Shoulder Issue Continued after 2 surgeries - Please help
I uploaded the pictures and from what I see my LEFT (injured side) scapula (not necessarily the shoulder) is higher than my right shoulder but from the front my left shoulder seems to hang lower than my right but my clavicle is raised????
I am right handed.
In pictures to make it simple:
Posterior View:
Left shoulder has tattoo
Anterior View:
Right shoulder/Arm has bracelet and ring
PS: I tried to do some wall pushups with a plus and it just caused all the pulling to get worse in my nerves and my scap began burning.
I h ave tried everything surgery, Myofascial release, ART therapy ETC - I am exhausted and am seeing a doctor on monday but I really want anything but surgery!
Nov 2009 - Shoulder surgery for impingment - distal clavicle resection & decompression
-- After surgery AC joint was sore but around March 2010 I began to get tightness in the posterior of my shoulder and upper left back w/ a dull ache feeling around shoulder joint and scapula. Sometimes I also got a crawling sensation around the scap area as well.
May 2010- Tried Active Release Technique, Graston, and Chiroipractic to fux issue
June 2010 - MRI and EMG study - MRI showed the joint was fine.
EMG/NCV study only confirmed that I had cubittal tunnel in my elbow, which I was diagnosed with two years ago.
June 30 2010 - Capsularrphy Shoulder Surgery - Doctor said my RC was very loose so they tightned it thinking this could be the cause of the ache since EMG/NCV was negative.
So I am now 2 weeks posat surgery, in a sling, and the ache and crawling sensation and tightness is still there!! Its not pain but very very discomforting!
I am wondering what is causing this? Could it be weaken muscles on that side? I tried to lift heavy somewhat early after the FIRST SURGERY without following the PT recovery protocols. Could that have done anything?
I am kind of at my wits end and do not know what else to do, especially after having another surgery in which the doctor said besides my RC being loose there was nothin else wrong with my joint. I know I have yet to start PT but the same ache is there post surgery 2.
Symtoms now:
Pain at end of distal clavicle (like the pain I had after surgery 1 - not sure why this pain jumped up again)
----> My clavicle is pretty prominent sticking out though, seems higher than other side since post first surgery
Dull ache around posterior shoulder
Ache around scapula and rhomboid are - feels tight
Some crawling sensations around back of shoulder joint and upper back (scapula area)
Tightness when I shrug my shoulder up
Anterior shoulder tightness
Clavicle hitting the acromion during cross body movements.
Nerves pulling very tight through the armpit causing some tingling and pain into the hand as well. - Entrapped?
----- I do notice however that when I retract my shoulder blades and lean my head to the opposite side I feel my deltoid and my shoulder muscle stretching/tightning.
Shoulder lower than the other - especially when I grab a broomstick and lift both shoulders out in front of me
My shoulder (deltoid area) sometimes burns and is sensitive to the slightest touch by putting on a shirt or even if the air blows on it - It just feels weird so I am guessing neurological???
I will upload pictures tonight though. Thank you very much for the response
What Makes it feel better:
Laying down in supine position
exercise
Ummm, do you have any issues with your spine or SI joint? Systemic upper body stuff can result if the hips/spine/pelvis are thrown out of whack. Any type of head trauma where the TMJ or upper cervicals can get out of place can cause this too.
Seems liek something is twisting your upper body if the shoulders are out of alignment like that.
No post is professional medical, nutrition or training info!
---- My left clavicle (injured and surgeried one) looks like ti sticks straight out and does not curve or go down into my shoulder like almost as if my shoulder joint was pushed b ack and down and leaving the clavicle to stand out
Looking at your anterior pics I can see that your right foot turns out, and is flatter than the other. Could be due to an uneven alignment of the hips -- if so it could do stuff all the way up the chain. Or it could be an unrelated issue... but I would get that checked too. That's what I was saying with the SI joint although it doesn't look like your hip alignment is out of place which is a bit weird if that's the case.
Similarly, are you at a desk or computer a lot? This can commonly occur with more forward posture with the right shoulder (mouse hand) in people.
And frankly your posture sucks. So start working on that and maybe we'll see if some ofthe problems resolve there.
This is kind of a random dump of stuff but go through it and see what helps and what doesn't:
Best thing you can do is focus on posture. Hold your shoulders back, retract the scapulas, chest up and out, chin tucked back. Do this all the time. Yes, you will be sore but your body will adapt correctly within a week most of the time.
1. Drop all pressing movements
2. Do lots of horizontal pulling (rowing.... except NOT upright rows)
3. Strengthen ONLY your external rotators... ignore internal rotators
4. foam roll thoracic spine + mobility work (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-t...pine-mobility/ )
5. Ice after any exercise/swelling
6. Band dislocates & wall slides (youtube these)
7. Lots of massage/tennis balling/etc. from the scapulae to the anterior shoulders.
8. Stretch chest and lats. A LOT. Use a basketball to roll out your chest, especially the pec minor as well. If you can't get it well use your hands to massage.
