Rotator Cuff Tendonitis..........

rlouie · #1 07-11-2008, 08:58 PM

any body experienced that????????????? I've been in pain for the past 6 months seeing doctors, taking nsaids and some pain medication (which I hate cause it makes me loopy, not Louie) I finally got an mri done and went to see an Orthopedist today and the diagnosis other than just being mild to moderate degeneration of my rotator cuff and tendons surrounding it, is Shoulder bursitis and rotator cuff tendonitis and they are both ways of saying there is inflammation of a particular area within the shoulder joint that is causing a common set of symptoms. The best terminology for these symptoms is 'impingement syndrome.' Impingement syndrome occurs when there is inflammation of the rotator cuff tendons and the bursa that surrounds these tendons.
Common symptoms include:

o Pain with overhead activities (arm above head height)
o Pain while sleeping at night
o Pain over the outside of the shoulder/upper arm
and lets add playing my guitar for more than 3 minutes before it hurts so much I have to stop.
Today I got a cortisone shot directly into my right shoulder and 6 hours later I can feel the medicine working. I played a whole song tonight without having to stop from the pain...Yea for me!!!!!!! if you feel a lot of pain in your shoulder you cannot fix this without medicine and doctors so don't even try, you could make it worse................so I start my physical therapy at our local YMCA on Monday and we'll see what happens, I could use a quick little prayer on occasion from some of my friends here that pray and if you don't pray good thoughts will help also, to help me get through this the right way.............thanks for listening folks......

here's where the pain is in my shoulder......

and here is how the shot was administered

rlouie · #2 07-11-2008, 09:22 PM

thank you Paul, much appreciated................

manowar2888 · #3 07-11-2008, 09:38 PM

i know how you feel both of my shoulders are in horrible condition from years of weightlifting when i was younger. the cortisone shots definitly work but you can only get so many of them. make sure you follow through on the therapy it seems like it is doing nothing but stay with it it will help in the long run.also i have been using the heating pads you put in the microwave they absorb moisture from the air so its moist heat and very easy to heat up and lay on your shoulder for 10-15 min it helps my pain alot.good luck on trying to heal it, it is very difficult you have to really baby it for quite sometime.mine will never go away but i have good weeks and bad weeks. i hope yours heals up fast.

random works · #4 07-11-2008, 11:09 PM

Won't go into details..have struggled with major back/neck pain for years, found this book..amazing, not the usual, makes sense, works for me. Nothing else I found worked nearly as well ( including physicians and chiropractors)

I just found one used on ebay for about the price of 2
Starbucks cups

Look up Fix Your Own Pain the author is Jolie Bookspan

I still have to avoid larger guitars though; something about the right arm being just an inch or so higher makes a big difference.

Hope you can be completely pain free soon.

Random

Glennwillow · #5 07-12-2008, 12:03 AM

rlouie,

Sorry to hear about your shoulder pain. I have been battling a similar problem for years, but it seems like your your problem is much worse.

This may not help you, but I found that working out on a Nordic Track helped a little. Something about the movement, if it's not too vigorous, helps to lubricate the joint a little.

As others have said, smaller body guitars (OM or 000 size) do seem to help.

I hope you don't have to have surgery.

All the best,
- Glenn

Joe's Corsage · #6 07-12-2008, 01:28 AM

rlouie, sorry to hear of your current predicament. i will send some good karma your way. hopefully it involves several thousand dollars and you can buy a bevelled, fluted, master grade wood equipped handbuilt to resolve all your playing issues. =)

good luck brother.

Juan_Banjovy · #7 07-12-2008, 02:46 AM

Sounds like what I had in my left shoulder. Started last summer & got worse. Couldn't sleep on my left side for 6 months. Had an MRI & 5 weeks of therapy & it finally began healing a couple of months ago. Fortunately, I play guitar right-handed so that worked out. Can't remember the prescription I was on but it did seem to shorten my work days.

I think I did it at the gym, lifting weights, probably the butterfly machine because that's what hurt the most before I stopped lifting. Military press was nearly as painful. Good luck. If it doesn't get better I'd highly recommend a good physical therapist.

