Shoulder Pain

V

Vida May

Member
I am being very specific here in case, in the future, someone wants to know specifically about shoulder pain. The discussion on chronic pain is excellent but that is a huge subject! Throughout the whole forum there is excellent advice in dealing with this problem and that one, but sometimes we need more specific information and as I announced a couple of days ago, shoulder pain has started demanding all my attention.

I had X-rays of my shoulder and it is arthritis. Physical therapy is the best choice I can make but it seems a waste of time and money to visit a physical therapist when the information is online and the solution is doing what the video demonstrates. However, just knowing what I need to do, and wanting to avoid pain, is not enough to motivate me. I need to be accountable to someone before I have enough motivation to do what I know I should do, so I am leaning on you all.

Seriously the solution is very time-consuming and I think I need to get a watch that I can program to alert me to the need to exercise several times a day, and I need some of you to poke at me so I do more than complain. I don't want surgery if I can avoid it because I don't have the time to be laid up. Good grief, I have to give time to exercise or time to being laid up. I never before realized what a time problem getting older can be.

Here is what we need to do for shoulder pain.

 

I hear you about physical therapy. It wasn't helpful for me but eventually after 1-2 years my shoulder healed completely...which I did on my own by just using it instead of babying it despite the pain...to a point (my shoulder issue was due to multiple splintered fractures from an accident)

Are you getting cortisone shots in your shoulder? My dad had pain in his shoulder but said the cause was from playing tennis so the doctor gave him cortisone shots. I think I remember him saying it helped a little. I never heard complaints after awhile but I don't know if the pain went away or if he just lived with it.
 
Last edited:
My rotator cuff was almost locked when I finally gave in and went to the physio. She worked it out and also had me do exercises which I did faithfully in the beginning. Then I sort of slacked off, bit by bit. I know exactly what you’re saying @Vida May. Dealing with getting older does take time.
 

The rotator cuff on both my shoulders was frozen, the pain was excruiating, my arm started swelling, one doctor said it was a muscle problem, how wrong she was. Physio and light movement for months, plus a steriod injection in both shoulders did they trick, but years later I still have to remember to not overwork them.
 
Lara said:
I hear you about physical therapy. It wasn't helpful for me but eventually after 1-2 years my shoulder healed completely...which I did on my own by just using it instead of babying it despite the pain...to a point (my shoulder issue was due to multiple splintered fractures from an accident)

Are you getting cortisone shots in your shoulder? My dad had pain in his shoulder but said the cause was from playing tennis so the doctor gave him cortisone shots. I think I remember him saying it helped a little. I never heard complaints after awhile but I don't know if the pain went away or if he just lived with it.
Click to expand...

I love reading you exercised your shoulder on your own and eventually stopped hurting. Of course, the cause of your pain is different from mine, but perhaps the principle is the same. I have checked out 3 websites and each one offers a different exercise plan, but there is one constant. Keep the shoulder moving.

Most of the exercises are done in a standing position. My legs are painful despite exercising them, so I rather sit in my computer chair and the particular design of my computer desk is perfect for some isometric exercises. I am thinking I rather design my own program and I would like to know more about what you did.
 
Jules said:
My rotator cuff was almost locked when I finally gave in and went to the physio. She worked it out and also had me do exercises which I did faithfully in the beginning. Then I sort of slacked off, bit by bit. I know exactly what you’re saying @Vida May. Dealing with getting older does take time.
Click to expand...
Yeap and that is why we need each other. The experts are good but I think the people who had the experience are very important sources of encouragement and information, and boy, do I know about slacking off! When I am bad enough to have physical therapy, I do everything exactly as told, but when the therapy ends so does my enthusiasm. :(
 
Bellbird said:
The rotator cuff on both my shoulders was frozen, the pain was excruiating, my arm started swelling, one doctor said it was a muscle problem, how wrong she was. Physio and light movement for months, plus a steriod injection in both shoulders did they trick, but years later I still have to remember to not overwork them.
Click to expand...
That is very encouraging. Thank you. Reading that exercise can help does encourage me to do it.

