Shoulder injury

troyzer

I've had a shoulder injury for a while now which is making it impossible to do my free weight programme.

I started going back to the gym in July just gone, but the injury was there before.

At the time it took the form of an intermittent, relatively sharp pain in my shoulder/bicep with a numb feeling in the baby and ring finger.

I thought I could power through in the gym but my press in particular was really dangerous because my left arm was so much weaker after the pain and numbness would intensify.

I went to a GP, he reckoned it was an old torn rotator cuff.

Went to the physio, she's been progressively trying to work out every knot in my shoulder and we haven't got there yet. We're onto dry needling at the moment which has given me temporary relief but it always comes back. I've gone to four sessions now.

The other day I figured out that if I hold my arms out and contract every muscle, my left arm starts involuntarily shaking like crazy. It looks like I have parkinsons.

The video below isn't mine and is probably a little worse than my arm, but it gives the general idea. I have no idea what's happening.

Any ideas? I haven't seen my physio since I discovered it. Should I go back to the GP now that I have a new symptom?

Cheers.

Irishcrx

Whatever you do , do not attempt to power through it or go to the gym until you have sorted the issue and then work back up slowly. Continue seeing the Phsyio or if you feel they are not dealing with it maybe a GP and have a scan done on the shoulder to check for damage , if they cannot locate the problem a scan may be your best option.

I had a shoulder injury a while back and it took a good while to heal and build back up , gym was a no go area - remember that your shoulder supports every weight you lift and pretty much every lift in every muscle group there is no avoiding engaging it and the best way to heal it right now is to rest.

Rattlehead_ie

I can't agree with Irishcrx enough. GYM and free weights is a complete no go, at most a cardio jogging and gym/physio band and some shoulder stabilization exercises at the most. I have dislocated my shoulder 7 times, torn rotator cuff and tear in my bicep b (bicep2), its since been rebuilt with surgery but I still need to take care of it when building up the weights and that was 15 yrs ago. I have actually recently done my other shoulder (straight in and out) that was 5 weeks ago and only cause I know how to deal with it am I very slowly going back to weights. Get an MRI scan, no question on that and even get your physio to refer you to a specialist.

I am in no way an expert but the above seems to sound like something is trapped and you have worn it down, torn it slightly. So get that MRI

troyzer

Irishcrx wrote: »

Whatever you do , do not attempt to power through it or go to the gym until you have sorted the issue and then work back up slowly. Continue seeing the Phsyio or if you feel they are not dealing with it maybe a GP and have a scan done on the shoulder to check for damage , if they cannot locate the problem a scan may be your best option.

I had a shoulder injury a while back and it took a good while to heal and build back up , gym was a no go area - remember that your shoulder supports every weight you lift and pretty much every lift in every muscle group there is no avoiding engaging it and the best way to heal it right now is to rest.

I haven't really been lifting weights since I started going to the Physio at the end of August. Mostly just going to the gym now for cycling. I don't really see the point of doing any strength training if I can't work my upper body. Like you say, pretty much any upper body lift is going to put stress on the shoulder.

But cardio is really, really boring and I'm getting impatient. I'm not even sure it is an injury because I can't remember exactly when it started. It wasn't a sudden onset after something in particular happened. It just slowly developed.

Although going to the gym has definitely made it worse. It doesn't really hurt me day to day. Right now for example as I type, I can't feel any pain but my baby finger is a bit numb.

Assuming it is an injury, how am I supposed to build it back up again? My physio reckons the fact that my upper back is ridiculously tight isn't a coincidence. I can't properly get into a low bar position because of how bunched up my back is. So she's telling me to do plenty of holding rows. I think she's right there, I can definitely feel a stretch in my back that I otherwise never feel.

I think I'll wait until my next appointment (two weeks) show her my arm tremor and take it from there. It might help her as well as my GP if I do decide to go back.

troyzer

Rattlehead_ie wrote: »

I can't agree with Irishcrx enough. GYM and free weights is a complete no go, at most a cardio jogging and gym/physio band and some shoulder stabilization exercises at the most. I have dislocated my shoulder 7 times, torn rotator cuff and tear in my bicep b (bicep2), its since been rebuilt with surgery but I still need to take care of it when building up the weights and that was 15 yrs ago. I have actually recently done my other shoulder (straight in and out) that was 5 weeks ago and only cause I know how to deal with it am I very slowly going back to weights. Get an MRI scan, no question on that and even get your physio to refer you to a specialist.

