Collarbone area/shoulder achiness?

[MCunningham]

Hello, guys. I'm wondering if any of you have experienced anything like this before...

I did Cardio & Weights on a Wednesday, 7 March. I'm working my way back into shape, so I wasn't going super crazy on the dumbbells or anything.

Anyway, the rest of that day, I felt fine. However, about an hour after I woke up the next day (Thursday, 8 March), on my way to work, my right shoulder started to feel REALLY achy, to the point of real pain. The weirdest part was that it wasn't REALLY my shoulder... it was like my right collar bone, right scapular region, close to the neck, and my right upper-outer bicep, deeeep in the muscle (like the region where you get vaccinations, not the shoulder.)

So that pain, more like a really deep, persistent achy feeling in all three areas, persisted nonstop for the rest of the week and through the weekend, despite applying heating pads and using a high-power prescription anti-inflammatory (Lodine), and, of course, total rest. Even swinging my arm while walking was painful, so I vegged, hoping to get it to heal quicker.

Here I am, nearly two full weeks later, and *most* of the right side achiness is gone. I still have not worked out since Wednesday, 8 March because I still don't feel quite right. Now, both of my collar bone areas seem to ache constantly. Some days worse than others. Today, just letting my arms hang naturally induced an achy-pulling sensation in my collar bones, so I had to prop my arms up all day.

Seriously, I'm starting to get a little weirded out. Does this sound like anything anyone else has EVER experienced? Do you guys have any input at all?

If it continues through early next week, I'll go to my doctor, but he's one of those wait-and-see types, so I don't feel I'm missing out by not going right now.

Help! I need to get back to working out, but I have no idea what's wrong with me!



Meg

 

[tiredmom]

I can't believe you posted this! I have had the same problem for about a week now! Not so much the bicep, but near the collar bone. Mine almost feels like my shoulder/arm is out of place a bit. Sometimes if I move it a certain way, it feels better. Keep me posted, please. I'll do the same.

Nancy

 

[Liann]

Meg - Sounds a lot like the problems I have been having with my right shoulder. It hurts in three places - right at the top of the right shoulder between the shoulder and the neck, back in the right scapular region, and the outside of the shoulder (a little higher than the bicep but not quite in the shoulder). By the end of the day it feels like my arm is just hanging out of joint. The only thing that makes it feel better is propping it up. I actually drive home with my right shoulder propped up on the passenger seat back. Some days it doesn't bother me, but it still hurts to the touch, other days it just aches like crazy. I did go to the doctor (after 3 weeks of it hurting - I'm a wait and see person too!) for it and am in physical therapy now (went to the second session yesterday). They told me that I was too mobile in the joint (kind of loose in there) and that had caused me to injure it while working out - I was using very low weights at the time too. Right now we are working on strengthening the muscles around the shoulder to "hold it in place" and strengthening the scapular region. I was told not to do any "fly" type exercises until it is better. I am still allowed to do all of my other exercises, I have just backed down to using only 2 lb weights at the moment and I am supposed to be very careful and controlled when doing anything overhead. They also told me to focus on tightening the scapular region to stabilize the shoulder when doing my upper body work. My doctor recommended that I put heat on it when needed and take Aleve in the morning and night for the pain. If it doesn't feel better in the next few weeks, I am going to make an appointment with an Orthopedic Dr. Hope you are feeling better soon and that it just goes away!

 

[MCunningham]

Wow! Well, at least I'm not alone! Haha.

Both of you are describing basically how I feel. I totally feel the "out of place" or feeling of "hanging out of joint"... even though I can feel very clearly that that isn't the case.

In fact, the last few days, when I move my arms certain ways, I almost feel a sort of painless "grinding" sensation around my collarbones, which totally doesn't make sense.

It's good advice to avoid flys... kind of a bummer, though, since those are my favorite chest exercise!

I'm just utterly mystified by this injury. I do hope both of yours get better soon...

Very strange!

 

[Liann]

I have the grinding too! If I extend my right arm straight out to the side, bend at the elbow with my hand pointed up and then rotate the entire arm forward, I get the most icky grinding sound coming from the front of the shoulder! You can actually hear it grinding. The actual grinding doesn't hurt at all. My doctor told me that was the beginning of arthritis, but I'm not necessarily buying that. I never had that before this "injury".

 

[GreenEyedLefty]

I wonder if you impinged a nerve. You have to be careful doing overhead presses.

I've had a palsy in my long thoracic nerve since my youngest was born almost 4 years ago, and learned the hard way via some rather painful physical therapy how many nerves are located in the shoulder region.

Anyway, an orthopedic doc can help pinpoint what's going on. That's where I went first, and he prescribed the PT that helped restore my range of motion.

 

[mamads]

I've had this problem the past year also and sometimes my bra strap feels like it's killing me too :-( . Please let us know what your doctor suggests for you to do. It might help all of us.

Darlene