Rotator Cuff help

[fasteddie]

I have had a lot of pain in my right shoulder lately . For the past couple months , I have had the pain and have been using pain patches , pain ointments , Arthritis ointment , etc .. I have a doctor appointment for Monday am to check out my shoulder . Last night and a while ago , I shot 3 arrows each time with my 60# draw weight bow with no problem so I am wondering if it is something other than rotator cuff . Some members on here have had a problem with their rotator cuff so I am looking for some advice from them . 

[Nomad]

I’ve had a dramatic loss of strength in my shoulders , they say, impingement, minor tear , small spur, but nothing they want to do anything about surgery wise .

Now the other day at the gym , I did kettlebell snatches and bottoms up press ,which seems to have been a mistake , now I get  a Strong shooting pain when I reach for things again  . Shoulder goes from fine to pain in a second , its like someone comes up and stabs me .

Back when I was working and it never got rest , It got to a point where I couldn’t even use my arm to lean against the kitchen counter .

Also,what kind of pain are you having ? Throbbing , stabbing ,shooting ,tingling, is it constant, on movement,  or touch ?

Edited January 30, 2021 by Nomad

[mowin]

My righ shoulder is shot, but they diagnosed it as arthritis.  I can shoot my 42lb bow probably 10-15 times before there's just nothing left. 

[Merlot]

38 minutes ago, fasteddie said:

I have had a lot of pain in my right shoulder lately . For the past couple months , I have had the pain and have been using pain patches , pain ointments , Arthritis ointment , etc .. I have a doctor appointment for Monday am to check out my shoulder . Last night and a while ago , I shot 3 arrows each time with my 60# draw weight bow with no problem so I am wondering if it is something other than rotator cuff . Some members on here have had a problem with their rotator cuff so I am looking for some advice from them . 

In 2011, I was having left shoulder motion pain, especially when trying to reach overhead with my left arm. The Orthopedic surgeon told me I was suffering from shoulder impingement syndrome, which involved the lack of adequate room for muscles and tendons to move freely...something like that. Bone was rubbing against the tendons, causing pain. 

The surgeon had to go in and shave off the problem bone material, allowing more room for those muscles and tendons to do their job.

The recovery was slow, but eventually things got better with exercise and PT. All good now. Let me know what the Doc says. Holy cow, that was 10 years ago. Better get checked out now, before Dementia Joe screws up the medical industry too.

[Jeremy K]

Cut sugar from your diet as much as possible.  

[Farflung]

In 2003 and 2004, I ripped up my rotator cuffs. After xrays and MRI, my bone guy and I decided on cortizone to  knock down the  inflamation followed by 4 months of PT. It got liveable. I had to  quit shooting my bow, changed to a lighter, shorter graphite surf rod with  no more "8 and bait", alternating days between surf and party boat fishing. Also, no more post malls but I can use metal post -pounders. Reason I did not go with the surgery is that I knew quite  a few surf casters that had the operation done 2 or 3 times. So I live with it and keep in mind to not overdo.

[DoubleDose]

1 hour ago, fasteddie said:

I have had a lot of pain in my right shoulder lately . For the past couple months , I have had the pain and have been using pain patches , pain ointments , Arthritis ointment , etc .. I have a doctor appointment for Monday am to check out my shoulder . Last night and a while ago , I shot 3 arrows each time with my 60# draw weight bow with no problem so I am wondering if it is something other than rotator cuff . Some members on here have had a problem with their rotator cuff so I am looking for some advice from them . 

The shoulder is a very complex joint with many ligaments, tendons, and muscles; and complex movement.  Years of use/abuse can cause scarring of the tendons (tendonosis) and impingement syndrome.  Tears may require debridement of the joint space.  It is possible to have more than one issue.  You can have a torn rotator cuff and be able to shoot your bow; all depends on the extent of the tear and location.  Depending on the root cause(s), rest, medications such as NSAIDs, and/or physical therapy can alleviate symptoms in some people; in others surgery (usually arthroscopic) is the treatment.

[suburbanfarmer]

4 hours ago, Jeremy K said:

Cut sugar from your diet as much as possible.  

Agree, also carbs turn to sugar. Need to reduce that to reduce inflammation

[wolc123]

Hopefully, full inclusion goes thru this year and you can hang up the bow and use the crossbow all season.   Those are way easier on the shoulders, especially with a crank draw device.   

[46rkl]

Stick your arm out straight to your side, parallel to the ground. Have someone or something hold out at your hand while you push up. Feel pain? That’s a good indication that it’s the rotator cuff. Go see a PT and they will be able to diagnose and provide a treatment plan that may help put off surgery. I’ve had rotator cuff done on both shoulders along with nerve impingement surgery on one and reattaching the bicep muscle on the other. Yep, a train wreck. But, the PT work pays off and I’m still shooting the compound bow at 63. Can’t pull as much poundage or hold as long as I used to but it still works for me. I did buy a crossbow this past year and had the unfortunate experience of destroying it the first time I shot at a deer but that’s a different story.

Good luck with your shoulder. Getting old can be a challenge but, as they say, it beats the alternative.

