Shoulders are Stuffed

[Naked Twin]

Story goes - I have been getting sore shoulder joints for awhile after playing indoor cricket. After a day it would clear itself up. After awhile it got worse and worse, to the point I went and saw a physio. He works his magic and says stop playing indoor or lifting heavy item for awhile. It appears to get better I play indoor and then move house. After that, in spite of physio things don't get better so I give up indoor. Problem is things have got so bad that in the case of my left shoulder has restricted the movement. So much so I in effect can not lift my arm above my head if I m holding it with my hand facing the ground.

I got told about a month ago to stop riding motorbikes and doing any lifting at all including picking my 1 and 3 1/2 year olds up as the tendons are in flamed (similar) and that it could take a couple of years to settle down WTF! Anyway always like a second opinion, second doctor says riding bikes is okay as long as rider a cruiser style bike (what am I gay or old) but no sports bikes. I negotiated the fact I ride a bike with highrise bars so this is okay.

Supposedly it is an accumulative injury and nothing much they can do. I was hoping that they could operate and make it better but so far no luck. Will be getting a third opinion but wondering if anyone has had similar issues with shoulders and what you did?

Does it affect whilst riding, well you do notice it when riding my track bike as you are lent over and particularly the next day, shoulders are a bit stiff.

Need less to say the track bike I was doing a half harsed job of selling (mainly because I was trying to wrangle a third bike in the shed. That was proving difficult) now has to go so it will be back up on the for sale thread. If you are interested let me know.Does it affect whilst I am riding, the answer is yes, but when riding my track bike, you do notice the extra strain and especially the day after.

Nick

[RobotPimp]

Maybe just take it easy for a while. If you feel the need to ride, try using your legs a little more when breaking and maybe use some anti-inflammatories. I've got some great stuff I inject into my horses I can bring you next time we do a track day! ;)

[Johnny]

lol, inject into horse's ?

excercise excersise and excersice, it'll make riding that much easier, ive a busted shoulder thanx to supergran 1 :)

[Mozzie]

This doesn't sound to good mate. I know this sounds silly but Emu oil is suppost to be very good for joints like yours. Cant hurt to look into it.

[bristunt]

Have you develpoed a joint space issue? If the tendons in and around the rotator cuff are inflamed they swell, creating the joint space issue and it's near impossible to get rid of without surgery due to the snowball effect. Movement creats rubbing, inflamation, more swelling, more rubbing etc..... Don't let them do cortizone injections, they do more harm than good in the long run.

I've had my left one done and the right needs doing also. They go in keyhole style and grind the underside of the top bone in your shoulder (will have to google the name of it when I get a chance). It's pretty invasive still and you'll be sore for months and months, but my left is now better than the right. I can weight train again also.

Depending on what bike you ride, doing a lot of core work, adding tank grips, and ensuring you keep those elbows bent may help a bit also. They helped me.

I had my forks revalved with racetech gear and set up fairly plush to help my shoulders cope with riding. It helped a bit too.

[Underground]

lol, inject into horse's ?


Yeah, the anti inflamatory they use to stop horsies getting a boner mid race.
Could just work....

Sorry to hear this Nick, err on the side of caution with whatever you do though, you dont want to miss the opportunity to throw your kids around.

[jasonbw]

Ahh crap mate, bad news.... to keep a LOT of weight off your shoulders grab some snakeskin or stompgrip for the tank (or similar) and use those quads, it'll help the handling too since you've got less weight on the bars. Hopefully you can keep riding at least a reasonable bike...

[Naked Twin]

Have you develpoed a joint space issue? If the tendons in and around the rotator cuff are inflamed they swell, creating the joint space issue and it's near impossible to get rid of without surgery due to the snowball effect. Movement creats rubbing, inflamation, more swelling, more rubbing etc..... Don't let them do cortizone injections, they do more harm than good in the long run.

I've had my left one done and the right needs doing also. They go in keyhole style and grind the underside of the top bone in your shoulder (will have to google the name of it when I get a chance). It's pretty invasive still and you'll be sore for months and months, but my left is now better than the right. I can weight train again also.

Depending on what bike you ride, doing a lot of core work, adding tank grips, and ensuring you keep those elbows bent may help a bit also. They helped me.

I had my forks revalved with racetech gear and set up fairly plush to help my shoulders cope with riding. It helped a bit too.


You seem to be on the money with what I have. I used an anti inflammatory tablets for awhile and they helped (didn't try the horse ones, Do they make you hung like a horse? Could be worth a try if they do.), but long term nothing changed. I am not finding that by the end of the day my shoulders are sore just from the dead weight of my arms. I am only 36 and thought it would go away on its own. Be happy to get more details as I am going for a 3rd opinion on Monday as I had some scans done.

Hey Johnny, part of the problem was i got back into doing some weights for upper body strength as I was getting tired too quickly on the bike at track days. Think this might not have helped. I am also an unfit and slightly over weight, in slightly about 15%.

Nick.

