Thanks for coming through, bikeforums. I'll probably be PMing those of you who offered.

I am going back to see the same general practicioner tomorrow, because I need something for the pain before I get stomach ulcers.. as it is, I am taking tons of advil/aleve and then pepto bismol(sp?) to help my stomach.. too much work.. my appointment with the specialist isn't until mid-June.

I do have an aggressive fit, but this shoulder problem predates that.. hell I had it before I even started cycling. It is most likely something that happened while I was involved in martial arts. I don't feel like I should have to sacrifice the fit I like (lotsa wind in texas, no hills, I love the aero tuck and I get no lower back pain) in order to be pain free. I am in the best shape of my life, I'm flexible, and I'm 23... This is not an injury that should be keeping me off the bike.


If the doctor turns out to be a bust, I will try and find another Chiro.. I am lucky enough to have great health insurance, but because I work at a law firm I (of course) don't have time for the daily chiro treatments.

The pain is bad even if I don't cycle that day, or if I go 3 days without cycling.. it still hurts. It just hurts worse when the muscle is inflamed and active, which the dropped position does to you.

I may go a cortical(sp?) steroid shot.. I had one two years ago and it didn't do much, but who knows.. maybe the doctor was a bad aim. The pain seems to start on the lower left side of my neck and then spread out to my shoulder - the spasm and knot are very visible, and the general practicioner I was seeing pinpointed the problem right away - so she knows what she's doing (I already had a diagnosis from a chiro but wanted to see what she had to say) .. however she gave me cyclobenzaprine to help me sleep, which seems to not do anything more than knock me the eff out and make me drowsy in the morning.

I need something I can take during the day, damnit! At least until I can get to the bottom of this.

I will definitely try the exercises.