Shoulder Pain

[Elmer]

My doctor diagnosed me with slight shoulder tendonitis. I went through a round of Physical therapy and it got better. However in the last few weeks It have been bothering me. My attempt at doing yoga, to loosen up a stiff back just made it worse. I am 1 month away from golf season and starting to get in golf shape, swinging and searching for a new driver. I have been lifting barbells (25 lbs) and shoulder press (10lbs) to build up arms and shoulders. I also compliment this with some kettlebells. I am also doing the routine from physical therapy, which involves a stress band. My shoulder pain does not hurt when I play golf or swing. I get pain when I bend my arm back to put on a coat or raise my arm to run my fingers through my hair. Normal movement is not bad, but there are clicks and pops, sometimes it feels like bone, sometimes mucles. There is always a stiffness and a dull pain. I am writing not looking for a diagnoses. My doctor did an xray and has rules out rotator cuff or structural damage (so he says). I could go back to my doctor, but I want to avoid surgery or Pharmaceuticals. I had looked into GNC or the local organic store for joint therapy stuff, but it all seems tailored to the ultra elderly, which is not me! So my question is, does anyone have any excersise, stretches, herbal ointments, herbal suppliments that could make the next 6 months tolerable? Thanks for any help!

[Old1964]

I don't know how any doctor could rule out rotator cuff damage or a torn labrum with an xray as it is impossible to diagnose that soft tissue damage without an M.R.I.

When you talk about clicks and pops, that causes me to think that your doctor should refer you to a specialist who could diagnose you in a jiffy.

I just went through that  - hurt in September - had MRI - had to wait until December for surgery to repair torn labrum, fortunately the rotator cuff (3 tendons that come together to form that amazing bit of physiology) was not damaged.

If it is just inflammation of your tendons, I can't see how that would produce the clicks unless it is pretty bad. Lifting, I would think would just make matters worse.

Lots of people are drinking Mangosteen juice for inflammation - some claim that there have been good studies that bear out its effectiveness. Mayo Clinic doesn't believe that enough testing has been done to back up the claims, but they don't discount it either. My retired plumber friend swears by it.

Unless you have liver problems or the like, ibuprophen could help in a big way for $12. But, if you hope is to treat physical problems with alternative medicine (and I know quite a few people who are big into this), be prepared to fork out hundreds of dollars on various suggested supplements, oils, and the like. Shoot, you might want to drop a few hundred into "special" magnets...point is, most of this is just the placebo effect combined with amazing testimonials.

To any homoepathic or naturopathic practitioners that I may have offended with the above paragraph, my apologies. I would add that if you see them, you may improve, but it will be thousands of dollars!

[Elmer]

Thanks for advice.

I have been taking aleve twice a day, but am always fearfull of taking it for too long.

I was also using icey/hot when it was sore, but have also used some organic peppermint, capscain mixture which is like icey hot.

I was looking at taking some of that joint juice but it tends to be pricey and I don't know if it is worth it.

My issue now is just to get by and manage what pain I have, when I have it. When I had initially gone to the dr in December, it was a dull pain and I would have gone with surgery then, to be able to play in april. But with all my range of motion and the lack of pain from most movements the doctor indicated it was not a rotator cuff.

[Ole_Tom_Morris]

I also have had right shoulder pain on and off for over 3 years. Exacerbated by helping to move the contents of a gym onto semi-trailers (oh, those weight stacks!). Being self employed and among the nation's uninsured, I have been self-diagnosing and self treating. No docs or x-rays or MRIs. The pain appeared when doing vertical rows [lifting a barbell close to body with elbows higher than hands]. Also experienced noise in the shoulder when bench-pressing with arms out at 90* from body and some minor pain. No pain or noise when bench pressing with elbows above shoulder level. The pain on vertical rows is classic rotator cuff pain. I treated it with rest and then with the very light (3-5 lbs) dumbell exercises prescribed for rotator cuff rehab. Normally does not bother me unless reinjured lifting moderately heavy dumbells or barbells above shoulders in a military press. Some of the shoulder noise was, I hope, caused by muscle imbalances that alter the position of the bones in the shoulder. That I can treat by working underused muscles around the shoulder. For example, like a lot of folks, my rear deltoids, traps, and associated muscles have gotten weak over the years, while the front delts and biceps have gotten a lot of use. So I have added muscle to the back of the shoulder to try to restore balance. Has it worked? At least some. There is also a theory that light weight training restores the joints, at least for those who do not have degenerative arthritis. This balance idea btw came from an experience when I pulled my knee out of whack by working the hamstrings really hard on a hamstring curl machine. Knee was popping and grinding. I was insured then and went to a doc who had no idea what was wrong. Then I deduced the problem and treated it by working the quads. No problem since, but I do avoid working muscles only on one side of a joint.