You guys getting the Google "shoulderpain"ads when you log on to this thread???

+1000! Until you know what you're dealing with, you really can't make a good decision.

Learn a mantra before you go under the "lens?" It's worth it to be still.

Folks who don't have claustrophobia don't begin to understand those who do. It is not a rational thing. I can do an "open" MRI, but no way can I do a closed MRI without medication. Last time I tried it without medication I lasted about 2 minutes, and started yelling, "Get me out of here!" They did.

Sorry, a mantra would not help me.

I have to look into the open mri, someone at work suggested that also. Phobias are an odd business. The MRI folks have obviously seen it a million times. The nurse told me she was the only one of the staff that could never get into the tube without a sedative. A Manta? really? hmmmm

A friend with claustrophobia said the same is true about being in a cast -- the feeling of an arm or leg "trapped" in a cast is enough to cause an anxiety attack.

I was recently on an airplane that was parked on a runway, where they turned off the air conditiong - in fact, any air circulation at all - it got hot and stuffy and I was getting the feeling that going through that emergency exit door was a pretty good idea. Nora said she had some "medicine" that would help - fortunately, they turned things back on.

I injured my right shoulder chipping ice off the driveway. Pain built over a period of months, to the point that I had very limited range of motion. My doc thought I had a partial tear, and I got a contrast MRI. No tear, just initial pain led to limiting use, which led to frozen shoulder. He sent me to a PT that helped "unfreeze" the shoulder over several weeks. REALLY painful. Shoulder is pretty good now.

Your doc really won't know without an MRI. You can try going the PT route and hope there is no underlying damage that the PT exacerbates. But keep taking the Ibuprofen as you go through therapy.

My ortho doc is the team physician for US Rowing and several college and pro teams here in NJ. He really knows his shoulders, and did operations on my youngest daughter's shoulders to tighten the capsules after years of competitive swimming.

We need to get the mods to open a Rotator Cuff sticky or something. Same issue here from a 10 mph over the bar crash almost 2 years ago. Good discussion.

Apologies! No, I don't have it. I did fidget in the MRI, but not the fear you're talking about. I assumed it was the same.

Tendinitis vs. tendonitis

I've been doing some reading and found some articles saying that most cases of tendinitis are actually tendinosis. I'm suspecting I'm one of those cases, since my pain hasn't improved at all using the conventional RICE method (except Elevation ---- I can't keep my arm above my head most of the time).

Can't believe how timely this is. My rotator cuff tendinitis was diagnosed just YESTERDAY.
I haven't been on this forum in a while and then today I find this discussion.

Yen - I had a very similar experience...my shoulder ached for a couple of months but nothing too bad (hurt when I slept on it or reached behind my back) but in mid September I developed a sore bicep - felt just as you described it - like someone had punched me HARD in the deltoid. But I have no memory of any injury or traumatic event.
I did not want to take Advil since it did not hurt all the time- it only hurt when I moved my arm in certain ways. I figured it would get better with time but instead it got worse - worse pain and more movements that made it hurt. Finally saw the MD yesterday.

The MD is sending me for PT AND put me on twice a day prescription anti-inflammatory for one month. It already feels better after only 2 doses (maye I should have started the advil 3 months ago before it got this far??)

Looking forward to PT so I can find out what to do and NOT to do in the future, but I am really hoping I won't need to take the medicine anymore.

But not happy to hear this may be a recurring problem

Friends warned me recovery takes about 18 months, and sure enough that's about what it took. You simply cannot do whatever movement causes the pain, even if this means giving up a hobby for awhile. This is NOT one of those things you can work through. Note that if you're not aggravating it, by definition you don't need painkillers. (I did use ice packs during the first few days). I found stretches that worked, never sought professional help. Now, (at 63) my shoulders are stronger than ever, e.g. I can do dumbbell flies with 35 pounders.

Incidentally, the stretch that worked best I discovered by accident: I'm a truck driver and I was lifting the hood during my usual pre-trip and I noticed how good it felt as I pushed it smoothly and slowly above my head to full extension, then held it a few seconds. I attribute my recovery to a combination of time (patience) and this one stretch, and I continue to do it every morning, counterbalancing it with other stretches like pulling. (The only problem is I can't think of a way to duplicate this particular stretch in the gym! Maybe a standing press with a light bar). In fact I stretch at every opportunity during the day - I believe it helps prevent injuries in general. Listen to your body.

Wow, that is amazing! I almost didn't post this, thinking it's too OT. But as I explained above, arm signals are painful while on the bike, so it's related enough.

UPDATE:
I saw the ortho doc on Tuesday. There is no improvement -- in fact, the pain seems to have migrated further up and around the arm. Some movements are much more painful, including driving (I drive a stick shift). He gave me an order to start PT 3x/week for 4 weeks, and I already have an appt. on Monday morning at a place that treats a lot of sports injury.