I am in no way an expert but the above seems to sound like something is trapped and you have worn it down, torn it slightly. So get that MRI

I don't have private health insurance and my GP originally actively dissauded me from getting an MRI. He said it was really expensive and realistically won't tell me anything.

What I'm still trying to find out is, is this an actual injury or is it a trapped nerve?

If it's a physical injury, I don't mind waiting it out and letting the physio sort it out. But if it's a trapped nerve, I'm wasting a fortune on physiotherapy which fundamentally can't help.

Irishcrx

troyzer wrote: »

I haven't really been lifting weights since I started going to the Physio at the end of August. Mostly just going to the gym now for cycling. I don't really see the point of doing any strength training if I can't work my upper body. Like you say, pretty much any upper body lift is going to put stress on the shoulder.

But cardio is really, really boring and I'm getting impatient. I'm not even sure it is an injury because I can't remember exactly when it started. It wasn't a sudden onset after something in particular happened. It just slowly developed.

Although going to the gym has definitely made it worse. It doesn't really hurt me day to day. Right now for example as I type, I can't feel any pain but my baby finger is a bit numb.

Assuming it is an injury, how am I supposed to build it back up again? My physio reckons the fact that my upper back is ridiculously tight isn't a coincidence. I can't properly get into a low bar position because of how bunched up my back is. So she's telling me to do plenty of holding rows. I think she's right there, I can definitely feel a stretch in my back that I otherwise never feel.

I think I'll wait until my next appointment (two weeks) show her my arm tremor and take it from there. It might help her as well as my GP if I do decide to go back.

I feel you , I've been there and the cardio is boring compared with weight lifting but still it's better than doing nothing.

Sympthoms could be due to a trapped nerve causing the shakes or it could be something more serious but I still think you need a scan to start eliminating the possibilities. I had similar with my doctor recently , had a stomach issue and wouldn't order me a scan insisting it was something which I knew damn well it wasn't I forced the issue and ordered a scan.

MRI isn't massive money , 225 - 250 which in the grand scheme of thing's isn't much if it puts you on the recovery road...try these guys below for the scan, not having private health in these situations can be killer it's something I'm going to invest in next year.

https://www.affidea.ie/prices/

troyzer

Irishcrx wrote: »

I feel you , I've been there and the cardio is boring compared with weight lifting but still it's better than doing nothing.

Sympthoms could be due to a trapped nerve causing the shakes or it could be something more serious but I still think you need a scan to start eliminating the possibilities. I had similar with my doctor recently , had a stomach issue and wouldn't order me a scan insisting it was something which I knew damn well it wasn't I forced the issue and ordered a scan.

MRI isn't massive money , 225 - 250 which in the grand scheme of thing's isn't much if it puts you on the recovery road...try these guys below for the scan, not having private health in these situations can be killer it's something I'm going to invest in next year.

https://www.affidea.ie/prices/

Private health insurance wouldn't help much anyway, you'd still have an excess you'd need to cover.

That isn't too bad for an MRI, but it's still a fair wedge. I'm not on great money and I have a lot of things I'm saving up for at the moment. Thankfully I do have a medical card thanks to a technicality so I can at least go back to the GP for scratch.

I think I'll wait for the next appointment and see what the physio reckons. She said from the beginning she thinks it was an injury which has healed incorrectly and all I really need to do is build up the strength and try to unknot it.

The dry needling last week genuinely did help, I got a good three or four days out of it before the pain came back. So I'm hoping she's right.

Brian?

troyzer wrote: »

Private health insurance wouldn't help much anyway, you'd still have an excess you'd need to cover.

That isn't too bad for an MRI, but it's still a fair wedge. I'm not on great money and I have a lot of things I'm saving up for at the moment. Thankfully I do have a medical card thanks to a technicality so I can at least go back to the GP for scratch.

I think I'll wait for the next appointment and see what the physio reckons. She said from the beginning she thinks it was an injury which has healed incorrectly and all I really need to do is build up the strength and try to unknot it.

The dry needling last week genuinely did help, I got a good three or four days out of it before the pain came back. So I'm hoping she's right.

I’ve had 3 MRIs on private health insurance and never paid a penny. Once you get referred by a consultant it’s free afaik.

