Shoulder Problems Still!!!

[VONN]

i have had shoulder problems on and off for a year or so, and i am going to lose my fucking mind if i can't get back into the gym. every time i begin to train, about 6 weeks into it my shoulder fucking kills, but once i stop training for a few weeks it goes away. only in chest and bi movements, not any shoulder exercises. i saw an exellent ortho 6 weeks ago, and my x-rays were perfect.(didn't do mri though) he said i had a nice case of bursitis right at the top outer most point of my shoulder, and "possibly" some rotator cuff tendonitis. i told him in advance any kind of cortizone shot was out of the question! he put me on celebrex for 30 days to see what that did and to come back so he could re-evaluate. well.....my insurance got fucked up and i can go back, and he is expensive. the celebrex seems to have killed the bursitis, though i am going to stop using it and switch to bextra(my wife uses it) because , wow what a noticable difference, that will begin today. i now magically have the "other"pain i have experienced before all of a sudden in the outer most part of where my delt connects to my collar bone, i assume even though it feels like it is in that spot, it is the rotator cuff tendonitis, my ortho spoke of. just in the last 2 days it just there, when i move my arm certain ways. i hope the bextra kills it, the searching i have been doing says that bextra can stop tendonitis, also methylprednisolone has been popping up alot., i know my regular doc will give me a script for it if i ask but i will have to pay cash for it, is it expensive? anyone know? and, does anyone know if, u can get it from online pharmacies? I"M NOT asking where, just if,yes or no. i have 200$ free every week in my pay to begin a smokin diet, i have gear in my medicine cabinet a fucking year old, i'm gonna kill myself if i can't solve this

 

[Zyglamail]

all you are doing is perpetuating your injuries by reducing inflamation and in turn preventing proper healing. This can and will lead to long term damage if not addressed, it may already be to late. prolonews.com will answer many of your questions.

 

[nadr7891]

Bextra rocks, that's for sure. i can't get it yet on my insurance, though, still too new. doc gives me samples.

i'm sure this is too simpleton of an answer, but when you do train try NOT doing flat bench at all. my shoulders used to hurt all the time and it would drive me nuts. because of a thread i read on this website i stopped doing anything on a flat bench and what do you know; my shoulder issues are gone.

i'm now of the opinion that i can better isolate the chest with other movements/machines, anyway, so it's been a win-win for me.

 

[OfimNedu]

I would look into prolotherapy also. That combined with a good physical therapy program corrected my problems with sound similar to yours.

 

[VONN]

zyg, i am not training at all now and i haven't been for like a year. i just decided to do something about it like 2 months ago, i do not feel the bursitis at all now after the anti's. i could feel it most all the time, whether it was "painful" or not before, i knew it was there. now i feel the "other" pain i have had. if i don't take anti inflamatories, or the methylpred...., then how am i supposed to heal the problem? the idea from my ortho was to take the anti's for 30 days then begin some light training, but suddenly i feel what i suspect is this tendonitis? if i do not take anything how am i supposed to heal it? i think u thought i am still training through the pain and ignoring it??? the last thing i want to do is begin training before i am healed.

 

[BigB_79]

I have had back problems for years. Every once in a while I'll do something to irritate it. I've been to the doctor about a dozen times and its always the same thing. He gives me pain meds and tells me more than likely I'm going to have to live with it for the rest of my life as long as I keep working out and not allowing it to heal properly.

 

[ViperHMS]

There was something on here about a year ago called ART, Active Release Technique where many where praising this thearpy. I was gonna do it once but never got around to going the doc. Do a search oh wait your not platinum, well if you want me to do a search on it and get back on you with links etc shoot me a pm and i'll look into it for you. Later

Viper

 

[RADAR]

Vonn...rotatator injuries are the most complicated areas to heal because of the variables involved in the working mechanics of muscles and tendons....i'm having the same thing you are experiencing,however mine was caused by throwing a stinking bowling ball,i have this wicked curve i throw and on the second game upon throwing a lousy 12lb ball my shoulder popped,i couldn't use that arm the rest of the day,the doc gave me cortisone shots to the area and said it should heal in 2-3 weeks ,this was 3 yrs ago and no matter what i do i constantly happen to do something to aggrivate it. reciently i discovered "STOP PAIN" its a tropical spray fortified with glusomanine and MSM,believe me it works wonders!!!Its available at QVC pharmacies!


RADAR

 

[OfimNedu]

Listen. You really need to find out exactly what is causing the pain. Even if that means getting an MRI. Active Release only helps if you have impingement syndrome. I had the exact same problem as you, hurt when I did biceps/chest and not shoulders. I tried everything and the ortho said I had rotator cuff tendonitis due to a sublexing shoulder. I could also have labral problems but that's another story. It was mainly caused by genetics and muscular imbalances. Like Zyg said, read up on prolotherapy. Every time you take an anti-inflammatory you're only inhibiting healing and creating a temporary fix. Prolo combined with a good PT program worked for me. My shoulder will never be the same and will never be completely fixed unless I risk surgery however now I get minimal pain and much for functionality. I'll hold out like this as long as I can. Hope that helps bro.

 

[fr0st.Shardz]

all you are doing is perpetuating your injuries by reducing inflamation and in turn preventing proper healing. This can and will lead to long term damage if not addressed, it may already be to late. prolonews.com will answer many of your questions.

veri true... i agree with that

 

[daveyboy]

You need to get an MRI.

 

[Zyglamail]

zyg, i am not training at all now and i haven't been for like a year. i just decided to do something about it like 2 months ago, i do not feel the bursitis at all now after the anti's. i could feel it most all the time, whether it was "painful" or not before, i knew it was there. now i feel the "other" pain i have had. if i don't take anti inflamatories, or the methylpred...., then how am i supposed to heal the problem? the idea from my ortho was to take the anti's for 30 days then begin some light training, but suddenly i feel what i suspect is this tendonitis? if i do not take anything how am i supposed to heal it? i think u thought i am still training through the pain and ignoring it??? the last thing i want to do is begin training before i am healed.