Yes, it just continues to get worse until you do something to make it better. Try putting the top down with one hand on a Mazda Miata when you have a shoulder problem. I did this - once - and almost passed out. It was getting so bad that I had referred pain throbbing in my hand and back, just sitting on the couch in the evening. Good luck with your therapy!

My PT begins tomorrow morning. Working on the slide show the past week, I could feel new shooting pains high in the shoulder. Hoping for the best!

I have a similar pain in the same place plus rotator cuff aches too . Have had it on and off for decades.

The pain is not continuous and comes and goes. Worst at night. It does best when it's well exercised. I have to be careful in my weight training to do it regularly and if I do gap it, to build the weights back up up slowly. It's definitely a damaged tendon in my case, or was some years ago. I'm skeptical your doctor really knows with out at least an mri.

It could be a congenital problem. Mine was and it was operated on some 12 years ago as the mri showed a damaged tendon which the x-ray missed. The mri didn't reveal the extent of the damage. The tendon was sewed up.

For some strange reason a nylon/Velcro armband around the forearm just below the elbow of the type to mitigate tennis-elbow mitigates the pain of the rotator cuff/mid-upper arm. Go figure. I wear the band cycling and weight training or while doing any heavy work around the house when I get a flare up. It's gotten worse with age so I may have to see about another mri.

First though, I've got this book on order:

https://www.amazon.com/Treat-Your-Own...1080797&sr=1-1

It's apparently poorly written and poorly organized, but it's helped a lot of the reviewers. I always do the self-help before letting the medical types have a crack at it. Generally that works very well.

Each case is different and diagnosis with out an mri or operation to look inside is not all that reliable. However, Keeping the area exercised is generally more effective then letting it atrophy. Also, the perceived location of the pain is sometimes not the location of the actual damage.

Al

I tore my Teres Minor tendon canoeing about 20 years ago in my left shoulder and had quite the time with pain until I had a couple acupuncture sessions. After all the PT I still had spasm which the acupuncture managed to relieve. Last year, I tore my Supraspinatus Tendon in the same shoulder while rowing my raft down the Grand Canyon. I went through PT for that and now, for the most part, I am pain free. I have to be careful though as to how I use the joint so I don't isolate that muscle since the tendon will never be 100%.

Do the PT, everyday, and try to continue those exercises at least a couple times a week after the shoulder feels better. The exercise movements are generally the low resistance range of motion type and don't take much time but make a big difference.

First day of PT was interesting. The PT confirmed my belief that I have tendinosis, not tendinitis ("tendinitis doesn't last this long").

Based on the objective/subjective observations, he also believes there is a partial tear in one of the rotator cuff muscles.

I did several different exercises, some of which I am to do at home on days when I don't go to PT. This morning, my triceps hurt more than the last time I did an upper-body work-out at the gym (2 months ago).

I was asked to do a modified sideways plank (on my knees rather than my feet). I couldn't do that for even a second without a lot of pain (2 months ago I could do that for at least 1 minute on each side, pain-free). The PT was very surprised (I wasn't), then said "We have a lot of work to do...". If he thought I should be able to do that, and then was surprised when I couldn't, I wonder if there's something else going on or if things are worse than they suspect.

Or, I might just cancel the rest of the PT and get this book... the reviews are very impressive.

no!! Don't do that, please.

Timely topic and great thread. I have developed the same problem just in the past few weeks.

I wonder how he can tell the difference between muscle tear and tendon tear. Pure speculation?

I too have difficulty with the side plank. However, my next phase is build up to doing them as they are good core for mountain biking. An advantage of rehabilitating ones self is that you are more free to experiment and can adjust more quickly to how you respond. I've done far better by being "in charge" for all my medical issues.

PT is more of a one size fits all deal based on my and my wife's limited experiences. However, I am seriously biased against P therapists as I am nutritionists based on the experience. I'm also very skeptical of doctors.

When I had the shoulder/cuff operation, I had a deal with the surgeon that there was to be no PT. He was to train me on the exercises and I'd take care of it. Within about 5-months I was canoeing well again. And that's from an almost completely severed tendon. Sure it still hurt some, But that lasted for maybe a few months more.

I tend to push things and work with the doctors to set my upper limits.

Al

Well Kids, I don't want to put to fine a point on it, but I notice that mine gets really sore if I spend too much time on my laptop.

Well, PT exercise can't be more boring but they seem very effective. Today, my triceps hurt from yesterday's subtle moves as much as they did after an upper-body workout at the gym. Planks, resistance bands, core ball.... I'm looking forward to the results.

Glad I started this post since it seems to apply to so many of us. Yesterday while sitting in the chair with a heating pad over my shoulder, the man next to me said "Rotator cuff? Seems to be common."

You can ride a laptop? Wha kind of saddle? How long is your top tube?