds crazy - but it is really helping me. It’s something we used to do to relieve elbow tendinitis (I was a pitcher) “nbarlow k in the day. The book, “Shoulder Pain? The Solution & Prevention: Fifth Edition Revised and Expanded is where I stumbled on this. It’s by Dr John Kirsch. It very strongly recommend you try this before you go under the knife. He has a website as well....let us know! Here is the link:

https://www.amazon.com/Shoulder-Pain...+M.+Kirsch+M.D.
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Old 05-23-2020, 07:18 AM   #43
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I am 69 and in surprisingly good health in every way except my bones. I am an orthopedic's dream. Started having back pain 15 years ago. After trip to Russia in 2004 (lots of walking & stair climbing), woke up one morning and could not straighten my back. I was walking around in a permanent position of bowing at the waist. I got my first set of injections which worked like a charm. I had to get them about every 2 years, then every year, eventually annually, then twice a year and in 2016 & 2017, 3 times a year with minimal and short lived relief. The things that have been suggested since are invasive, painful, and no guarantees. I've opted to wait and watch others who've had the procedures and many had great pain followed by near total relief, but only for 6-12 months and then repeat.

I've also had 2 knee replacements, 2 thumb surgeries for worn out socket/ball, 2 foot surgeries (one included fusing big toe, the other 3 screws at base of big toe), a broken arm that required internal and external fixators and now to the topic of this post, I started having excruciating pain in my right shoulder late 2018. I couldn't lift my arm over my head, definitely couldn't reach to the side and don't even try to throw a ball, which my cat likes to chase and bring back to me. It turned out to be a small tear in the rotator cuff.

I was already in physical therapy after a knee replacement and from seeing what friends had gone through after rotator cuff surgery, I did not want to be debilitated wearing a frame, cast, brace, or sling for months after. So, my doctor suggested PT to build up the muscles around it to protect it and not do surgery. We added 2 days a week for shoulder to the 2 for knee. When I completed the knee PT, we used those 2 days to work on the back, since injections no longer work and I didn't like the options of implanted device or burning nerves. PT did wonders. It took a few months but I am now able to manage pain through exercises and keeping certain muscles strong. I occasionally overdo or just get lazy and then have to get a refresher with the therapist, and pain isn't non-existent, but quite manageable and better than more surgery. If it's an option, I suggest trying PT. Although, bone spurs are probably going to need to be removed and since it's minimally invasive surgery, shouldn't be too debilitating or be painful for long after. PT might even speed recovery.

BTW, my mother had cortisone shots for bursitis and she quit. She said the shots hurt worse than the bursitis and lasted for days after.
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Old 05-23-2020, 08:24 AM   #44
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I will agree that shoulder and rotator cuff pain is in a class all by itself. I have an appt. on Wed. and the MD has told me many times that surgery is necessary. I had my other shoulder done about 1 1/2 years ago. The pain prior to surgery was bad, however, the left-shoulder pain following surgery was excruciating for many months. I was up and down all night, every night. My repaired rotator cuff is still cranky from time to time. I want to try another shot in my right shoulder but - I have had many shots. I really don't want to do surgery in my right cuff/shoulder during Pandemic but am going crazy with pain. Then I remind myself that the pain following surgery is long and painful. They of course, surgery is followed by months of PT.
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Old 05-23-2020, 09:48 AM   #45
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Grab a copy of The Sports Medicine Patient Advisor on ebay. It'll probably cost about $5 to $10. It has physical therapy exercises for shoulders, arms, feet, everything. It's the book my doctor uses and it works very well.


Zap the shoulder with cortisone, wait a week and then do the exercises 3 times per week. Crank up your fav tunes and do it. Only takes 5 minutes per day.
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Old 05-23-2020, 07:43 PM   #46
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I second the suggestion to try PT FIRST. It may not work, but surgery has lots of potential downsides, where PT just costs some money in most cases. Best of luck and don't forget that YMMV.
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Old 05-23-2020, 09:00 PM   #47
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My wife suffers from spinal stenosis, and she has terrible arthritis. She had a knee replacement 2 years ago and came out of it well. Then she fell and injured a shoulder. After extensive physical therapy and steroid shots, surgery was warranted. When the orthopedic surgeon got in there, the damage was much worse than expected but he wasn't prepared to do a replacement. He ended up putting a 7" rod down her arm and he didn't tell her. Recovery was difficult but she finally quit hurting after a year.

My wife's been under pain management for 20 years. Politicians want to be able to say that their state has cut controlled substance prescriptions "X%" in the last year. And it's to the point where doctors are being told what to prescribe and how much to cut their patients. (She's had 3 doctors retire and quit being physicians.) What the states are not admitting is that so many pain management patients cannot stand the pain they're in, and they're going to other illegal sources of medicines to slow or stop the pain. And they're dying of heroin and fentanyl overdoses in mass.

Let me cut to the chase. Pain is there for a reason. When you get completely miserable with shoulder or back pains, see a doctor immediately. Don't be a He Man and try to tough it out because if you wait too long the damage will be done and it's irreversible. You don't want to live your remaining years in the bed or in a nursing home. Get something done while you can be repaired.
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Old 05-29-2020, 06:09 AM   #48
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The OP here. I went to PT, the first exam was just getting range of motion measurements. The second appointment we started stretching exercises and
some physical manipulation, no after affects. The third appointment he added a stretch that was very painful, yet as soon as I stop the stretch position the pain goes away. It was the same with the physical manipulation,
he would put my shoulder in a stretch position until I told him to stop, because of the pain. I think the stretch is what I need, so I'm grinding through it. Shoulder has a minor ache since PT yesterday. I'm going 3 days a week.
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Old 05-29-2020, 06:31 AM   #49
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My shoulder pain ended up being my neck. Had my neck injected and no shoulder pain for more than a year
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Old 06-01-2020, 03:53 PM   #50
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I had my 4th PT session today, It has increased my range of movement, I can almost make the complete motion to throw a ball with some pain. I still have a lot of trouble getting my hand behind my back and lifting it. When I ask about the stretch I was doingfor that, he said that was fine and gave me another exercise that adds a little more stretch to do at home.

I've had three PTs so far, each a little different RE: the hands on manipulation, which I think does the most good, even though it is painful.
I look forward to each session. I work hard because I want to get over this.
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Old 06-01-2020, 06:06 PM   #51
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I had two frozen shoulders in the past 12 years. Worse pain I’ve ever experienced. All (reputable) practitioners told me that time was the only treatment. One resolved after 14 months, and the 2nd one after 8 months. I’m now religious above doing gentle range of motion exercises daily. I don’t ever want to go through that again. Could barely dress myself, couldn’t reach for dishes on upper shelves, couldn’t sleep on either side, etc., etc.


I literally feel your pain, I get about two attacks per year each of the last 3 years. I tried steroid pills, injections, and massive amounts of NSAIDS and it keeps coming back. I am on my 6th attack. I am trying 3 Advil every 4 hours and gentle circular motions with my shoulder and arm.
Everyone thinks I am making this whole thing up because repeated attacks are very rare.
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Old 06-01-2020, 06:15 PM   #52
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I don't think the repeated attacks are rare. You just get tired of the "rinse and repeat" drill and grit your teeth.
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