:ROFLMAO: There is a push Asian guy at the gym that got me doing more than I intended to do and my legs are doing much better thanks to him. Standing up is still a slow and painful process but once the pain subsides and I start moving, I can feel the strength and stability. When I told him about my shoulder he said, exercise, exercise and showed me what to do. I really like him, but I still need to hear from you all. He is young and male, so what can he know about being an older woman? I need you all to say exercising does work because I trust you all more.
 
If it happens again, I’d go to the physio and get the main kinks worked out and definitely keep up with the exercises. Maybe the guy at the gym can give advice if you’re not sure how well you’re doing with the exercises.
 
One time of a dislocated shoulder or hip can make pain for decades. In my case it was a dislocated hip. 4 or 5 times /year , I'll be walking normally, and the hip will slip out again. Wow ! Talk about pain. Luckily for me, it pops right back in again.
 
Just remember, there is no "one solution fits all" to shoulder pain. There are various different conditions that can affect the shoulder and each may vary in treatment and management.

I was walking in a parking lot in 2015. I was run over by an SUV. Had rotator cuff tears in both shoulders. But when they found that, they found that I had other problems, chronic problems.

Please be cautious regarding physical therapy. There are extremely talented physical therapists. And there are also kids, just out of school, he really do not know what they are doing. Also, there are physical therapists who just treat their work like a job. They don't care, they don't have any real devotion to the work. And they can be a problem if that is who you get.

The best are physical therapists who have a very long history of working with professional sports teams. If you get one of those, you will be in good hands.


Folks can also try going to a sports medicine doctor, instead of a regular orthopedist. The sports medicine guys just treat far, far, far, far more injuries in their practice and they are just generally, more highly skilled than any old orthopedist.

I get chiropractic and acupuncture. Both help.

I also do stretches from Hatha Yoga. That helps.

I also learned deep muscular relaxation techniques from Feldenkrais and Alexander Technique.

I had no choice. I was bedridden for two years. I was doing stretching and other therapies up to 8 hours a day, until I figured out how to conquer a lot of my problems.

Whatever health care professional you use, I would ask them for stretches that you can do daily to help.

I would also ask if there are sleeping positions that better support and help the shoulder.

If you sleep in a bad position at night, you are basically doing "anti-healing" for 8 hours straight. That is a length of time that creates a force, hard to oppose. It can go to positioning work with pillows.

I use a special pillow and a special mattress.


Also, with shoulders...be very very very careful about exposing your shoulder to cold in winter and causing the muscles to seize up. Keep very well bundled up in winter.

Ask the doctor what weight limit your shoulder can handle. Some folks do all kinds of healing work...and then carry a 50 pound sack of mulch to the backyard...and ruin all the hard work.


best of luck folks...
 
Vida May said:
I had X-rays of my shoulder and it is arthritis. Physical therapy is the best choice I can make but it seems a waste of time and money to visit a physical therapist when the information is online and the solution is doing what the video demonstrates. However, just knowing what I need to do, and wanting to avoid pain, is not enough to motivate me. I need to be accountable to someone before I have enough motivation to do what I know I should do, so I am leaning on you all.
Click to expand...
I also had shoulder pain, it once got so bad I was in constant and sever pain unable to move it. A cortisone shot temporarily fixed that, but was no long term solution. My doctor said my choice was surgery or trying physical therapy and exercise. I went the PT and exercise route.

I think the PT helped me in a couple of ways, first it showed me that the right exercises could help and taught me those exercises. And it kept me doing them for long enough to get into the habit. I stopped going to PT after about 6 sessions, but kept the exercising up. It took about a year for the pain to go away 99%. I am still doing the exercises 2 years on. I think PT did help me and would recommend it, but just to get you started, doing the exercises on your own once learned is better. I now often watch TV whilst doing the exercises.

Medicare seems to pay for up to 20 PT sessions per year, if that helps.

Best of luck with it!
 
bingo said:
i took magnesium...it got well...i added magnesium to the supplements
Click to expand...
I use calcium with magnesium and zinc, and also a pill with glucosamine, and chondroitin. But I don't know if I am using enough or how much is too much? I can spend a lot of money on supplements. Well, that is like saying I can spend a lot of money on gas. :LOL: It hurts the wallet but we need it so we pay for it, right?
 