[doebuck1234]

Have been dealing with a alot sence sept myself at 28 years old.crazy kneck pain between shoulders,rubbed it one day after work and had a shooting pain into chest and pain down arm mistaked for heart issue.3 ekg's,heart monitor and echo later....dr saying its anxiety....im doing PT once a week as i told him BS i dont think its anxiety,the problems are causing anxiety as i had a panic attack when first symptoms occured.am in PT once a week now and just this week my P therapist thinks it is "cubital tunnel syndrome".pointer finger gets cold for no reason,nerve glide exercises make arm/hands tingle..maybe it is,maybe not.still leaning towards kneck IMO.odd that it goes from one arm to the next sometimes...im not certified..carry on,rant over..

I did purchase my bow back in august and shot it everyday 15+times @70lb draw.deff wrenched something whether it had something to do with it or not,this is the first issue ive had in my life!!!!!hope all works out for you @fasteddie!!!!!

[ny hunter]

Both shoulders bad..... I just found out i have a pinched nerve,Pain is pretty bad not sure right now if i well ever shoot my bow again............

[DoubleDose]

9 hours ago, doebuck1234 said:

Have been dealing with a alot sence sept myself at 28 years old.crazy kneck pain between shoulders,rubbed it one day after work and had a shooting pain into chest and pain down arm mistaked for heart issue.3 ekg's,heart monitor and echo later....dr saying its anxiety....im doing PT once a week as i told him BS i dont think its anxiety,the problems are causing anxiety as i had a panic attack when first symptoms occured.am in PT once a week now and just this week my P therapist thinks it is "cubital tunnel syndrome".pointer finger gets cold for no reason,nerve glide exercises make arm/hands tingle..maybe it is,maybe not.still leaning towards kneck IMO.odd that it goes from one arm to the next sometimes...im not certified..carry on,rant over..

I did purchase my bow back in august and shot it everyday 15+times @70lb draw.deff wrenched something whether it had something to do with it or not,this is the first issue ive had in my life!!!!!hope all works out for you @fasteddie!!!!!

Cubital tunnel syndrome would only explain symptoms from your elbow to your hand/fingers; not neck, shoulders, upper arm, or chest.  You, and you know the symptoms best, think it is your neck.  A neck issue could explain all symptoms. I would advise you to see a spinal specialist and get an MRI of neck to rule out cervical herniated discs and spinal x-ray to rule out spinal stenosis.  These could cause all your symptoms.  The latter is serious, but unlikely at your age.

[fasteddie]

Went to the doctor's Monday . She gave me a 5 dap prescription for Prednisone and a prescription for 3% "Diclofenac" . I checked with the pharmacy today to find out what the delay was for the Diclofenac and they were waiting for a response from the doctor . Apparently the salve / ointment isn't covered by insurance . It costs $900 . I asked to have it rechecked and they said $900 . This is Nuts ! I got some Voltaren that had the diclofenac at 1% for $12.99 . I hope it helps .

[mowin]

$900... holy crap.  Thats a lot of Icy-Hot.  

[ny hunter]

26 minutes ago, fasteddie said:

Went to the doctor's Monday . She gave me a 5 dap prescription for Prednisone and a prescription for 3% "Diclofenac" . I checked with the pharmacy today to find out what the delay was for the Diclofenac and they were waiting for a response from the doctor . Apparently the salve / ointment isn't covered by insurance . It costs $900 . I asked to have it rechecked and they said $900 . This is Nuts ! I got some Voltaren that had the diclofenac at 1% for $12.99 . I hope it helps .

This stuff really helps me........wife brought a CVS brand.....

[Merlot]

Any MRI or x-ray involved?

[fasteddie]

15 minutes ago, Merlot said:

Any MRI or x-ray involved?

Not yet . I have to make an appointment with a Physical Therapist .

 

[mowin]

3 minutes ago, fasteddie said:

Not yet . I have to make an appointment with a Physical Therapist .

 

My buddy had to do the same.   Meds first, then PT, and when that didn't help, they sent him for a MRI. 

[fasteddie]

Had an appointment with the physical Therapist yesterday . He checked out my shoulder . He did some ultra-sound on the shoulder , had me do some stretches and the added some ice . He have me some exercise instructions , a couple of exercise items and sent me on my way . I go back next week . The stretching exercises are a beeotch to do but hopefully they will help .

[Cabin Fever]

Seems like a common problem! I just received my approval from the insurance company to get an MRI on my shoulder. Been suffering for the past 5 months. Got a cortisone shot Dec. 29th and that helped tame the pain down tremendously. Hope I can get an MRI in the next 1-2 weeks.

[fasteddie]

We are thinking it is shoulder impingement and the exercises will work things out . I sure hope so .

 

[Steve D]

On 1/30/2021 at 4:33 PM, Nomad said:

Now the other day at the gym , I did kettlebell snatches and bottoms up press ,which seems to have been a mistake , now I get  a Strong shooting pain when I reach for things again

Exactly how my wife tore her rotator. She found out the hard way the the surgery is not fun at all.