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shoulder issues - here i go again

pcake

pcake

Sep 20, 2011
10,169
31,502
Los Angeleez
#1
for a while after i got out of the hospital in late ma, i had no shoulder pain at all for the first time since 2008. it was great - i could play a long scale bass without shoulder pain or shifting positions to avoid them. it was super. than i reached up to close a window, and the pain came back. still, i could play a short scale bass minor issue. then i went to an ortho who my doctor referred me to. he was very encouraging and nice. he sent me to PT.

i went to the PT cedars assigned me to, and i was very encouraged. but after visit 2, he set me up with a very gentle exercise. at first, it was fine, but within 2 weeks, my shoulder pain was a problem, and lack of mobility was a bigger problem. i can't even play a mikro without pain. and they are offering me a cortisone shot, but also letting me know my blood sugar could increase by over 100 points, which is over the "go to the hospital" blood sugar.

SO frustrating - i just wanna play. and sleep. argh!
 
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#2
I had shoulder pain and limited movement. Not to your extent but it was affecting everything music related. I went to an acupuncturist. For me it was a miracle work. It has 500 years of documentation, so can’t be dismissed as quackery or placebo. I was sceptical but it worked for me. Much better than I thought it could.
 
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#4
Michedelic said:
Pretty brutal, I guess the synth stuff is tracks, but at least they are the band. I don’t know how the singer’s voice holds up, unless some of the growl is processing. I’d love to see a mosh pit full of those inflatable costumes.

Not to get too off-topic, but did you ever know anyone in the Pandoras? Last night I saw the “Original Pandoras”, with Gwynne, Casey, and Bambi, plus Lisa on guitar from the last line-up and two new vocalists filling in for Paula. They were on before Mike Watt/Missing Man at a small local music festival down the road from me.
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Dlew919 said:
I had shoulder pain and limited movement. Not to your extent but it was affecting everything music related. I went to an acupuncturist. For me it was a miracle work. It has 500 years of documentation, so can’t be dismissed as quackery or placebo. I was sceptical but it worked for me. Much better than I thought it could.
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i currently have no disposable income, but i wonder if my insurance might cover it...
buldog5151bass said:
Discuss the cortisone more with your doctor, and make an informed decision.
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i did. the ortho was willing to raise my blood sugar 100 points, while the nephrologist doesn't think it's a good idea. 2 hours after lunch would be around 280. i've already been told i should never let it get that high by other doctors. *sigh*
 
#7
I wish I knew the right answer for you. The acupuncture post sounds worth checking out. After I was run over 10/24, I did PT after ACL replacement but, after about 3 months of PT, I was training as hard as they were pushing me at PT and so I've stayed with my routine.

Shoulders however, are very tricky and fragile things. When my chiropractor started doing stretching for me (post myeloma), they would do this shoulder alignment. It wasn't torque or any kind of stress, just a setting of sorts, it never hurt, and I always felt great after the entire stretching endeavor. Kinetic stretching it was called. I liked it better than the 'adjustments' of chiropractic and it left me feeling great for days after.

It's time consuming and frustrating to involve more medical. All in the hopes of solving a problem that rarely improves with age. I could only recommend avoiding anything that torque's or involves too much stress. You'll likely have to exercise it in a few ways and I still do shoulder work at the gym but never with a lot of weight. It looks like you need to find a way to improve your abilities and alleviate pain.

Good luck.
 
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#9
You might already be doing this, but ice is a natural anti-inflammatory that is very safe. 15-20 minutes 4 times per day is usually enough, though you could do it every couple of hours if you need to. It might take a few days to notice a difference. If it seems helpful, keep doing it for at least a couple of weeks longer than you think that you need to. Make sure not to put it directly on your skin, but it should get cold enough to be numb in the area right under the ice, after about 5 minutes. It will be a little uncomfortable for the first 3-4 minutes, but then will feel better.

Also, try avoiding any activity/exercise that increases your pain. Gentle range of motion is good, but don’t force any stretches.

I know this doesn’t address your issue with the cortisone and blood sugar, but it might help you a little.
 
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#10
oldcatfish said:
You might already be doing this, but ice is a natural anti-inflammatory that is very safe. 15-20 minutes 4 times per day is usually enough, though you could do it every couple of hours if you need to. It might take a few days to notice a difference. If it seems helpful, keep doing it for at least a couple of weeks longer than you think that you need to. Make sure not to put it directly on your skin, but it should get cold enough to be numb in the area right under the ice, after about 5 minutes. It will be a little uncomfortable for the first 3-4 minutes, but then will feel better.

