good shoulder bad

[Mrbobcat]

Hey guys, my left shoulder hurts real bad. Funny thing is its my good shoulder and never had any problems with it. My right shoulder has been bothering me on and off for 10 years. The first time I injured it (heavy benching, not enough rest), had to take a year off to get it to heal. The last time I tried all the NSAIDS and sups., ended up getting a cortisone shot that worked. I have had no problems with the right shoulder since then.
I don't know what caused the pain to my left shoulder. I hadn'nt worked chest and shoulders since last tuesday and I woke up on saturday and could'nt lift my arm above my head. Its a little better now, but I can't even hold a 135 barbell at arms length without serious pain. I did work legs and arms the friday before it started hurting and did some heavy preachers. I have been doing heavy dips, inc. dumb. press, mach. press and side laterals on chest/shoulder day. I'm thinking it may be the laterals since I have'nt done them in awile, but I had only worked up to 20s with no noticable pain while doing them. Any ideas what to do besides rest? or very light weights, stretching? Cort. shot? I'm already taking glucosamine/chron/MSM. Maybe super cissus (I tried reg. cissus last time with minimal results). I'm thinking its tendonitis because it feels like my right shoulder did...

[Mrbobcat]

Well since no replies: I think since its a little better and I was at the end of my first 7 week cycle of my workout, I'll just take a few extra days off and eliminate all pressing movements for the next 7 weeks. I was going to change up most of my exercises and drop back to about 80% of my workout weight. I think I'll still do that, but do flat flys or seated cable instead of bench, inc. flys instead of inc. presses, internal and external rotator exercises instead of military press. I probly should have been doing the rotator exercises anyway, but it seems like I'll do them until my shoulder is better, than drop them. Sound like a plan? I'm not sure if there will be pain or not with the flys, I'll have to try them, of course fairly light at first. I've never done cable crossovers (or cable flys, lying, seated, ect.). Which of these do you guys think would put the least pressure on my delts? I'm thinking maybe the seated cable flys. Too bad my gym does'nt have a pec deck, but that might have too much stretch anyway...

[Mrbobcat]

Dang, my shoulder was almost better, then I deadlifted too heavy and messed it up again. I thought it was getting better again as I can raise my arm and was going to start working out again this week after a 2 week layoff. So I thought I'd try some of those movements that are supposed to show if there is a rotator cuff injury, where you put your palm on the opposite shoulder and try to lift the elbow up past parallel. Well I failed, my right can go all the way up, the left can barely lift 1 inch! I guess I have to call the doctor. I thought it would heal on its own. I did'nt want to go to the doctor as I'm only working PT as I'm looking for a nursing job and last time (for the other shoulder), they had to do x-rays and try NSAID's that did'nt work and then finally gave me a cortisone shot that cleared it up. I wonder if there is any way to just get the shot-probably not. Luckily, I think I still have insurance, though I'm not supposed to on PT. But don't know what else to do at this point. Those stretching exercises over at t-nation and rotator cuff and face pull exercises really hurt when trying to do them.

[Mrbobcat]

Update: I had pain that woke me up in the middle of the night for the first time. I said the heck with this and finally went to the doctor. To my surprise, he gave me a cortisone shot. He said it was bursitis. It feels a lot better today, but I still have practically no range of motion when doing the "test" where you try to raise your elbow with the palm on the opposite shoulder. I probably should give it a few days before starting to stretch or lift light. I'm not sure what exercises or stretches to do though. The doctor did'nt say what to do besides resume normal activity, but don't hammer it for awhile. Think I should do the NSAID, ice, and continue with celadrin? I guess heat is'nt good and I was using it this week.

