shoulder problem

[onesp1ng]

Doc,

Now that I'm finally back on the board, I was hoping you might use your profound insights to help me a bit.

The issue: my silly shoulder. See when i was younger I ended up fracturing my collar bone really nicely, flipping over the handle bars of my bike after flying down one of the steepest hills around my house. It hurt real badly.

The thing is that it always irritated me as I grew older - my neck being stiff regularly, popping noises coming from the area, and soreness. I seem to need to do the back and forth, grab my chin and back of my head deal, to crack my neck a lot. As I was training heavily in the Arts before I came to China, it sometimes felt better. On the other hand, my Shi fu is a big fan of arm swings. The amount of arm swings loosened my body up, for sure, but the problem in my shoulder neck region pervaded, and it seemed to agitate it more and more the looser I became. Anyway, about 1 year ago now, as I was enjoying a quite flamboyant episode of push hands, I floated over my classmates head with a right open hand smack to the ear, which he slipped under and parried. I turned my right shoulder to the left as he swept my leg out from under me. Instead of doing what I probably did more than 5 hundred times before, which would be to tuck my right should under and just roll through, the speed was a little overwhelming so I guess I switched in hesitation. At the last moment I basically slammed my left shoulder into the floor. It hurt real badly. When I got up it popped. I thought doing a few arm swings would help, like walking it off, but my body kind a went into a shock from the pain. It became very sore and after a while I couldn't move the shoulder. I even felt sick cause of the pain I suppose. No medical insurance so..no doctor visit.

It took about a month before I got most of the movement back. And the newly injured area was located more in the cuff part of my shoulder, like around the rotator cuff. It really feels a mess combined with my once fractured collar bone that sticks up a few extra centimeters, compared to the right one that is. It's always putting strain down through my arm. My thinking is due to a lack of blood flow. Yet the problem seems to be inside at a place I can't readily locate, underneath and to the right of the color bone, if your facing me.

This year I've given it a lot of rest and have been doing some light weight training. The only MA I've done over here was some tai ji. Nothings changed though. Anyway, bet your wondering what the heck my question is after all this. I just want to know if you can shed some light on my problem? Is there anything more I should consider doing? When I have a better opportunity i will jump back into my training, but I'm a little worried that I'll end up hurting it again and well, you get my drift. Thanks!

D

[shaolinstylee]

Save up some money, go see a doctor ..... It almost sounds as if you dislocated your shoulder during the fall, but I have no medical history (my little disclaimer) so don't go on my opinion. I'd say try to strengthen the muscles in and around the shoulder if and when it starts to feel better, that will usually help a bunch. Sorry I don't have any more info on this.

SS

[doc]

I'll get to this. Didn't want you to think I forgot (just got lots of emails to respond to). Give me a day or so....

[onesp1ng]

doc, i'm sure your still busy as usual, but my pesky rotator cuff injury is back. actually i've practically fully recovered again, it's just that the last couple weeks pretty much sucked and i'm wondering how to better prevent this from happening in the future. was wondering if you had any suggestions?

basically the marathon idea i had a while back fell though because of my shoulder (running like that just traumatizes the area too much). instead, i've been training for various sprint triathlons in my area. i've competed in a couple so far, and although it's great fun for me "challenge wise," the training is not helping my shoulder in the slightest.

oddly, for me, it's usually at night when the "tear comes," or when it becomes "re injured." what happens is that it eventually gets sore to a certain point, then i'll be sleeping, turn over, and bam...i'll feel or hear a "swoootch" kind of sound. in that instant i am suddenly aware that it will take around three weeks for me to get the full use of my shoulder/ arm back.

this is the second time it's occured in the last six months, and it seems to be happening more frequently. anyhow, i have felt or continue to deal with the symptoms which i've copied and pasted below. i don't currently do much lifting. i use bands from time to time for toning and stretching. everything i do keeps my muscles in very good shape, but, unfortuanately, as i get stronger, my shoulder seems to be getting weaker. i have seen some exercises suggested to people with this type of injury, which includes weights, etc. what do you think?

Symptoms of a rotator cuff tear may develop acutely or have a more gradual onset. Acute pain usually follows trauma such as a lifting injury or a fall on the affected arm. More commonly, the onset is gradual and may be caused by repetitive overhead activity or by wear and degeneration of the tendon. You may feel pain in the front of your shoulder that radiates down the side of your arm. At first the pain may be mild and only present with overhead activities such as reaching or lifting. It may be relieved by over-the-counter medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Over time the pain may become noticeable at rest or with no activity at all. There may be pain when you lie on the affected side and at night. Other symptoms may include stiffness and loss of motion. You may have difficulty using your arm to reach overhead to comb your hair or difficulty placing your arm behind your back to fasten a button.

When the tear occurs with an injury, there may be sudden acute pain, a snapping sensation and an immediate weakness of the arm.

Atrophy or thinning of the muscles about the shoulder

Pain when you lift your arm

Pain when you lower your arm from a fully raised position

Weakness when you lift or rotate your arm

Crepitus or crackling sensation when you move your shoulder in certain positions

[doc]

Sorry, I've been meaning to do a whole thing on shoulders, but, so many other things to take care of (the new site now, for instance).

Rotator cuff tears tend to heal on their own, with time, and gentle physical therapy. Surgery tends to be indicated more for young athletes, who respond well to the surgical repair, and get their range of motion back. Older patients tend to do better with just time and physical therapy.

I've had a rotator cuff tear, got it from "over lifting" weights. I remember Dogchow had visited, and I was having a hell of a time teaching him Da Lohan because I couldn't lift my left arm. Took about nine months for that thing to become useful again. These things can take time.

One of the problems with being young, is that you guys tend to be "too active" sometimes. Letting things rest and heal is not your forte (which may be why orthopods tend to operate on younger patients). The recurrent injuries to your shoulder suggest that you're not allowing the injury to properly heal by allowing adequate rest to the joint. Whether or not future allowal of rest and time will heal this is hard to tell. You really should see a good (and conservative) orthopedic surgeon; an MRI of the shoulder would yield a lot of useful information. It's really hard to tell sometimes what the extent of the injury is from physical exam. And if you have a serious tear in the rotator cuff, sometimes surgery is the best way of treating it.

[Fang_Shao]

been a few weeks

Sorry but been a few weeks since I was last on, been at Sunrise Hospital here in Vegas for 2 and 1/2 weeks with a stomach infection. The Docs ran every conceivable test, CT Scans, Ultrasounds, MRI, Endoscope, then went to antibiotics and walked out this morning. Bet my bill is $80,000.00 Feel awful need some rest, so will be back later in the week.

[Fang_Shao]

Well received my hospital only bill yesterday, $81,489.47. Still waiting for the Doctors bills, and to make m,atters worse my insurace company is screaming and threatening to not pay for most of this bill. I guess I had better win the Stations Casinos you pick the Pros tournament. I suddenly feel worse than ever, oh well.