Rear delt, upper back and neck pain

[usahoe18]

It all started last March when I bought a Powertech Multisystem. I was tired of driving back and forth to the gym, so I wanted the most bulletproof home gym I could find. The first workout I did chest and man I thought what a pump, I could feel a tremendous pump in my front delts and traps after the workout. The next day my damn shoulders hurt like hell, but I never really paid much attention to it. Week 2 I did the same chest workout on my Powertech, and once again the day or two afterwards my shoulders hurt like hell. After that, which was 9 months ago, my shoulders have never felt the same. I never felt pain while lifting, only the days afterwards. My shoulders hurt in the front, on top, and in the back. I did the smart thing I laid off some of the weights for a few weeks in hopes for the pain to go away and it did, only to reappear while I worked. I am a mailman, and the constant reaching, stretching, turning the steering wheel thousands of times a day just seems to reaggrevate the injury.

I finally went to the Orthopedic doctor 2 months after the injury and he did all the rotator cuff excersises which I passed, and told me it was probably bursitis. He gave me some antinflammatory's which really aggrevated my stomach and caused a lot of heartburn. I kept doing rotator cuff exercises to try and help but the pain I've having now has never really seemed to go away. I've laid off lifting for around 9 months now, only exercising back, legs, and arms, while I keep the rotator cuff exercises going. I also started mixing in stretches hoping it would help as well.

The main issue I'm having now is a burning pain around my rear delts, which moves to and around my scapula. There is also a pulling pain in my neck and traps. I'm ok when I'm at home, but that constant turning of the steering wheel and reaching all day is what makes all this come to life.

I went back to the orthopedic doctor yesterday, and he was as confused as I am. I still have strength and while lifting (if and when I do), there is never any pain while doing any of the movements. It's always the next day when I get to work when it bothers me. I remember one distinct time when I tested myself with chest presses. I lie on the floor, took a 35lb. dumbell and did 2 sets of 12. Not once did it hurt to perform the motion, until later that night the pain appeared in my upper back, scapula, and around my rear delt.

What in the world is going on here?

[2Rude4MyOwnGood]

Your ortho doesn't sound like he's worth a sht. All of your symptoms are very common for several shoulder conditions. If he was confused by this, I'd question his abilities. Go see a specialist, somebody who specializes in sports medicine and shoulder injuries. A physical exam of the shoulder is definitely not enough to completely rule anything out.

If you've been having these symptoms for a long time and they haven't improved with PT, I'd ask for an MRI with arthrogram. That's how you get a true diagnosis. But I wouldn't let your current doctor interpret the images since he doesn't seem to know much about these common injuries.

[usahoe18]

He started out with antiinflammatory which caused heartburn. I quit taking them and the problem stayed the same, so I'm not really sure they helped.

He did tell me yesterday to go see a chiropractor and if that didn't work, come back and we would do an MRI with arthogram. I have had some tightness/pain in my neck here recently, but I've always had it in my shoulders since the injury.

Yesterday it started in the rear delt region and the dull pain eventually worked into my scapula and then I could feel it move into my traps. It feels like its deep down. In left shoulder, I can mimic a golf swing, during the back swing if my left arm is kept straight, the rotator muscle and or tendon that sits on top will pop. He put pressure on it and it wouldn't pop, that's what he was confused about.

[parseceffect]

He started out with antiinflammatory which caused heartburn. I quit taking them and the problem stayed the same, so I'm not really sure they helped.

He did tell me yesterday to go see a chiropractor and if that didn't work, come back and we would do an MRI with arthogram. I have had some tightness/pain in my neck here recently, but I've always had it in my shoulders since the injury.

Yesterday it started in the rear delt region and the dull pain eventually worked into my scapula and then I could feel it move into my traps. It feels like its deep down. In left shoulder, I can mimic a golf swing, during the back swing if my left arm is kept straight, the rotator muscle and or tendon that sits on top will pop. He put pressure on it and it wouldn't pop, that's what he was confused about.

Hi usahoe,
Hopefully you see this... I am having the same symptoms as you for the past 3 years and bounced around PT and several specialists at well-known sports medicine clinics with no success... Can you share any updates or what your final diagnosis was? Thanks!

[Iceman1800]

Google upper cross syndrome. It sounds like that could be it. Even if it's not, those rehab exercises are still beneficial to anyone who lifts.

[parseceffect]

Thanks, Iceman. This was actually what they thought it was my first round of PT 3 years ago. Did all the exercises there and still work them into my PT and workouts now.

I think this is more of an acute tear or exacerbation of a preexisting injury. 3 years ago, it happened with a vigorous overhead press; recently flared up again with an isometric hold on a facepull. Similar symptoms to those of OP, and I'm negative on all the common diagnostic exams. Hopefully I can find a solution!

[sowilson]

Go see a real orthopedic surgeon who is a team doctor for a professional sports team. They get paid to keep multi-million dollar athletes on the field, they'll be able to diagnose and treat your issue. Sometimes they can be hard to schedule (i.e. you may have to wait a few months to see them) but they're generally worth it.

[parseceffect]

Thanks sowilson. I don’t know why I didn’t think of googling these physicians directly. Saw a few PMnRs with sports medicine fellowships up to now. Hopefully someone will be able to get me back on the field too.

I appreciate those who have responded to this revived thread.