[dave hirst]

rest,then light wieght high repitition rotator cuff exersises, or look up shoulder stability and rotator cuff exersises on a fit ball.

I have had similar (frozen shoulder) and 3 dislocations, and damaged tendons its all in the rotator.

cant hurt to research, only speaking from my experience( with no medical training whatsoever)

[dazzler]

im currently in this position with my little off at EC

next option is cortisone injection... but you say more damage done in the long run???

on naprosyn 1000mg, seems to be helping. REST is the key to repair, also building the muscles around the joint look for specific muscle building techniques for those muscles helps with using the muscles and not so much the tendons....

[OutOfControl]

I have a similar injury at the moment and have had it since March this year. When it first happened the doctor was unsure what it was and suggested to me that it's possibly a rotator cuff problem, but just to be sure I was sent for an MRI scan and it turned out that I have 'Bursitis' of the shoulder(caused by repeated overhead movement of the arm, similiar motion to that of a baseball pitcher).

Anti-inflammatory pills and physio helped relieve the initial swelling and sharp pain but soon after had no further effect and I was told it might take up to 6 months to heal. 7 months later it still hasn't healed and at the rate that it's going I don't know if in a years time it'll be back to normal. It gives me pain just about everytime I move my arm and also when riding. I'm going to order some tank grips for my bike as gripping with my legs significantly reduced the pain during riding.

Personally I don't think that fitness level has much bearing on how long it takes for the injury to heal, more so the location of it. Since the shoulder has around 270° of movement(correct me if I'm wrong) and us using our arms in just about everything we do, then any sort of movement will in some way prolong the healing process.

[Birdman45]

My shoulders are fukt also. When I was in hospital with my arms, I'd lean over to the opposite side to a table and the shoulder would roll out of the joint, and that did NOT f'kin tickle. LOL They had a quick look now and then but as usual, didn't do it when they asked me to do it for them, maybe coz I was knowing it was gonna happen, I did something differently to stop it, but anyway, my left sholder isn't good but my right is the same as a few here...... hard to lift above my shoulder, especially pulling up like doing upright rows or something similar. Sleeping, if I put my arm up under the pillow, in about 2sec I have to move it, just can't be in that position.

I am going to have scans and MRI's done on both so should know more then. But my mate has a similar problem, his doc said it was burring in the joint or in the rotator cuff etc.... said they'd have to grind it away to stop it aggravating the tendons around it, but ther'es every chance they may grow back later. Gettin old sux hard, is all I can say.

[bristunt]

They thought mine were bursitis at first also, very very slow to heal. The bursal sack is between the rotator cuff and the top bone in the shoulder. Same deal, swelling, rubing, more inflamation, more swelling.

I put up with my left for almost 10 years before I gave in and had the surgery. There were some very small burrs on the bone also.

Cortisone, they say one injection per joint per life. It actually does damage to the tendons.

Scans should reveal to a good specialist if you have the joint space issue. It's actually a very common degenerative condition. The thing is, usually by the time the joint gets to that point we are less active by then in our lives and it doesn't cause a lot of trouble. Us nuts that workout, ride etc just make it worse for ourselves.

The problem also becomes worse, because the joint is sore, we use it less, and loose muscle tone/strength, which de-stabilises the joint more.

My surgeon after doing my left told me that within a year I'd be having trouble with the right. The bugger was right. I manage it ok, but no repetitive action like sanding etc, that inflames it pretty quick and then it takes weeks to settle again. Hot showers, voltaren emulgel also help a little I find.

[Birdman45]

Nurofen plus and a few bourbons help everything of mine. LOL My bad, knees, shoulders, neck........ I'm a fukin mess. But 2 nuro plus and a couple of Beams in Max, and I'm just fiiiiiine.

Cortisone they SAY is one injection per joint for life, my ol man has them in his knee whenever he can con the doc in to giving him another one. I doubt he even knows how many he's had now.... they SAY. LOL funny.

[Captain]

What a bunch of geriatrics we are ... it's gonna be fun getting old, won't it?

[Birdman45]

Yeah, GETTING. LOL I'm 37 goin on 70.

[MarkyGG]

You seem to be on the money with what I have. I used an anti inflammatory tablets for awhile and they helped (didn't try the horse ones, Do they make you hung like a horse? Could be worth a try if they do.), but long term nothing changed. I am not finding that by the end of the day my shoulders are sore just from the dead weight of my arms. I am only 36 and thought it would go away on its own. Be happy to get more details as I am going for a 3rd opinion on Monday as I had some scans done.

Hey Johnny, part of the problem was i got back into doing some weights for upper body strength as I was getting tired too quickly on the bike at track days. Think this might not have helped. I am also an unfit and slightly over weight, in slightly about 15%.

Nick.