9. Fish oil for anti-inflammatory, joint supps if you need any (sections 4&5 describe these here): http://www.eatmoveimprove.com/2009/08/on-tendonitis/
When I do any type of external roatation movement my shoulder begins to burn and if I do any type of scap push up my whole arm will begin to tighten up and my hand will begin to burn... Also when I type my left hand begins to burn... any ideas?
When typing its more on the palm side - pointer finger and thumb area
I have a weird sensation on my deltoid and it is very sensitive to light touch and temperature changes. It is even hard for me to wear a T-shirt because it irritates the heck out of it. It only feels ok if I wear a long sleeve shirt or jacket.
I have a lot of popping and grinding in the scap area when I move my arm like in a shrug type motion and back also.
So today I tried the to keep my posture better - shoulders back and scapula retracted but I get a pulling weird sensation down the back of my arm and a little crawling sensation in the anterior shoulder - good?
With the wall slides I get a pulling sensation under my armpit at as I go for extension and I slight grinding or popping in the shoulder joint or upper scap area as I pull the shoulders down. Also my shoulder and back of arm begins to burn with this to some extent and the arm feels colder though to touch -- akward?
When typing its more on the palm side - pointer finger and thumb area
I have a weird sensation on my deltoid and it is very sensitive to light touch and temperature changes. It is even hard for me to wear a T-shirt because it irritates the heck out of it. It only feels ok if I wear a long sleeve shirt or jacket.
I have a lot of popping and grinding in the scap area when I move my arm like in a shrug type motion and back also.
Hmm, sounds more like median nerve. not consistent with everything else..
Sounds like tight muscles though with the grinding/popping.
Originally Posted by lokobreed
So today I tried the to keep my posture better - shoulders back and scapula retracted but I get a pulling weird sensation down the back of my arm and a little crawling sensation in the anterior shoulder - good?
With the wall slides I get a pulling sensation under my armpit at as I go for extension and I slight grinding or popping in the shoulder joint or upper scap area as I pull the shoulders down. Also my shoulder and back of arm begins to burn with this to some extent and the arm feels colder though to touch -- akward?
1. Maybe. DId you try the nerve glides? I'm interested to see which ones are tight.
2. Lay off on the wall slides for now.
I would definitely start stretching the muscles around the shoulder girdle... internal rotation stretch would be good along with pec minor, lats, chest, teres major, etc. I think I outlined a bunch of the soft tissue work above.
Our goal at this piont is to minimize all of the clicking/grinding which means loosening up the too tight mucsles and getting them to function properly.
Also, if you were going to do any strengthening exercises just do rotator cuff work for now.
No post is professional medical, nutrition or training info!
Thank you so much for the help. I am heading off to church but will check out the soft tissue work when I get back. I always rolll out my pec with a tennis ball agianst the wall and I have always noticed that it sends like a twinge into my anterior shoulder and into armpit - almost like a relief of some sort.
Also perhaps you have some in sight on this. When I stan in good posture with my shoulders retracted and scapula retracted I feel a tight pull where my clavicle was cut from the Distal Clavicle Resection - almost as if some tissue is pulling from there, but perhaps this could be from the Carocoid process? What do you think?
And When I retract my shoulders and I suppose to be pulling the scap down as well or just back?
I have been working on my scap... Here are some feelings I am getting
When I do raises only to shoulder height with a can of tuna in each hand (5 oz) I get these weird sensations - feels like I can feel my skin or something pulling in the back of my tricep and in deltoid region.
When I do shoulder shrug with no weight or can of tuna - bringing shoulders up to ears then back and then back to ears and then forward - when I come down (like after going up and back) I get like I weird type pop under my ac joint around where my clavicle was resected like a tendon is hitting something and then I get like tight pull in my armpit which extends to my hands - so I was thinking this "pop type" could be a nerve? any thought?
I've been talking about nerve glides and massage/soft tissue work for the past like 3 posts. Did you do any of that specific stuff I recommended above?
I can't help you much if you're not going to me out so we can see what works or not.
It COULD be scapular dyskinesia but that usually occurs if other stuff is out of whack first. That's why we need to find the source of the problem before you work on other global problems like that.
Shrugs sound like some impingement which is usually the case if the scapula doesn't rise.
Look, most of the stuff you're describing seems like it could be problems stemming from tight pec minor and nerves. I recommended specifically that type of stuff in the last post so do that. I won't be back to this thread until you do the soft tissue work and nerve glides and we'll see if that helps or not.
No post is professional medical, nutrition or training info!
I should have mentioned that I have done the nerve glides.