Also, try avoiding any activity/exercise that increases your pain. Gentle range of motion is good, but don’t force any stretches.

I know this doesn’t address your issue with the cortisone and blood sugar, but it might help you a little.
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no one has suggested ice, and i've had shoulder pain for years that holds me back. i have cold packs, and i'll try 'em. i've tried to avoid putting any strain on the shoulder since 2008. i bet the cold packs will help, and i'll start 'em today. thanks!
 
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#12
Everyone at my gym who does bench press has shoulder issues similar to the one you describe. We all have either damaged our rotator cuffs or developed impingements in the shoulder joint, or developed bursitis from over exercise. What you describe sounds like an impingement. The people who got the cortisone shot saw relief for perhaps a year, sometimes longer. Second shots not as effective.

One of my friends there is an acupuncturist, and he has shoulder issues too. Not that that means anything, he is a heavy lifter. Not sure he can really treat himself, never asked him.

One thing to consider is your sleeping position, and choice of pillows. If you are a side sleeper, a flatter harder pillow may help. That helps me.

I would pursue physical therapy as a possible solution. Might make it a bit better? Also there are folks here who play short scale due to shoulder issues.
 
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#13
BassicJazzy said:
Everyone at my gym who does bench press has shoulder issues similar to the one you describe. We all have either damaged our rotator cuffs or developed impingements in the shoulder joint, or developed bursitis from over exercise. What you describe sounds like an impingement. The people who got the cortisone shot saw relief for perhaps a year, sometimes longer. Second shots not as effective.

One of my friends there is an acupuncturist, and he has shoulder issues too. Not that that means anything, he is a heavy lifter. Not sure he can really treat himself, never asked him.

One thing to consider is your sleeping position, and choice of pillows. If you are a side sleeper, a flatter harder pillow may help. That helps me.

I would pursue physical therapy as a possible solution. Might make it a bit better? Also there are folks here who play short scale due to shoulder issues.
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i have long since had to stop sleeping in my most restful sleeping position and experimented with other positions.

i have gone to PT repeatedly for this issue, and this time around, the PT is making the pain worse so my PT has put the stretching on hold till we get together next.
 
#14
Might I suggest a couple two pound bags of frozen peas. Smack them on the counter if they get solid. They will form beautifully to your shoulder every time. When the shoulder is all good, you can eat them. Worked great for me after my shoulder replacement. The circulating ice pack thing I bought wouldn’t fit around my shoulder, despite the sizing the manufacturer suggested, but the peas did😄
 
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#16
pcake said:
i have long since had to stop sleeping in my most restful sleeping position and experimented with other positions.

i have gone to PT repeatedly for this issue, and this time around, the PT is making the pain worse so my PT has put the stretching on hold till we get together next.
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Ok, since you are in L.A., and already a Cedars patient, one of their subsidiary practices (Kerlan-Jobe) has a really good female orthopedic specialist who evaluates shoulders. You might want to check her out. She is at their facility next to the Hughes Center, off Sepulveda and Sentinel, in Westchester/Culver City area. The specialists at KJ are a far cut above the majority of Cedars orthopedic practitioners. They originated the Tommy John surgery that many athletes get. They did my hip. Top notch.
 
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#17
I had bone spurs in my right shoulder. They were excruciatingly painful. Didn't show on X-rays, but did on MRI. Had them ground out. arthroscopically and have been pain free ever since. Amazing how those tiny little buggers caused me so much discomfort.
 
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#18
Mustang Surly said:
I had bone spurs in my right shoulder. They were excruciatingly painful. Didn't show on X-rays, but did on MRI. Had them ground out. arthroscopically and have been pain free ever since. Amazing how those tiny little buggers caused me so much discomfort.
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Yep. The tricky part is to get your insurance to pay for the MRI. If you are in an HMO or on Medicare Advantage, good luck.
 
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#20
I have had nothing but great results going to a myofascial release massage therapist. Regular orthos and PT did nothing for me, just seemed to prolong everything. Shoulder, knee, wrist--I'm a competitive offroad cyclist so things get jacked up from time to time. Myofascial release FTW in my book!
 
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