Neck/Shoulder/Arm pain...

Hello Joey and welcome. You will probably firstly hear most of us clearly preempt our comments with how we're not doctors, cannot offer medical advice, and that diagnostics and medical consult are the best place to start to find a diagnosis that you can build off of. From here, what we can do is guess.

Now that I've written my disclaimer, let me share my experience with you. (I'll just discuss what we have in common).

I don't know understand or know what you mean by prominent veins on the anterior left side of your neck since some vascularity is related to how lean you are. They may be more prominent because of the body mechanics and stacking. I also developed the forward head tilt, (and nip this in the bud because it can greatly contribute to that kyphotic posture, or result from it).

If you do not work push/pull muscles equally and with good form, you risk imbalances that stress muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints....and yes, nerves.

While I've heard it up to here about not doing overhead presses, I still do them because I know how to do them safely. Poor form is usually what starts a bad cycle and leads to injuries. Do you do "ANY" overhead work like pullups or pulldowns or overhead tricep extensions?

My situation is this: Left shoulder weaker than the right (and I'm a strong gal and when I was able I lifted heavy and competed in body building, so trust me, I get it). The pain feels like a sharp radiation from the acromion process, down around the front delt towards the front bicep insertion. Sometimes my scalenes (which are tough to reach as is) would spasm. My traps were rarely affected. My left rhomboid and subscapular region was always hurting. My left internal rotator was so tight (avoid pec flys like the plague as well as front delts, and keep weights low for lateral delts using perfect form).

I have bursitis in my left shoulder, and recently started getting cortisone injections to get through physical therapy. My external rotator is what's messed up, and I have very limited ROM and very little strength. Rear delt flys aren't the way to go either.

My un-medical opinion, for my own personal situation, is that for a long, long time I was able to work through that, the gym is my playground....for now I settle for PT, but they know my history so are flexible with my,...."exuberance".

My belief, for me, is that due to not addressing the inflamed bursa, and doing too many internal rotation movements with my humerus, I made it worse myself. This also means it stresses the clavicular bone a great deal. Avoiding dips (dangerous when not done right, unsafe for people like us even doing it correctly until this is resolved).

I tip my head forward as well unconsciously because I'm in pain, there's swelling, my arm mechanics are not normalized (yet), and it's my body's way of trying to avoid anything that may cause me pain. I work extremely hard at tucking my chin in and lifting up, like a string pulling from my skull and spine up to the ceiling. It's sometimes painful because of the shoulder....and then my neck hurts, then the occiput, then headaches, and rhomboid and subscap pain.

I sought out a shoulder specialist who did imaging, is doing my injections, but IS concerned I may have a tear, so I'm on a 4 week trial, so to speak.

Seek out a specialist in shoulders, try doctors who work with athletes, physiatrists,....but seek diagnostics before proceeding. (I exhausted the chiro, acupuncture, massage, etc. too).

Good luck to you.

Sookie

Welcome to the forum Joey and first I urge you to at least remove your last name from your post. This is an open forum and can be read without joining and is visited alot.

Like Sookie I'm not a Dr either, just over a decade of dealing with CP in varying places and my immediate thought while reading your symptoms was rotator cuff problem too. I actually had a repair done years back.

Therefore explains the chiro and physio not having a lot of success. I realize you want to treat naturally without medical intervention but there are times and situations when that's not the best way to go or even possible.

A tear will not heal properly on its own and left to do so can become worse and leave the entire shoulder and possibly arm with very limited or no mobility.

I urge you to see a Orthopedic Dr with a specialty in shoulders.

It could be. I'm merely sharing my experience, what I've done to deal with it, and what I do.

Just like you I relied on strength training, knowing my body, putting my faith in anything that didn't involve cortisone injections, surgery, or traditional medicine. I did it for a while so I understand where you're coming from.

I let mine go too far to where I could not move my entire arm. I mean I could bend my elbow, wrist, etc. But lifting from the shoulder (ergo, all overhead and delt raises and recruitments) was impossible. The weight of a sheet couldn't be managed to cover myself.

I don't know if that's what you've got but for me, I saw an orthopedic doctor who specialized in shoulders and worked specifically or particularly with athletes. That's how I chose. Yes I've received 2 cortisone injections and couldn't be more thankful, but PT starts. The injection doesn't cure you, it helps you get through rehab.

People like us need to be held back. Took me a long time to accept that, so my therapists know I'll push more, but they watch me closely to give me a professional, safe, cut off line when to knock it off. Listen to them.

It could be something completely different, which is why I'd get to a specialist (nor a "regular generic orthopedic) right away. I'm on a 4 week leash, if no improvement, he's checking on a "slight suspicion" that I have a tear. Please don't let it go that far because then you'll be in a lot of pain, a lot of rehab, and MAY have to give up some of those movements we know we love because they bring the best results. Do it now while it's fresh.

EDIT: When we've been mentioning "rotator cuff" that doesn't mean we are specifically saying it is swollen or that is uncomfortable because it's inflamed.  If there are tears, microtears, inflamed bursa sac within,....this is quite complicated beyond the scope of your current practitioners. Please search out a specialist (orthopedist for shoulders who works with athletes).  You also need to r/o if something else may be a factor.

Post Edited (Sookie Snows) : 8/1/2013 11:07:31 AM (GMT-6)

Also...has anyone tried HGH for tears or muscle tightness or atrophy?