Shoulder Advice

[Mister B.]

Well, my nagging shoulder problem is back and I have some bad news regarding it:

An MRI has revealed a "probable" tear near the corticoid process. The specialist performed some more manipulation tests of my shoulder/arm and then he told me he believes that I have some other problems. He said (forgive me for not knowing the proper terminology) the bushing that surrounds the ball of the arm to which the biceps attaches has several small tears. He's sending me on to surgeon who, if he concurs (i.e. second opinion) will perform a sugery to repair this.

To this point, I am not convinced that this is necessarily true in that the MRI really didn't show much other than a bit of swelling which suggested the possibility of a tear in one location and showed nothing with regards to that "bushing"...

The pain I feel seems to run down the "chord" from my shoulder. It seems more like an overly tight muscle/tendon. I had similar pain in the other shoulder a couple years back and I currently have no issues there... that's why I'm not convinced.

Anyway, suggestions on pain alleiviation in this area? I don't seem able to isolate this muscle/area through stretching (heh, with the exception of BB Curls which seem to REALLY aggrivate it). Any suggestions on stretching the area?

B

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"... my mom says I'm cool..."
-- Milhouse

[archive_Killer]

The long head of the biceps attaches to the superior rim of the glenoi fossa. The short head attaches tot he corcoid process. I am not sure I understand what you mean by "bushing."

To stretch the biceps, grab and upright with your arm behind you, shoulder height or a little lower (you can play with the height). You must have the thumb pointed down. Kind of roll (rotate) the biceps until it faces away from your body. This will put the biceps in the line of pull. Then simply lean away and pull.

Try an ice cup massage after any workout also.

Good luck!

[Mister B.]

So basically he's saying theres a tear at each attachment... (i.e. the bushing would be the rim glonoi fossa sounds familiar...)
Thanks.

B

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"... my mom says I'm cool..."
-- Milhouse

[archive_Killer]

Oh, so you probally have some fraying at the attatchment?

That is what I had in my supraspinatus and labrum.

[Mister B.]

Yes. And the word "probably" is exactly right as nothing really showed on the MRI.

Thanks!

B

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"... my mom says I'm cool..."
-- Milhouse

[Mister B.]

Well, I saw the surgeon today and we discussed my issues. Simply put, he doesn't believe there's anything surgery can do for the injury. He says my biceps is torn at the coracoid process (which he called "superficial") and in the area around the glenoid as well as where the pec attaches to the... rotator cuff??? Whatever, pec and both biceps attachments in the shoulder.

He told me to stop thinking in terms of the tear being like a tear in a sheet of paper with two pieces on either side of the tear and to think of it more as "shredded"... As you worded it, Killer: frayed.

So, good news is no surgery, bad news is: no change. He told me to take ibuprofen before workouts, ice after and to cautiously work around the injury. He said it's on the road to rupture and I'd better take it seriously.

He looked at me and said: "I'm not going to ask you if you take steroids because it's obvious you do" http://anabolicfitness.infopop.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif He did, however, want a direct answer on whether I take HGH or not (I haven't yet).

He told me, in the future, to never add HGH to steroid intake or I would face bigger problems with the injury... something about the tissue becoming soft (specific to this injury). I found that interesting, but not sure what he meant... thought someone else might find that interesting.

Anyway, he told me that two to three months out of a competition I could have a cortisone injection but that it would have to go in the joint. He told me that in a very high number of cases like this, cortisone leads to rupture...

I've been using the ice cup method since way back when Killer told me about it the first time, but I honestly don't get any relief from it. It does, however, reduce the after-pain.

B

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"... my mom says I'm cool..."
-- Milhouse