Advice for injured shoulder needed

[diverdon]

About 12 weeks ago I did something to my right shoulder. First the pain was sharp but intermittent and not that frequent or predictable. Things that triggered a sudden burst of pain were like taking a phone out of my pocket, or picking a pencil off the floor. It was still easy to pick up my seven year old and pit her into the bed of my pickup. As time went by the pain became worse and more frequent. Sometimes parts of the shoulder are tender to the touch, and sometimes not. It has been just enough pain to make it difficult to sleep properly.

Three days ago I decided to try Advil (that shit fucked my stomach) it really settled down the pain in the shoulder.

Thursday I have my annual physical. When I tell my doctor this what should he recommend? Do I need an xray, or am mri? Should I see an orthopedic surgeon, a chiropractor, or a Physical therapist? It sure would be nice to get this resolved before I loose too much strength on my right side.

As things stand I'm unable to shoot from prone.

It sucks to say this, but it seems like my doctor is always trying to gather into the system as much of the money from my insurance as he can. I don't mind them getting paid, I just want to make sure that I'm not undergoing surgery for something a PT could have helped me straighten out.

For those in the know, can you rehab something like this while it still hurts, or do you need to settle down the pain somehow before you start PT?

 

[Sean the Nailer]

My suggestions (and worth nothing as I'm not a doctor) is before you can 'heal' you need to know what is 'broken'. Easiest/fastest way of doing that is an actual scan. Not an x-ray, but a true scan. I don't know which is better for this scenario, either MRI or CT, but someone smarter than myself will clarify that in short order.

Then, once the "problem" has been specified and diagnosed, (and only THEN) can you pursue a course of treatment. Once that's finished, THEN you re-hab it, re-strenghten it, re-motivate it.

Could be something as small as a bursus sac issue. Or it could be something else. Find the problem, fix the problem, then get your strength and range of motion back as best you can.

Push it. When the time is right.

 

[Mr.Kirk]

You need to visit an orthopedic surgeon in order to identify and fix the injury.

 

[BytorJr]

Sounds like you may have impingement syndrome. One week I was benching my max ever and next I couldn’t lift the bar.

If the pain is more towards the front and you can push on it and get pain likely you have impinging or even a slightly torn rotator cuff. Go to a good orthopedic surgeon and if surgery is mentioned get a second opinion unless you have a lot of faith in the surgeon.

I had mine done 20+ years ago and have been tempted to have the other one done. But 20 years ago the recovery took me about two years. They didn’t get me into PT until 2 weeks. Different nowadays.

Good luck b

 

[johnnycat]

The single best diagnostic test would be an MRI. After reviewing the MRI your Orthopedist would recommend P.T. vs Surgery

 

[supercorndogs]

An MRI is expensive. I doubt they will do one to start. They should send you to PT. If it were me, I would ask for PT, and down play any other options given to start, These could involve X-rays, MRI, shots. If after 6 weeks of PT, you still have problems. Then it is time to start thinking about the other options, or think about changing physical therapists. I went through 4 with my back injury. The first three didn't have the knowledge base and diagnostic ability the fourth one had. He got me up and going again where the others had failed. No extra procedures were done, but different muscles were targeted in different ways.

 

[Maggot]

The single best diagnostic test would be an MRI. After reviewing the MRI your Orthopedist would recommend P.T. vs Surgery

This or at least an X ray diagnosed by a competent technician and reviewed by an orthopedist. Although an MD would never admit it, it could be something a chiropractor could address.

I took a serious fall on my right hip and a couple years later developed serious arthritis. Ill eventually need hip replacement but my chiropractor/sports medicine guy has given me some stretches and exercises that have helped immensely.

You didnt say HOW you injured it. that would help.

 

[supercorndogs]

Most of the physical therapists I have had, could do the same type of manipulations as a chiropractor. The main difference was the PT taught you how to fix it and not come back.

 

[BillOH]

You should have gone to your Primary Care Physician 12 weeks ago. He will probably send you to an orthopedic surgeon.

From my experience messing up my shoulder twice, first you will get an X-Ray and if that doesn't show enough, an MRI. I didn't need surgery either time, but got better with physical therapy. Good luck.

 

[Snipe260]

MRI and then go from there depending on results!

 

[Long Range 338]

Surgery would be my last resort. Been there done that. Had right shoulder repaired (torn rotator cuff, bone spurs, etc.) after putting up with the pain for a dozen years or more. While I was still in PT I hurt the other shoulder and it has recently been bothering me. I had the cortisone shot - which worked great temporarily. And PT is required before going further for the MRI and surgery. Doing the stretching and exercises doesn't fix the injury but it does keep it from further damage and the discomfort is more manageable. We have the tendency to do things that constantly impinge the joint, if you can learn to avoid this you may escape the surgeon.

 

[spearknives]

A lot of therapy is needed for sure, a chiropractor could also be of help in case your should is out of place.

 

[308pirate]

Get your ass to an orthopaedic surgeon ASAP. I suffered a 2nd degree tear of the acromio-clavicular ligament in my right shoulder and seeing an ortho doc immediately allowed me to reagin full use of the joint without surgery.

 

[SuckitTrebek]

spray some windex on it

 

[Maggot]

spray some windex on it

Fo de wins

 

[amcardon]

Don't waste your time on xray, go for the MRI. Use your insurance or pay cash rates, here in OKC they're $350. That's the only definitive way to determine the extent of injury and specific tissue involved (in my opinion, contrast is not needed unless primary concern is labral tear). You can do orthopedic tests to get an idea of what's going on, but MRI is the only way to know for sure. If you are trying to avoid surgery unless absolutely necessary, go see your Chiropractor. If you're going to go to a Chiropractor, make sure they know how to adjust and evaluate a shoulder, not all do. I'm a Chiropractor and see a ton of Cross Fitters and do a lot of eval and rehab. If you have a Chiropractor you're established with and they don't adjust/rehab extremities, ask for a referral to somebody else. Impingement is an easy fix with home-based therapy. A labral tear or tear in one of the muscles of your rotator cuff is a different story.

Good luck man!

 

[powdahound76]

See the ortho shoulder specialist.

The place where I see ortho people (folks I work with) they have two guys who do almost all shoulder work (30% other joints) and a few who do it as well as other joints.

Most can diagnose on exam and will want an MRI, frequently with dye injected into the joint before the exam to confirm degree and make sure nothing else.
The need for contrast will be determined by the ortho guy after an exam.

Good luck sir

ETA: try to see a sports medicine based ortho team.
CO is very active, so most of our folks are more conservative with the knife and go for healing and appropriate rehab if at all possible.
Which is ALWAYS the way to go.
Some stuff requires it. And some docs like to make $.