Shoulder injury - need suggestions

N

namastekilgore

Member
Hi Cathe (or anyone else who cares to answer),

I've been dealing with a shoulder injury for about a year now; a recent visit to the ortho doc said I have cervicalgia (neck injury that doesn't hurt anywhere else in the upper body). This, I know, is an incorrect diagnosis, as I clearly explained to him that the pain radiates down the back of my arm to the elbow AND all of the way down my shoulder blade (muscles). Massage only helps for an hour or so...and I'm unable to continue to teach kickboxing or do any upper body weight training.

So, I'm limited in what I can do (yoga helps a bit, but again not much) and I'm frustrated. The doc wants me to go to physical therapy to EXERCISE my upper body, and I don't understand this as I told him this made the pain worse.

Have any of you dealt with this? IF so, how did you deal with it? I can't take the feeling of atrophy in my arms - esp. since I had really nice arms from my addiction to Muscle Endurance. :)

ANy suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
I feel your frustration. I have had a shoulder problem I've been dealing with for over a year now too - though not the same as yours. Are you able to get a second opinion, as it's so important to get the right diagnosis? As you say, you don't want to make it worse with the wrong physio exercises. DVD's that have helped my shoulder have been Viniyoga for Upper back and shoulders and, more recently, I have been doing Total Body Solutions from Beachbody. It has a shoulder section which has really helped me - although I'm not sure if it'd be OK for you.

I hope you resolve the diagnosis soon, shoulder problems are the pits.

Emma
 
Hi there,

Have you tried acupuncture for the pain? I started going for the first time this week, and it has made the pain I've been experiencing in my knee and shoulder (both most likely from tendonitis) about 85-90% better after just two sessions.

My insurance is actually covering the cost of it since I tried physical therapy, and it wasn't helping, and, in fact, was making the pain worse. Of course, I realize it's still very early to tell if the acupuncture will help long-term, but I've been totally amazed at how well it has worked this week!

Hope that this helps! I understand how frustrating those pains can be! :)
 
I would get a second opinion and also see if you can get your doctor to get a MRI for you and also I would look into finding a good sport doctor. I went to a doctor for my knee who told me nothing was really wrong, got the second and a third opinion only to find I needed knee surgery.
 
maybe its in your neck

I know that sounds crazy. When I was a kid I was in a head on collision and for two years I had pain in my left arm/elbow and finally went in to see a chiropractor and it turned out my neck was out of alignment which is like having a bone out of its socket.

That said, definitely see a sports doctor. I would hate for you to be in pain needlessly.
 
Total Body Solutions DVD

What is the Total Body Solutions DVD like?
Can you describe what shoulder re-hab exercises she does and how long they spend on shoulder?

Thanks,
Mary :)
 
Hi, I'd like to find out about what the Total Body Solutions video is like as well. I have having a right arm problem from my neck into my shoulder and down into my elbow, for about 9 months, driving me nutz!
Thanks in advance,
Ann
 
I've been using the shoulder section of the Total Body Solution. I think it's about 10-15 mins long. The exercises are repeated for 15 reps and work on range of motion and strength for the shoulder muscles but don't use any weights. It's quite difficult to explain the exercises but they include the Y raise, a standing chest lift, a standing rotator cuff strengthening exercise, the Egyptian (hard to explain but it's the first exercise and opens up and warms up the shoulder area). There's a couple of exercises you do on all fours - one is a strengthening exercise for the outside of the shoulder and the other is to improve range of motion for the front of the shoulder. There's the shoulder slide which you do on your back, which works the muscles between the shoulder blades. The last exercise is done using a stretchy tube and is for range of motion and to stretch out the shoulder. Actually, I think I've just listed all the exercises included, though not necessarily in the right order ;).

Ann - there is a separate section for the neck which I've tried out. It works the muscles on every side of the neck and also stretches it out.

The idea with TBS is you do it 30 times using it every other day. I haven't got to the end yet but I feel that it had helped a bit with the strength of my shoulder, as I had stopped using weights when I first had the shoulder problem.

Hope that's helped!

Emma
 
Emma, thank you, this description of the exercises is really helpful! I think I am going to order it. I really need some help not just with the shoulders but the neck too - seems like they are all connected and both would benefit.
 
I have it and like it but haven't used it enough to talk about its effectiveness. I use just the neck and shoulder drill sections. The best way I've found to describe the neck drills are that they're crunches for the small muscles of your necks. For instance you lie on your side and lift your head up sideways using a small lifting motion.

One thing I don't like about it is you have to FF through the assessment section to get to the actual drills. Not chaptered well at all. Once you do the assessment you really don't need to do it again or maybe only after awhile to see your progress.
 
Good description of the neck drills, basically neck crunches! I agree about the chaptering, the assessments should have been chaptered separately. I think you probably do have to stick with the programme to see results.

Emma
 
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