Dude i have this very issue and all the problems associated with it. I've had ct scans which clearly show deterioration of the joint & possible athritus with some small bone fragments in the joint. They can only determine true affects by MRI which i go for in a couple of weeks. Possible procedures are key hole surgery to clean up the joint, cleaning and capping the the bones to a worst case senario of full shoulder reconstruction. The quack told me not to go doing any heavy lifting or stressing of the joint as anything you do only inflames and swells the joint making it worse. i to have tried all the lotions & potions with little to no affect. physio had me doing stetching exercises which helped a little but never fixed the under lying catch pain i still experience. i'll keep you posted on results as it may help point you in the right direction

[Poleman]

And they say motorcycle riding is dangerous.....:confused1:.....I didn't realise so many Rats had similar shoulder problems, but then again there are a few offs every track day it only stands to reason that we would occasionally be among the unfortunate.

Me, partial displacement of the A-C joint and a small tear in one of the tendons that supports the collarbone, 3months ago. The physio gave me a huge rubber band and a list of exercises to strengthen the shoulder. Was instructed not to raise my arm above the shoulder and no heavy lifting, said it would take about 4 months for the pain to subside but will never be as strong as it was before the acco. Been 3 months and every now and then hurts like a bastard. Reading some of the comments of others about their shoulders makes me think there is much pain to bear for a while yet.

Have done a track day since but was very tentative so rode at about 75% (maybe less) but still managed to enjoy the day and didn't get much grief from the shoulder on the day but sure felt it the next day though. I think the rubber band exercises have helped to strengthen the muscles around the shoulder for added support. Also did the Voltaren and Tiger balm thing but like others no great success.

Looks like once it's fukt, it's fukt....:crysmiley:

[jace]

I've had 3 shoulder injuries in under a year. The worst one was tearing my subscapular tendon clean off the bone that was a big opp.

The man you want to see is Dr Goldberg. He is the best in Sydney if not Australia. Everyone that has used him rate him highly, myself included. He does allot of athletes...:ayyy:

Shoulder injuries do suck & take a long time to heal, in some cases over a year...:(




.

[ROB83R]

My shoulder is aching just reading this.

Maybe I should stop being a sook and go to the quacks and get mine looked at. I have about 90% mobility in my left shoulder now 7 months after my "off" with no medical assistance. Im an idiot.

Hope it all goes well. Keep us posted Nick.

[Birdman45]

Dude i have this very issue and all the problems associated with it. I've had ct scans which clearly show deterioration of the joint & possible athritus with some small bone fragments in the joint. They can only determine true affects by MRI which i go for in a couple of weeks. Possible procedures are key hole surgery to clean up the joint, cleaning and capping the the bones to a worst case senario of full shoulder reconstruction. The quack told me not to go doing any heavy lifting or stressing of the joint as anything you do only inflames and swells the joint making it worse. i to have tried all the lotions & potions with little to no affect. physio had me doing stetching exercises which helped a little but never fixed the under lying catch pain i still experience. i'll keep you posted on results as it may help point you in the right direction

yeah I am having MRI's done soon too, do you know what they are gonna cost you? Apparently they aren't covered by medicare.......

[bristunt]

yeah I am having MRI's done soon too, do you know what they are gonna cost you? Apparently they aren't covered by medicare.......

yep, not covered by medicare:(

[MarkyGG]

diggers i was seeing a specialist @ RPAH out patients clinic after my road acco & i've had 2 MRI's so far plus this one & all covered by medicare. I'm not sure if it is because i had a stay in the hospital or not & the referal come from the lead surgeon or not but maybe it would be worth a shot. You have to book into out patients clinic which for my doc is Wednesday's from 8:30 - 12 with Dr Petchell 9515 9812.Usual MRI cost is i think about $700 & you get in within 2 -4 weeks approx. I've only had to wait 7 weeks.

[Linden]

yep, not covered by medicare:(

If a neurologist sends you they are covered - so get a referral there first

[Birdman45]

yeah but they won't knowing it's for a motor vehicle accident etc, well in my case anyway. Had two doc's now telling me that and the place I was booking in at. I have to get approval from the insurance co, or my lawyers. Jesus H Christ, $700? Nice work for a 2min photo job. LOL

[Naked Twin]

Well I had xrays and ultrasounds on the shoulders. No obvious muscular damage which is good however he did blood tests and my cholesterol is high, apparently 5.6 is high, (yet in gymnastics this is considered a low score).

The third opinion has told me I should do more regular cycling and riding in shorter stints so long as I don't get pain from it. Does doing 2 track days at Oran Park in November and December count as short stints :)

To the couple of people who have sent PM's thankyou, I didn't realise this was so common. I and contacting a osteo for more advice.

Nick

[jasonbw]

Ha ha, of course it is, Oran Park is a short track.. just don't do anymore PI trackdays for the moment :) Great to hear it's not as bad as it first seemed.

[Johnny]

Great news Nick, that must be a huge relief..

[stunva]

When mine plays up I do this simple exercise for a week or two and it helps a bit but panadol and burbon is the most effective treatment i know.

Get a light wieght, about 2 or 3kgs and lay on the table belly down with the sore should over the edge holding the weight, do a circle with the weight about 12 - 18 " in diameter. Just do it until the muscle warms up and then stop, do it in the morning and night for a week or two, it does help, just make sure you only use a light weight.