All of the ones (ulnar and median) when I turn my head towards the opposite side there is alot of pulling in the hand and in the top of the shoulder area around the clavicle and muscle/nerve pulling around the distal clavicle where it was resected (but are there nerves there that could be entrapped because from my knowledge the brachial plexus is more closer to the center of the clavicle)
The nerve glides that do not require to extend the head to the other side to not provide any intense stretching, however when I did the median nerve there was some pullin in the hand and as always there is some weird pulling in the armpit.
Also as for as the soft tissue massage - do you mean the tennis ball? I have been doing that every day and still getting the weird sensations when I do it with the tennis ball on the pec. When I do the tennis ball around the side of the deltoid and the tricep it feels good and tight as I am doing the roll but afterwards there is some pain and heaviness/ache in the area.
I hope this helps a little bit more in understanding my situation.
Another thing I just noticed - On the nerve glides it says that the hand/arm should not not be lifted over shoulder height. But If I do - say put my hand/arm on the wall over shoulder height and extend it completely and turn my head to the side I can feel like pop or movement in what seems to be the anterior top of my shoulder kind of by the clavicle.
Nerve glides seems like theyre going to help so keep doing them.
Well, if the muscles are tight keep working them out.
I'm beginning to think this is moreso a problem in the cervical area (but may could be still be around brachial plexus area). May be a good idea to get it checked out by a physical therapist.
No post is professional medical, nutrition or training info!
I went to a perhipherial nerve specialist - Susan Mackinon - who said it is due to my scapula dysfunction and that my muscles are so imbalnced it is causing neurological issues.
I do not think it is a cervical issue at all due to the fact that when they did press my head down, lifted it up or turn it the side of my problematic shoulder my issue did not worsen. The only issue that worsens the pain is when I try and stand in good posture and pull my shoulders back or when I extend my arm to the side at around shoulder height and bend my head toward the opposite side of the shoulder.
-- which leads me to believe that my nerves are impinged somewhere around there also.
-- I also think my muscles are overly tight because when I do that I also get a pull in the muscle down the tricep area.
Braindx I am scheduled for PT on Tuesday! Thanks for your kind replies.
I do have a question perhaps you can shed some light on but when I pull my shoulders back in good posture my injured shoulder becomes very tight anteriorly and on the side. Then I lean my head to the oppoiste side I feel more like a muscle pull that is very tight throughtout my shoulder (in the front and side) and even around tricep area.... any ideaS?
Thanks I will. I see the PT tomorrow. I am going to bring this up to her as well but just wondering perhaps if you have any input on this.
I noticed sometimes if I take a deep breath in I get like a tightness pulling feeling into my armpit and can be felt down my hand (like the thumb and pointer finger area), sometimes I can feel the tightning into the nexk area but not always. I also get light headed from this as well... Can you think of what is cauing this? Would could this be the scapula?
Sometimes I get a weird feeling on that side of my face but not sure if the two are correlated? the feeling on the face I think could be from anxiety from having been out of exercise for almost a year and having to have 3 surgeries.
So the PT recommended me doing the scap exercises but she felt that my shoulders are slouching to far down and they need to be elevated. She recommended me trying to keeping y shoulders up by puttin pillows on my lap to rest arms on while watching tv or using the computer and to also sleep with my shoulders up towards my head and also up towards my torso with some pillows.
She thinks my levator scap has been stretched and elongated and thinks is my main issue
Here is a picture if where I get a weird grind sensation in my arm when I lay down and do internal rotations or when I straighten my arm out in front of me then bend it 90 degrees and move it internally.
It does not hurt but its kind of noisy and discomforting and very aggravating since it happens with most internal movements.
Any idea what this could be? The red circles is where I feel it.
Maybe perhaps you can help me with this issue now. I feel like I have an entrapped nerve or artery. I think it is probably a nerve because wouldn't an artery be showing different symptoms than what I have? And not sure if it is due to the winging of my scapular or different but I feel like it is different because I do not think it is my suprscapular nerve but I could be wrong.
1)When I take a deep breath in especially if my shoulder blades are retracted it almost feels like a rope is being tired around my shoulder area (more anteriorly though) .
2) when I do side lateral raises with no weight ( thumbs point up) and shoulders blades retracted, when I come down I hit something, think a nerve, inside my shoulder joint area (possbily more closer to armpit) and it sends like pulse or bump down into my thumb/palm area.
3)Sometimes my deltoid begins to burn... is there a nerve that runs there?
4) When I raise my arm to the side and back and then tilt my head to the side I feel something move in the shoulder joint over something else which also sometimes sends a pulse or a jump down into my thumb/ palm area.
My hands, especially palm area, is usually dry and chappy and wrinkly - isnt that a sign of an entrapped nerve?
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