I am in the same boat. Yes, physical therapists help, but they cost money and time. Get exercise bands and find the right exercises from a doctor or online. Also,try “BobandBrad” on YouTube. See

For me, it is helpful to watch a show while doing them. I need to start (resume) this like today!
 
Alligatorob said:
I also had shoulder pain, it once got so bad I was in constant and sever pain unable to move it. A cortisone shot temporarily fixed that, but was no long term solution. My doctor said my choice was surgery or trying physical therapy and exercise. I went the PT and exercise route.

I think the PT helped me in a couple of ways, first it showed me that the right exercises could help and taught me those exercises. And it kept me doing them for long enough to get into the habit. I stopped going to PT after about 6 sessions, but kept the exercising up. It took about a year for the pain to go away 99%. I am still doing the exercises 2 years on. I think PT did help me and would recommend it, but just to get you started, doing the exercises on your own once learned is better. I now often watch TV whilst doing the exercises.

Medicare seems to pay for up to 20 PT sessions per year, if that helps.

Best of luck with it!
Click to expand...
That is very encouraging. I tend to think, "I have done this for a week and it isn't getting any better so it must not be working." But everyone has said it takes time and consistency. I tend to be impatient. I want faster results but I didn't wake in pain last night so something is going right.

So true about needing to do these things until they become a habit. Going to the pool has become a habit for me and it is time for me to leave now. I start with stretching exercises in a hot tub, and that feels so good, it helps me make the effort. Working out in the weight room isn't a habit for me yet, but it made my legs stronger in a short time so with reading what you all say, I will keep making the effort.

Thank you, everyone! Each new voice strengthens my hope that I can begin to feel better. Thinking of George Burns and Dick Van Dyke helps. Both of them exercised daily. Nice to speak with someone who has excised and gotten good results.
 
Vida May said:
I use calcium with magnesium and zinc, and also a pill with glucosamine, and chondroitin. But I don't know if I am using enough or how much is too much? I can spend a lot of money on supplements. Well, that is like saying I can spend a lot of money on gas. :LOL: It hurts the wallet but we need it so we pay for it, right?
Click to expand...
we take supplements too...no prescription meds tho.....
just go online and read about magnesium...we take that combo you take too...3 x's a week
 
Vida May said:
I love reading you exercised your shoulder on your own and eventually stopped hurting. Of course, the cause of your pain is different from mine, but perhaps the principle is the same. I have checked out 3 websites and each one offers a different exercise plan, but there is one constant. Keep the shoulder moving.

Most of the exercises are done in a standing position. My legs are painful despite exercising them, so I rather sit in my computer chair and the particular design of my computer desk is perfect for some isometric exercises. I am thinking I rather design my own program and I would like to know more about what you did.
Click to expand...
I didn't mean to suggest that you stop what the professionals are recommending because arthritis pain and injury pain are 2 very different types of pain. I mean, it may be okay to strike out on your own with an anti-inflammatory diet and day to day physical activity, if they agree with you but I would exhaust all professional possibilities first.

I had a bad experience with my first physical therapist and the second one was ineffective so that's why I decided I could do it myself. I asked my doctor and he said sure.

I'm quite sure Arthritis can get worse if you aren't doing what you're suppose to do so be very careful with your choices.

With that said, I will be happy to answer your question as to what I did to exercise my broken shoulder. I chose to fully embrace my responsibilities at home despite the pain and just use my shoulder often because I lived alone and had to maintain a 3200sqft home, 1/2acre of gardens, woodland, raking leaves in the fall, snow-shoveling a long driveway and sidewalk, caring for my 2 dogs, throwing a stick and frisbee, walking them, cooking people meals for them and myself, carrying groceries, reaching high into cupboards, lifting not-too-heavy items, etc.