Mod hat on. I’m leaving this thread open for now as long as no more medical advice is given. No one can diagnose you online. Seeking medical advice isn’t allowed on the forum. The thread will stay open to help find you practitioners that may help you

troyzer

Brian? wrote: »

I’ve had 3 MRIs on private health insurance and never paid a penny. Once you get referred by a consultant it’s free afaik.

Mod hat on. I’m leaving this thread open for now as long as no more medical advice is given. No one can diagnose you online. Seeking medical advice isn’t allowed on the forum. The thread will stay open to help find you practitioners that may help you

You didn't have to pay an excess? That must be some plan.

I'm not looking for a diagnosis. I realise I still have to catch up with my GP at some point. I'm just curious to know if anyone else has ever had the same thing, particularly with the tremors.

Brian?

troyzer wrote: »

You didn't have to pay an excess? That must be some plan.

.

Is an excess something people in Ireland have to pay on health insurance? It was a Laya corporate plan. Nothing special at all

troyzer

Brian? wrote: »

Is an excess something people in Ireland have to pay on health insurance? It was a Laya corporate plan. Nothing special at all

It's fairly standard that if you make a claim, you have to cover a nominal amount. Also known as a co-pay or deduction.

You pay quite a lot extra to have no excess, it's designed to stop people from over-using their insurance if they don't really need it.

Wildly Boaring

Several shoulder injuries and couple dislocations previously

Keep going to physio.

Also is your physio good?
The difference between a proper physio preferably sports injury specialist and a poor physio is massive.

Can you find one who deals with upper body stuff a lot? Talking rugby, kayaking, weight lifting?

Last shoulder injury I had was dealt with by a guy in oxford who also worked with the English rugby league team.

A good physio will know when you should head for an MRI or even an X-ray

troyzer

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

Several shoulder injuries and couple dislocations previously

Keep going to physio.

Also is your physio good?
The difference between a proper physio preferably sports injury specialist and a poor physio is massive.

Can you find one who deals with upper body stuff a lot? Talking rugby, kayaking, weight lifting?

Last shoulder injury I had was dealt with by a guy in oxford who also worked with the English rugby league team.

A good physio will know when you should head for an MRI or even an X-ray

She's fairly recently qualified but she specialises in sports injuries. She also used to play senior inter county football and definitely was able to engage with me when I was describing my lifts and where the issues arose. Like I said, the dry needling did work and while I was paying, I had her look at a few other thing in my back which she sorted really quickly.

I'm more than happy so far on that end, she knows her **** from what I can tell.

atilladehun

I've have a shoulder problem for years and have seen countless physios and osteos over time. Different ones have worked at different times. Worth shopping round.

Once you are feeling better I would recommend a good personal trainer who can properly analyse your movements. I've found this invaluable for staying healthy. Even 3-4 visits a year can balance out your own enthusiasm for progressing too quickly. When it comes to the shoulder so much can be damaged from poor movement.

Brian?

troyzer wrote: »

It's fairly standard that if you make a claim, you have to cover a nominal amount. Also known as a co-pay or deduction.

You pay quite a lot extra to have no excess, it's designed to stop people from over-using their insurance if they don't really need it.

I've only heard of a "co pay" when I lived in the US. In Ireland it was either covered or it wasn't.

I paid up front for consultant appointments, but not for any test ordered.

Alf Veedersane

troyzer wrote: »

Private health insurance wouldn't help much anyway, you'd still have an excess you'd need to cover.

That isn't too bad for an MRI, but it's still a fair wedge.

Have been referred for an MRI and have very basic health insurance.

Cost to me: €0

aluminium

If Dr suggests a rotator cuff you need MRI, Consultant then to look at MRI. (Although your physio can decipher the letter from the MRI clinic).
Very painful surgery. Minimum six weeks in a sling, depending on your work up to 6 months off work. Minimum 6 months of physio. If your doing weights you prob., have a torn biceps as well. MRI will pick this up.

Best self diagnosis (not scientific), is you cant wipe your own ar@e. Its very common in over 40's.

Either way
1. GP referal for MRI.
2. MRI confirmed, appointment with consultant. (180)
3. Surgery within 4 weeks.

BloodBath

Took me about 3-5 years to slowly recover from a rotater cuff tear. No exercise on that arm for at least 2-3 years then gradually started working it back up. Back to near full strength now. There is still some weakness in areas. You just got to be careful and never power through pain.

I don't know the extend of your tear though. It may have been worse than mine.