[Mrbobcat]

I guess nobody has an advice. Anyway, I'm starting to wonder if the doctor made a wrong diagnosis? I tried to do those stretches last night and still no range of motion! I used my other hand to force the shoulder through the stretch to try to loosen it up. I think that was a mistake because its starting to hurt again. I was planning on starting back light lifting this week. So tonight, I tried some no weight overhand presses and it starts to hurt after 1 rep. I wonder if slight pain is bad? I'm not sure what to do now. I was going to do legs and arms tomorrow, then chest, back, shoulders on Friday. Think I should take another week or 2 off? Or should I just do legs and arms for awhile? Or rewrite my routine and do what I was doing for the last couple months (no overhead or flat presses) and just do light neutral-grip chest press and machine flys? I'm also wondering if I should call the doctor back or see if I can get into see an ortho specialist doctor? I really can't afford x-rays, but maybe he/she would be able to diagnose it better. And maybe they could give me some advice as to what I should be doing as far as lifting or not, work, or rehab.

[mitchcumstein]

Get a second opinion. If the new doc says its ok to lift then id quit BB bencing and stick with DB's.

[joemomma]

I agree with mitch. Find yourself a sports doc, your regular office visit joe isn't going to help you. And the cortizone shot, while giving temporary relief, will end up causing more damage. You continue to work the ailing part, all the while doing damage. Seems like I read somewhere too that the cortizone does something to the tissues causing damage itself.
Anyway, get a sports doc, take another week off, then start back light with DBs when the pain is gone.

[jlozan84]

I would see if your doc would let you get an MRI.

[Mrbobcat]

Man, I got a heavy job at work today. I tried using my right arm mostly, but had to raise my left arm to hold the part to pull it out with the right. 2 hours of that and my shoulder was throbbing. I finally went in to the office to file an incident report. I know its a little late (I told the foreman it started hurting last week, but worse today), but if it turns out I need surgery or something, hopefully I could file workmans comp? I made an appointment with an ortho doc (no sport docs around here), but could'nt get in for 3 weeks. I also made an appointment with the family doctor for friday to see if he can do anything in the meantime. Maybe some x-rays or celebrex. I've been taking some aspirin and ibruprofen, even though I'm not supposed to because of my ulcerative colitis.
By the way, I heard cortisone shots are'nt bad as long as you don't do multiple ones in a short time period. So I better not get another one this week. I also read somewhere that sometimes it helps to aspirate some of the fluid from the shoulder. But that does'nt sound fun you would probably need x-rays or MRIs to verify. I sure hope my insurance covers most of the costs as I'm not really supposed to have insurance since I'm still part-time. I wanted to go full-time for awhile since I'm having trouble finding an LPN job. But they are working 6-7 days a week and I know I need to give my shoulder a break once in awhile. Maybe I should call over the town I lived previously (first 2/3 of my life) and see if I can see a specialist there. I'm still wondering if its a torn rotator cuff, bursitis, or impingement since x-rays from last year showed some (burrs or spurrs?) starting to form and the doc said it was an early sign of arthritis, but should'nt be bothering too me much yet...

[Mrbobcat]

Hey guys, I talked to a powerlifting guy at the gym today and he had the same symptoms. He said he went to the doctor, got x-rays, MRI, ect. and they couldn't find anything. A powerlifting friend of his told him to stop direct bicep work and shoulder presses. He did and slowly, over about 3 months, his shoulder got better by itself. He said it could be a bicep attachment tear or inflammation. That started to make me think. My shoulder was hurting from too much pressing movements I think. But it was getting better until I had that real heavy deadlift workout and it was worse than ever that night and ever since. Thinking back, my bis were really sore too. Then earlier today I was massaging some pain cream in and started to put some on lower (around where the bi and delts join) and I think I can feel a mass or scar tissue or something in there that is'nt in the other arm. I had been doing heavy curls with the ez curl bar the past couple months (before my last 3 week break from lifting). Maybe that has something to do with it and why just not doing overhead presses or benching was'nt working. Anyone else heard of this. If thats the case, it would explain why the cortizone shot only worked for a couple days. Too bad there is'nt a sports doc around here...
I also noticed my shoulders seem a little more uneven than normal and I can feel a slight "click" when walking fast. Maybe I should see the chiropractor. I used to see one that was pretty good back in my powerlifting days.