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Rotator Cuff problems?

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Posted 2/2/2009 6:15 AM (GMT 0)
shakehead

For seven years I have remembered the Physical Therapists words:
"If you're not careful you will need Rotator Cuff surgery."
I have a terrible back and shoulders.
Now I think it's getting way worse.
Sometimes it's ok.
After I first wake up I feel like before the days (daze) of pain.
It feels like my arm ... is getting loose where it connects to me.
Anybody else have this or know about it?
Going through doctors and getting a diagnosis is so difficult.
I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.
Posted 2/2/2009 1:56 PM (GMT 0)
Pamela,

Obviously, I'm not a doctor, but I do have some experience with shoulder problems (more that I'd care to admit!). Your loose feeling could be a number of things. One possibility is a ligament problem. I've had multiple shoulder surgeries, including two to literally "tie" both my shoulders back into place, as I had stretched out my ligaments so much that the head of my humerus no longer stayed in place in the joint, instead it was constantly partially dislocated. This can definitely cause a pulling sensation, in addition to feeling like you shoulders are loose. I've also torn my labrum (the lining of the joint) which can, and did result in similar subluxation problems in my case, as the shoulder "catches" on the tear as it moves in the joint. Both these conditions were very painful for me, but I also relied very heavily on my shoulders as a national level competitive athlete (which is what got me into trouble in the first place).

I'd definitely suggest getting it checked out by an orthopedist (preferably one with a lot of experience with shoulder problems). They can tell you a lot based off of an exam & diagnostic imaging if necessary.

Skeye
Posted 2/2/2009 3:23 PM (GMT 0)

Skeye & Pam,

There we go w/ our swimmers pains again! Me too! My whole family has bad shoulders, got them from my Dad who had both his wired to keep them from dislocating! My little sister had her's done too. My coaches told me thats why I was such a good breaststroker, my shoulders were so loose that I could get extreem extention and outward scapular rotation. On underwater films, they looked like they would dislocate when I would thrust my hands/arms forward. What they didn't tell me was the damage I was doing to them! Yes, shoulder surgeries suck! Thems thangs hurt bad! Much worse than knee or hip, I can't say about back or neck surgeries yet because I've declined having them a bunch of times. I don't know, it just seems like no one I know or talk to ever gets any releif from them (back or neck). But shoulders are different. Before I had rotator cuff surgery on both of them, I couldn't lift my arms up much past my waist. It player hell w/ my fly fishing and we just couldn't have that! Oh they still hurt and ache and get stuck while trying to sleep on them but at least I can fish. Not for hours like I used to, I have to stop and rest them and forget doing any kind of overhead working like painting the ceiling, ain't gonna happen! Pam, a good Ortho and an MRI will detect any problems pretty easilly. Good luck and keep us posted!

Pete

Posted 2/2/2009 3:57 PM (GMT 0)
I will give it till Wednesday, Skeye & Pete's Trip. Thank you for responding. I've
been putting it off a way way way too long.
Pamela Ow Ow Ow
Posted 2/3/2009 4:21 AM (GMT 0)
Oh Pete,

I can relate to your shoulders hurting when you sleep on them! I still have to position myself just so w/ my "shoulder pillows" to give myself good support when I sleep, otherwise I wake up in pain. Even then, sometimes I wake up & move my arms, only to have my shoulders make a cracking sound that can be heard from rooms away! Overhead work & work w/ my arms extended is still hard for me too. It's just something I'm going to have to live with though, since it has been 3 years since the last surgery. But they are soooo much better than they were before all the surgeries, so I really can't complain much. Why is it that loose shoulders makes us such good swimmers but so prone to injury?! After all this I can now only swim a few laps.

Skeye
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