What should I do about my shoulder? Torn rotator cuff...

[93LXHORSE]

5 years ago I was doing too much weight with decline press and hurt both shoulders. Never went to a doctor about it, but it got better and I could work out, but I stayed away from bench...

I hurt it again 2 years ago, lifting a 70lb bundle of shingles....

Again, it got better.

Now at my job I am always lifting heavy things at odd angles, and it hurts again. I am sure something is wrong in there.... it is just the awkward movements that hurt, and it hurts to sleep on it, too.

What do I do? Find a sports medicine doctor? Take some supplements? I have to work, and I am out of town, but I think something is tore up in there. Sometimes it is useless to try and drill something, or lift something at an odd angle.

I heard surgery and cortisone shots are the 2 popular remedies, but I am scared of the surgery.

[lowthreeohz]

My dad had othroscopic (sp?) surgery done on his.. It was like 2 tiny incisions and he was using his arm in no time

[93LXHORSE]

Did the pain go away? Was he instructed about lifting heavy things in the futre?

I heard it is easy to tear it again once you've had the surgery.......

[Bad89stang]

You really need to get it looked at. True RC cuff injuries take as much as 1 year to heal without surgery. Good rehab for the injury is the best thing for you. Are you feeling the pain at the back of your deltoid and does your shoulder pop sometimes when extending your arm above shoulder level? If so, get it looked at like I said.

[lowthreeohz]

Did the pain go away? Was he instructed about lifting heavy things in the futre?

I heard it is easy to tear it again once you've had the surgery.......

I dunno what they told him about lifting, but he's 51 years old and rides standup jet skis professionally in a racing series.. never complains about it either. It might be something worth looking into though.

[JKDGabe]

Cortisone shots are basically painkillers. There are alot of supplements you can take to speed healing but whether you take them or not you should have it looked at by a pro.

What kind of pain is it and when does it occur?

[93LXHORSE]

It only occurs when I am lifting things at an odd angle. I could lift weights with proper motion just fine, except for bench (with straight bar). Mostly the pain is the in the deltoid area.

Also sometimes at work I have to drill into some 1/4 plate steel at an odd angle, and that is excrutiating. I can't sleep with my arm under my pillow either.

It is not a constant pain, but it is definitely there. I will look into a sports medicine doctor, for sure. Hard to do when I am out of town constantly.

[Frogger]

Chris, it may not be as bad as a tear. Have you heard of impingement syndrome? I had it my first year of football and was in excruciating pain plus I too couldnt put my arm under my pillow and had trouble lifting objects over my head and pulling my raised arm back. Do a search on shoulder impingement syndrome.

Good Luck at the Doc. :)

[davbrucas]

there are 4 small muscles that are called the rotator cuff. supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis...in case you were wondering! :)
to check them do the following...another person will be needed. together, these muscles hold your arm in its socket.

supraspinatus - hold your arms out in front of you parallel to the floor (when standing). point your thumbs at the floor and spread your arms out 45 degrees from the midline of your body. have someone push down on your arms while you hold resistance against them. if you are very weak or there is pain then you have injured this muscle. this muscle basically initiates abduction until the delts take over.

infraspinatus/teres minor - hold your arms at your sides and bend your elbows 90 degrees in front of you. have someone try to push your palms together while you resist. pain or weakness shows injury. these muscles assist in lateral rotation of the shoulder.

subscapularis - same position as above but you will have someone push out on your arms while you hold resistance. this muscle allows internal rotation of the shoulder.

you may have bursitis or ligamentous injury or impingement syndrome as karen points out, if the above doesnt help. i suggest you go have an MRI done which is the gold standard for diagnosing rotator cuff injuries.

[Frogger]

there are 4 small muscles that are called the rotator cuff. supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis...in case you were wondering! :)
to check them do the following...another person will be needed. together, these muscles hold your arm in its socket.

supraspinatus - hold your arms out in front of you parallel to the floor (when standing). point your thumbs at the floor and spread your arms out 45 degrees from the midline of your body. have someone push down on your arms while you hold resistance against them. if you are very weak or there is pain then you have injured this muscle. this muscle basically initiates abduction until the delts take over.

infraspinatus/teres minor - hold your arms at your sides and bend your elbows 90 degrees in front of you. have someone try to push your palms together while you resist. pain or weakness shows injury. these muscles assist in lateral rotation of the shoulder.

subscapularis - same position as above but you will have someone push out on your arms while you hold resistance. this muscle allows internal rotation of the shoulder.

you may have bursitis or ligamentous injury or impingement syndrome as karen points out, if the above doesnt help. i suggest you go have an MRI done which is the gold standard for diagnosing rotator cuff injuries.
Dave..you are soooooo brainy. :p Thanks for the info.

[JKDGabe]

I wouldn't get an MRI unless I had lot's of money or insurance was gonna cover (most of) it. They're great but not always necessary.

Mostly the pain is the in the deltoid area.

Which part? Front, side or back? The deltoid can actually be an antagonist to itself and what makes it even harder is that the muscle davbrucas listed run under the delt making it feel like the delt's the problem.

No prob if you don't want to go into detail, it's not like we can fix it over the net... I'm just curious.

[davbrucas]

I wouldn't get an MRI unless I had lot's of money or insurance was gonna cover (most of) it. They're great but not always necessary.



Which part? Front, side or back? The deltoid can actually be an antagonist to itself and what makes it even harder is that the muscle davbrucas listed run under the delt making it feel like the delt's the problem.

No prob if you don't want to go into detail, it's not like we can fix it over the net... I'm just curious.

you a physical therapist? good info....but if he has insurance then if he goes to his doc complaining of pain and weakness in the areas i described above, he bought himself an MRI. his insurance will cover and all he will pay is his copay. without examining him in person i cant be sure what is going on.

[davbrucas]

Dave..you are soooooo brainy. :p Thanks for the info.


thank you! i think! :) where in the heck have you been? havent seen you on here in forever...

[JKDGabe]

you a physical therapist?

No, massage therapist. Still in internship, graduate in June. Been studying on my own long before massage class though due to injuring myself at work.

[ZYouL8R]

I hate to hijack this thread, but I was going to make one of my own but this one seems to describe my problem somewhat. I hurt it after doing low weight/high rep bench press. It's in the front of my shoulder where my chest muscle meets the delt. It only hurts on bench press when I go below 90* (almost touching my chest and lower). If I stop a couple inches above my chest then it's fine. I gave it a month's rest but that didn't do anything. Does this seem like the same muscle/ligament he's talking about?

[davbrucas]

I hate to hijack this thread, but I was going to make one of my own but this one seems to describe my problem somewhat. I hurt it after doing low weight/high rep bench press. It's in the front of my shoulder where my chest muscle meets the delt. It only hurts on bench press when I go below 90* (almost touching my chest and lower). If I stop a couple inches above my chest then it's fine. I gave it a month's rest but that didn't do anything. Does this seem like the same muscle/ligament he's talking about?


sounds like you have some biceps tendonitis. ibuprofen 800mg three times per day with meals and rest is about all you can do. or get a cortisone shot instead of the ibuprofen and let it heal for 2-3wks.

[Frogger]

thank you! i think! :) where in the heck have you been? havent seen you on here in forever...


Im here. I don't post much on the board. Mostly mod and talk through private message.