GAD · #8 07-12-2008, 06:55 AM

If you search my posts you'll see that I had shoulder surgery six weeks ago now. I had a severe tear and calcific tendonitis in my right shoulder. Dr. says the calcification was a result of an old injury (I used to teach Tae Kwon Do) that didn't heal properly due to insufficient blood flow.

I'm hoping you can get it fixed with therapy and a shot of the juice. The surgery is no fun. I start post-surgical physical therapy on Monday. The Dr. perscribed Tylenol 4 because the PT is supposed to hurt.

Can't wait...

GAD

SPIF · #9 07-12-2008, 07:21 AM

I seem to be suffering from the same.
I find that certain exercises or movements seem to help. Using the "perfect pushup" devices help, and as crazy as this might sound, flyfishing helps.
After spending a few hours casting with a fly rod, my right shoulder has more mobility and less pain.
For what it is worth. Good luck!

Bill Cory · #10 07-12-2008, 07:28 AM

I had the same kind of pain for almost 20 years, had shots for bursitis, which didn't help, etc, etc. Then finally my wife got a job with real medical insurance and we got the surgery done. A full rotator cuff tear, according to my surgeon, and the several months of rehab, is one of the most painful orthopedic surgeries. I remember not being able to sleep unless I was sitting up -- for about six weeks AFTER the surgery. I learned to do a number of things left-handed (I'm a righty) that I had to do for myself, and that was an adventure.

If it's a rotator cuff tear, and you can get it done, I recommend the surgery -- it's no fun but after it's over, you're like new!

jay7347 · #11 07-12-2008, 07:38 AM

Aww Louie my heart goes out to you. I had a rotator cuff injury from karate and it took about six months to heal. There's just no getting around it, it has to be rested. On the other shoulder I tore a biceps tendon doing landscaping at home. That one I had surgery on and it took about six months to make right. Now, later on in life I find that I keep straining that biceps tendon, (right at the shoulder,) that was repaired by the surgery. Man, I'm no medical expert but looking back I wish I would have forgone the surgery but that's just me. It just seems to be weaker in the long run for about the same level of an injury. Good luck and hang in there.
-jay

snakebit · #12 07-12-2008, 08:23 AM

Sorry to hear of your unfortunate situation. About 15 years ago I tore my left rotator cuff lifting weights. It took over 2 years to begin feeling okay and I still have some weakness. I couldn't sleep decently for over a year. Then a couple of years ago I tore my right rotator cuff when I took a spill on my bike. It didn't take as long to heal, maybe a year, but I couldn't hold my dreadnaught even for a minute. I was and am still alot more comfortable with my OM. The pain was incredible. I never went to the doctor as I've had bad luck with physicians, having a bad knee that was screwed up by a surgery. Good luck and be patient with the rehabilitation. Try a small body OM style.

rmyAddison · #13 07-12-2008, 08:30 AM

Louie,

Sorry to hear about your shoulder. I'm sure you know the Cortisone only masks the problem, good physical therapy is incredibly important, and it works.

Good luck my friend.

rlouie · #14 07-12-2008, 09:07 AM

thanks for the all kind words and advice folks it means a lot to me............

Bikerdoc · #15 07-12-2008, 09:48 AM

Gee rlouie, I had such pain for nearly a year. Got so bad I couldn't tuck in my shirt, button my jeans, put my arm through my shirts, etc. Seems physical therapy only worsened the condition. Change doctors, had surgery (2003) and honestly, it wasn't as bad as some folks have said. Yeah, post surgery was a bit painful but unless I'm just one tough s.o.b. I didn't need the pain meds. Plus I don't like meds anyway. Post surgical therapy wasn't anything I couldn't stand as well. No pain meds there either. The pain gave me a darn good indiciation of my progress as well. Iced down my shoulder after every session. Yep, it took 4-6 months to heal but I could button my jeans after only 2 months.

A year later I had the other shoulder done. As soon as the pain started I didn't hesitate this time. I wasn't going to live with that pain again for another year. The surgery in my opinion is nothing compared to the pain of the condition. My shoulder troubles were a result of uncheckd diabetes, calcium build-up tearing at everything.

Whether you have surgery of PT you'll be fine rlouie. PT shouldn't take 6 months to produce results either. If it does you need to see another doctor.