I also chose anti-inflammatory foods and cut out sugar and process foods. I was mindful not to over-do as not to re-injure my arm and I was extremely careful not to fall. Before, I used to take risks, especially outside on hills and I purchased better walking shoes, etc
 
Last edited:
Well Vida May, thanks to you I started up my rubber band stretches again today. Watched an old Gomer Pyle episode on YouTube which spanned the 30 minutes or so for my stretches.
 
Vida May said:
I am being very specific here in case, in the future, someone wants to know specifically about shoulder pain. The discussion on chronic pain is excellent but that is a huge subject! Throughout the whole forum there is excellent advice in dealing with this problem and that one, but sometimes we need more specific information and as I announced a couple of days ago, shoulder pain has started demanding all my attention.

I had X-rays of my shoulder and it is arthritis. Physical therapy is the best choice I can make but it seems a waste of time and money to visit a physical therapist when the information is online and the solution is doing what the video demonstrates. However, just knowing what I need to do, and wanting to avoid pain, is not enough to motivate me. I need to be accountable to someone before I have enough motivation to do what I know I should do, so I am leaning on you all.

Seriously the solution is very time-consuming and I think I need to get a watch that I can program to alert me to the need to exercise several times a day, and I need some of you to poke at me so I do more than complain. I don't want surgery if I can avoid it because I don't have the time to be laid up. Good grief, I have to give time to exercise or time to being laid up. I never before realized what a time problem getting older can be.

Here is what we need to do for shoulder pain.

Click to expand...
As always, the problem with these videos is the loud music. The music is rather annoying for me so I do not watch videos generally speaking. I know I'm going against the grain here but I am noise sensitive and find it nearly impossible to concentrate on what a speaker is saying as often the music is louder than the speaker.

It's too bad but I suffer shoulder and hip pain nightly and would like to see a video on this topic but not when I have to listen to some awful electronic music. I guess it must be a "city slicker" type of thing. Seems that many in our society cannot live without constant loud noise. I suppose it keeps them from thinking about whatever it is that they are afraid to think about.
 
I had osteoarthritis in both shoulders. It first manifested as a grinding noise when doing exercises at the gym. The exercises involved pulling against a resistance force. I was told not to keep doing those exercises.

Then for a long time I was OK until it began to hurt just doing normal things like reaching up to peg washing on the line. Eventually I was unable to raise my hands above my head and had great trouble washing and styling my hair.

That was when I went to see a surgeon who specialised in shoulder repairs and replacement. I was a candidate for full replacement of both shoulders. By this time my primary care doctor had me on some pretty heavy duty pain management via patches.

Both shoulders were replaced using the standard technique (there is a reverse procedure for more advanced cases) and now I am pain free with a very good range of movement. Recovery was easy with minimal physical therapy. I wore a sling for some weeks to make sure I didn't lift any heavy weights and damage the tissues before they were fully healed. I spaced the operations three months apart so that I could have one hand to use while the other one was out of action.
 
Lara mentioned cortisone shots. If you get one, you will use your shoulder more and that will keep it loosened up and strengthen it. You might also be more likely to do the exercises.

(i had rotator cuff repair in 2014 and now have bursitis, rt shoulder)
 
Murrmurr said:
Lara mentioned cortisone shots. If you get one, you will use your shoulder more and that will keep it loosened up and strengthen it. You might also be more likely to do the exercises.

(i had rotator cuff repair in 2014 and now have bursitis, rt shoulder)
Click to expand...
In the early stages working on the muscles to improve alignment is beneficial, but when osteoarthritis has progressed to bone grating on bone no amount of exercise will help. It's high octane pain killers or surgery or crippling immobility.
 
Murrmurr said:
Lara mentioned cortisone shots. If you get one, you will use your shoulder more and that will keep it loosened up and strengthen it. You might also be more likely to do the exercises.
Click to expand...
That could work, I got a cortisone shot in my bad shoulder when I was about 40, it worked wonders. I exercised a little back then but did not keep it up. It took over 20 years for the problem to recur, so I'd say that shot was pretty effective.

Then when it came back a couple of years ago the first thing I did was get another cortisone shot, it did not help much.

So my experience is hit or miss, worth asking your Dr. about.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top