Shoulder impingement/ pulled/ injured. Anyone else?

[bosshog]

Hi all,

I have an impinged shoulder (AKA swimmers shoulder, bursitis, etc) along with an inflamed tendon. It come on real slowly from surfing most days when I first arrived in Oz. Thing is I went to see a physio straight away as I had plenty of injuries in my time, and know you need to look after them. However its now been over 4 months since it started and if anything it worse than in the beginning. Its really getting me down and stopping me get out on the water which they pretty much the main reason I'm out there.

What really complicates the situation is that I also have a separated/slightly dislocated ACL / collar bone which Ive had for 15 years (old snowboarding injury) and this is effecting the dynamics of the shoulder completely.

I have the feeling that its NEVER going to get better aside from just not using it, and giving up surfing which is seriously depressing.

Wondering if anyone else has had this injury and got any advise or experience?

thanks.

[RemainAllHoof]

Did it dynoing (one of these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=48qFsdSzKc... ). Took ages to heal because I refused to rest. Your only real choice is to rest it apart from doing exercises the physio tells you to do.

[bosshog]

how long did you rest it for?

[RemainAllHoof]

Well, in the end I had to stop climbing for a few months as I couldn't lift my arm without help. It was pretty much like a lump of meat hanging off my shoulder.

[goldblum]

Total rest for the tendinitus,anti inflammatorys and physio.Personally I'd opt for surgical repair for the acl if it's bad enough.Different levels of damage though..

[bosshog]

goldblum said:

Total rest for the tendinitus,anti inflammatorys and physio.Personally I'd opt for surgical repair for the acl if it's bad enough.Different levels of damage though..

thing is - the physio and doctor say that total rest isn't necessary as a) I cannot my sport b) I'm not going to build up the muscle. c) if I don't use it I will loose muscle. I keep hearing conflicting things

However after 4 months, perhaps I need to rest (its just SO hard to though). Thing is I suspect after a given period of rest, once I start using it it will just return quickly.

[goldblum]

bosshog said:

goldblum said:

Total rest for the tendinitus,anti inflammatorys and physio.Personally I'd opt for surgical repair for the acl if it's bad enough.Different levels of damage though..

thing is - the physio and doctor say that total rest isn't necessary as a) I cannot my sport b) I'm not going to build up the muscle. c) if I don't use it I will loose muscle. I keep hearing conflicting things

However after 4 months, perhaps I need to rest (its just SO hard to though). Thing is I suspect after a given period of rest, once I start using it it will just return quickly.

You won't lose any muscle,I can't imagine why anyone told you that.For sure the injury will probably return.I've injured both shoulders a number of times over

the years doing various sports..best thing to do is get the injuries sorted now,once and for all.

[bosshog]

goldblum said:

You won't lose any muscle,I can't imagine why anyone told you that.For sure the injury will probably return.I've injured both shoulders a number of times over

I mean immediately. So how long a rest? until I cannot feel it?

thx BTW

[Ordinary_Chap]

Sorry to hear about the injury, I've had a similar thing happen to me which has really depressed me too recently. I've not been able to train properly for over 4 months since a truck slammed into the side of my car and the steering wheel got swung around violently whilst I was holding it.

I have been having physio since and using ibuprofen to self medicate with some success, however please don't take this as a recommendation as I'm not a medical professional and have not been given this advice by anyone.

I was effectively told, rest and physio for up-to 6 months or maybe an operation.

Good luck with it,
Lee

[croyde]

Happened to me and it must of been 2 years before it was back to normal but I didn't really get a chance to rest it because of my job. I did have a steroid injection which, although bloody painful, helped.

[goldblum]

bosshog said:

goldblum said:

You won't lose any muscle,I can't imagine why anyone told you that.For sure the injury will probably return.I've injured both shoulders a number of times over

I mean immediately. So how long a rest? until I cannot feel it?

thx BTW

Yes.And then build up strength in the shoulder slowly.Again..see a physio.The tendinitus and the impingement are related,in that the impingement is the name used to

describe the pain/lack of movement in the rotator cuff.A steroid injection might help but this is a last resort.The other shoulder is much harder to deal with without

(relatively simple) surgery.Because even part dislocation stretches ligaments they will remain permanently stretched,increasing the chances

dramatically of the same thing happening again.Surgery on the shoulder would shorten the ligaments.However it is possible that some good physio and some muscle

building exercises might bring a satisfactory amount of movement/strength back to the shoulder.