So what you are telling me is that you think lack of pain = healing? If thats the case then I can load you up with novicain and cut your arm off and because you dont feel it you are healing? Your bursitis is likely due to your outlook on healing and probably is even too far gone to reverse and you now have to live with your past actions and policies for treating your injuries.

Simply put, the pain often associated with joint injuries is due to strains and sprains of tendons/ligaments. These tissues have very little blood flow and under normal circumstances have a very slow cellular turnover rate(ie cells are replaced every 300-500 days). When injured they become inflamed, causing pain but ALSO triggering a cascade of healing events such as increased blood flow and a myriad of other effects which promote healing of the injured tissue. When you take an anti-inflamatory you curtail this inflamation and in turn all of the beneficial healing side effects. The net result is you fell better BUT your tendons/ligaments are left in a weakened state and more prone to future injury. If the joint remains in its unhealed state it is also often loose or sloppy, this causes further irritation and can weak away and joint tissue, this in turn gets filled with bone to try and take up the slack (ie arthritis) or scar tissue (bursitis). I have had many injuries(back, ankle, elbows, shoulders) and have had them all treated with prolo and they are all as good as new. I have not taking an anti-inflamatory in almost 2 years and while having prolo done I missed virtually no time in the gym.

 

[Mavy]

YOu guys this is nothing. I had dislocated my shoulder (most pain you will ever feel), and broke my arm in 2 different places. The top ball of the humerous cracked off my arm, AND was also dislocated. Imagine the orthopods trying to pop a broken peice of humerous back into place.

It has been about a year and a half now since the accident and I am doing great. I will never be back to 100% strength or range of motion, but I am getting pretty close. I do feel pain every now and then, but usually its only when doing extreme heavy sholder bresses. Chest sometimes as well.

What had happened to your shoulder to act like this? Was it injured before? I would suggest getting a good physiotherapist. Take it easy on the heavy weights until you are ready.

Also, make sure you warm up your shoulder and rotator before doing ANY upper body exercise (except abs ... only ones where arms are involved). Do this with a series of stretches and movements for about 30 mins, 3 times / week (right before working out upper body).

Third ... this has been great ... get a good sports message therapist. Tell her your situation, and let her do a deep muscle message on the area. You will find that she will do most of it on the upper back and back of your shoulder. This is because with a weakened shoulder, you not knowingly do TUNS of compensating with other muscles to lift the heavy weights as compared to your other shoulder. Most of these compensating muscles are in your back.

Good luck,
Mavy

 

[Zyglamail]

Third ... this has been great ... get a good sports message therapist. Tell her your situation, and let her do a deep muscle message on the area. You will find that she will do most of it on the upper back and back of your shoulder. This is because with a weakened shoulder, you not knowingly do TUNS of compensating with other muscles to lift the heavy weights as compared to your other shoulder. Most of these compensating muscles are in your back.

Good luck,
Mavy

While not directly related to prolotherapy it does help to support my claims that anti-inflamatories are not good. Massage, Active release etc all stimulate circulation in the damage tissue and thus enhance healing. Anti-inflamatories reduce inflamation and in turn reduce blood flow thus slowing healing.

 

[descanting]

3 years ago, I was putting heavy luggage into a car... the tuff guy in me, I was throwing those around... next thing, I come back inside the house, my right arm was in so much pain it wasn't funny.. for weeks after I could barely turn the key to start my car... I went to see my chiropractor for advice, he said it felt like a bursitis.. He treated me with a massage and somekind of an ultra sound device which heated up the area.. I did a half dozen treatments and alot of glucosamine.. It went away... I think I also stopped training my shoulders as hard as I used to.. but that arm has never bothered me again..
Now it's my other shoulder which is a little painfull, especially on chest and biceps days..
I'm gonna stick to dips, incline bench and crossovers for the next few months and see how it goes.. Anybody's input would be much welcomed...

 

[Zyglamail]

3 years ago, I was putting heavy luggage into a car... the tuff guy in me, I was throwing those around... next thing, I come back inside the house, my right arm was in so much pain it wasn't funny.. for weeks after I could barely turn the key to start my car... I went to see my chiropractor for advice, he said it felt like a bursitis.. He treated me with a massage and somekind of an ultra sound device which heated up the area.. I did a half dozen treatments and alot of glucosamine.. It went away... I think I also stopped training my shoulders as hard as I used to.. but that arm has never bothered me again..
Now it's my other shoulder which is a little painfull, especially on chest and biceps days..
I'm gonna stick to dips, incline bench and crossovers for the next few months and see how it goes.. Anybody's input would be much welcomed...

massage and ultrasound all increase bloodflow and in turn promote healing, this is the exact opposite of what anti-inflamatories do. Unfortunatly so many docs may recomend the message or ultrasound but then they go and recomend anti-inflamatories on top of it and nullify most if not all of the benefits of unltrasound/message....and People wonder why it takes so long to heal.

Many strains/sprains WILL heal on their own if you allow the inflamation to run its course and lighten up the weights a bit. Prolotherapy is a series of injections directly into the tendon/ligament to PROMOTE inflamation. It also includes a bit of lidocain for pain but the goal is to PROMOTE inflamation and in turn expidite the healing process. When I had prolo done I took it easy for a couple days after treatment, then it was back to the gym at full force. I trined normally ALL THROUGH my treatment and healing WITHOUT any anti-inflamatories and I have not taken any since I first had prolo done and learned how detrimental it is.