Shoulder pain and dead arm

[Yonni]

So, here I am again. The right arm is back to 97% range of movement and pain free. This last week or so I’ve started getting exactly the same symptoms in my left arm. I did a search for this thread to see what I’d written and yep, dead arm, weakness in forearm and wrist. Shoulder muscles not engaging with upper and lower arm on lifting etc. Feels exactly like last time only not quite as painful. But then it is early days. I didn’t get diagnosed last time until a year into it. This time I know what it is from the very specific symptoms. I first thought it was a response to slapping. I never really learned to slap and was practicing it again but no, it’s clearly the same as last time. The only consolation is that it’s in my left arm and I’m right handed. Long practice sessions are out for now though.

 

[basted]

Sorry to hear that your problem is back. Look after yourself and heal.

 

[marchone]

I’ve had a slightly crunchy shoulder for a while. No pain or real restriction of movement, just a few clicks. Since maybe just before Christmas it’s got worse. I’ve left it because I thought it was a tendinitis thing that would get better on its own eventually. Today I’ve had to take painkillers just to use the mouse on my computer at work. I get shooting pains when so do certain movements. I get caught out with this once every couple if days now. Not when heavy lifting more like extreme extension or moving my bent arm in front of my chest etc. This is my right ram (plucking). Over the last 2 days I’ve felt a kind of tightness in my wrist too. Now I’ve got forearm tightness and almost (but not quite) pins and needles in my right hand. My right arm just feels heavy and almost dead and my shoulder seems to have dropped lower than my left one. I’ve got a docs appointment next week but thought I’d scare myself in the meantime by asking you all if this sounds familiar to anyone? I gave it a rest from all cycling and playing for about 10 days in April but it didn’t make any difference.
I also mountain bike and did a race last weekend which probably didn’t help. I've also been practicing a bit more recently as I’ve got a new teacher. I’ve been playing about 3 years now. Any advice or tips?

Without reading all of the responses, it could be Adhesive Capsulitis. If it is, it’s treatable with PT.

 

[Yonni]

Without reading all of the responses, it could be Adhesive Capsulitis. If it is, it’s treatable with PT.

Thanks for taking the time to respond but yeah, you should have read a bit more. AC is the same thing as a frozen shoulder, which is what I had the first time and what I strongly suspect I have again. I went back to my old PT routine from the other arm and it has relieved some of the symptoms today.

 

[Yonni]

Sorry to hear that your problem is back. Look after yourself and heal.

I’m hoping that if I start physio now it won’t get as bad as before. Last time I did 2 pretty hardcore (for a 53 year old at the time) bike events. One was a very hilly road ride of 90 miles, which is when I first felt it. The other was a mountain bike endurance event around 6 months later, which made it much worse. I still can’t ride my road bike for anything longer than around 40 minutes easy without getting shooting pains up my neck into my skull. That’s over 2 years later. Mountain biking is completely out. As long as I can play bass I’ll survive.