[bosshog]

Yeah this is pretty much what I know already - the only thing is no one yet including physio and doctors have said to have complete rest. Getting conflicting messages all the time

[goldblum]

Yeah I know where you're coming from.Let's put it this way..if the tendinitus happened now the ideal rehab process would be total rest,physio and naproxen.

But it's not an ideal world.If I have a running injury I use a physio who is also a runner so he understands my urge to keep following my sport in any way

possible whilst trying to recover from injury.

[Ordinary_Chap]

goldblum said:

Yeah I know where you're coming from.Let's put it this way..if the tendinitus happened now the ideal rehab process would be total rest,physio and naproxen.

But it's not an ideal world.If I have a running injury I use a physio who is also a runner so he understands my urge to keep following my sport in any way

possible whilst trying to recover from injury.

This is the problem I have/had. I am useless at heading my own advice when it comes to injuries.

I've been really stupid this year in my recovery in that I kept trying to train far too early and all it did was set me back much further.

[didelydoo]

Have a look here- http://www.sugdenbarbell.co.uk/forum/shoulder-bice... - I've had ongoing shoulder issues for months now, i've not rested it but shoulder dislocates, despite initially being painful, have definitely helped, it's almost gone now.

[Ordinary_Chap]

What does everyone think of this from a very well known trainer? Goldblum, any thoughts?

article said:

With a large towel or broomstick I want you to hold it with straight arms for the entire time of what i describe in the following movement--a large "rolled up like a rope" beach towel works good but honestly a longer broomstick (without the bristles) works best in my opinion. Start out with it with a really wide grip (with straight arms) in front of you (on your quads) and with straight arms bring it up and overhead and then down and back to the middle of your back--STRAIGHT ARMS ALL THE WAY--this is going to be very difficult and hard the first couple times out and then will be "old hat" with time----and its going to be painful in a stretching pump kind of way---i want 50 reps each time you do this--one repetition is from in front of your face (all with straight arms) to up overhead and back, and then down all the way to the middle of your back and then back up overhead to in front of your face again (again all with straight arms)--the important part of the movement is the area overhead that is really tight--do all of this carefully/slowly---dont just whip it over and back---if your hand is slipping off the broomstick even with the widest grip, or you cant bring your arms over straight and the start bending on you, you have some serious shoulder inflexibility and need to work this hard and get up to speed (or you could just need a longer broomstick too)--again do all of these revolutions controlled and carefully--push into the stretch as you go along toward the 50 revolutions, your chest will be pushing outward and your shoulders rolling back--your shoulders are going to blow up with so much blood its going to be incredibly painfull pumpwise--Do this once a day at nite as many times a week as you can---sometimes I have people do it every single day---but every time you do it try to move your grip inward (thats the key)----its going to be very hard to do but try your best to move your grip inward for the next 2-4 weeks and your range of motion with shoulders will increase dramatically and any impingement and the majority of other problems should be gone in 2 weeks--also try to move your grip in as you are doing the 50 revolutions--start off with a stretching but relatively easy 10 to warm up some, then try to move your grip in even by a centimeter if you can for the next 20 revolutions and then at 30 try to move the grip in another centimeter--really try to push what you can do stretchwise once your warmed up here--trust me this sounds easy but your going to be muttering "fk you dante" after you get to your 25th revolution--Ive cured too many shoulder problems with this simple movement now its pretty ridiculous, and this and a menthol rub applied liberally daily and before sleep has cured alot of shoulder/bicepital tendonitis in trainees ---Heres a pic attached to this post so you can get an idea (thanks to a trainee of mine who cured his shoulders with this)--but remember the broomstick goes overhead and all the way back to the middle of the back (he just drew the start of the movement when you begin)

From here;
http://www.intensemuscle.com/showthread.php?t=6997

[goldblum]

Used a similar stretch years ago and remember it being painful.It's in the natural range of movement of the shoulder joint but just be careful.Personally I

wouldn't even think about it with my damn tendinitus.My problems lie with the supraspinatus,which is a bit more exposed than the bicep tendon.I can't abduct

at all on the right so even thinking about that stretch makes me wince.

[bosshog]

yeah not sure I want to do that either. I'm sure it would be effective at stopping you get impingement in the first place but as I already have it I don't think that would help.

For now I'm going to give it 3 weeks total rest and then start gradually if I can. I'm my own worst enemy as I just cannot stop myself surfing, so I'm praying for no waves.